2021-02-01: News Headlines

Paul Dobson (2021-02-01). Venezuela Backs Cuban Medical Brigades for Nobel Peace Prize. venezuelanalysis.com Havana and Caracas strengthened bilateral relations following a visit from Cuba's vice-prime minister.

Ed Rampell (2021-02-01). Endangered Indigenous Amazonians Struggle for Survival. progressive.org Filmmaker Céline Cousteau documents the battles of Brazil's besieged Native people in this new film.

Alan Macleod (2021-02-01). With Anti-IMF Candidate Surging in Polls, Ecuador's Moreno Flies To DC Amid Talk of Suspending Election. mintpressnews.com Adding to worries that a Bolivia-style coup might be imminent in Ecuador, Lenín Moreno will spend his final days in office in Washington, DC, where he's been meeting with members of the Biden administration.

teleSUR Desk (2021-02-01). Fears of U.S. interference in Ecuadorean elections. mronline.org Andres Arauz has 37 percent of voting intention in the most recent polls, compared to 24 percent of the banker Guillermo Lasso, his main competitor, who seeks to banish once and for all the failed model of 21st Century socialism.

_____ (2021-02-01). US and Colombian govts supported botched invasion of Venezuela: Bombshell testimony from coup-plotter. strategic-culture.org A key coup-plotter in the May 2020 botched invasion of Venezuela said she met with FBI and DEA officials. She admitted Colombia's intelligence services were aiding them and "knew everything," adding that President Iván Duque and far-right political kingpin àÅlvaro Uribe helped. | By Ben NORTON | Awitness at the heart of the botched invasion of Venezuela in May 2020 has stated that the US and Colombian governments were involved in the regime-change operation. Coup-plotter Yacsy àÅlvarez said she met with officials from the FBI and DEA in Florida and informed them of their plans. | àÅlvarez also r…

sputniknews (2021-02-01). Venezuela to Consider Over 200 Investment Projects Under Anti-Sanctions Law, Maduro Says. sputniknews.com MEXICO CITY (Sputnik) – Since the adoption of the anti-sanctions law, the Venezuelan government has received over 200 investment applications from foreign investors, Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro said.

Online News Editor (2021-02-01). Argentina extends anti-coronavirus measures amid slow vaccine rollout. laprensalatina.com Buenos Aires, Feb 1 (efe-epa).- Argentina on Monday extended a raft of measures aimed at combating the novel coronavirus, including the closure of its borders to international tourism. The move comes amid the nation's slower-than-projected Covid-19 vaccine rollout and concerns that the crisis will worsen with the onset of autumn in March. In a decision …

Peoples Dispatch (2021-02-01). MST calls for Bolsonaro's removal in letter to Brazilian people. peoplesdispatch.org In the letter, the MST highlights the key struggles for the next period in defense of the life and rights of the Brazilian people. They declare that forcing Bolsonaro out is urgent and necessary.

teleSUR (2021-01-31). Ecuador: A Court Admits Claim Against Pollution in the Amazon. telesurenglish.net The Sucumbios Supreme Court accepted an appeal filed by nine indigenous girls who demanded the elimination of over 400 gas flares linked to crude oil production in the Ecuadorean Amazon. | RELATED: | The plaintiffs demanded actions by the State to eliminate the oil industry burners in the Amazon, including the non-authorization of new installations of this kind. | Noting the State's negligence "by not providing or promoting the use of envi…

_____ (2021-01-31). The People Of Ecuador Are Fighting To Recover Their Popular Sovereignty. popularresistance.org On 7 February, the citizens of Ecuador will express their constitutional right to popular sovereignty, electing a new president and National Assembly to carry the country out of its most severe crisis in a generation. Between violent crackdowns on IMF protests in 2019 to persistent threats to cancel next month's election, Ecuador's democracy is on the brink. The vigilance of the world will be critical to preserve it — and help restore democracy to a region in the midst of an authoritarian backslide. | Ecuador has been hit harder by the Covid-19 pandemic than almost any country in the world. The country has…

David Soll (2021-01-31). Democrats, You PROMISED Survival Checks NOW! realprogressives.org On January 5 there was a special election held in Georgia where the two running Democrats ultimately won. How were they able to pull it off? No, the election was not stolen by Russia, China, Venezuela, or little green men. It was won because the Democrats promised the American people relief in the form of immediate distribution of $2000 survival checks! | These words were verbatim, by then Senate candidate Jon Ossoff, during an interview just days before the election,"We will be able to pass $2,000 dollar stimulus checks for the people next week when we win these races in Georgia and get economic relief direct…

Ben Norton (2021-01-30). US and Colombian govts supported botched invasion of Venezuela: Bombshell testimony from coup-plotter. thegrayzone.com A key coup-plotter in the May 2020 botched invasion of Venezuela said she met with FBI and DEA officials. She admitted Colombia's intelligence services were aiding them and "knew everything," adding that President Iván Duque and far-right political kingpin àÅlvaro Uribe helped. A witness at the heart of the botched invasion of Venezuela in May 2020 has stated that the US and Colombian governments were involved in the regime-change operation. Coup-plotter Yacsy àÅlvarez said she met with officials from the …

WSWS (2021-01-30). Brazilian Workers Party, pseudo-lefts use COVID-19 vaccination disputes to cover up herd immunity policy. wsws.org Brazil's vaccination debacle has fueled ruling class divisions regarding the attitude towards US imperialism and China as all factions rally behind a herd immunity policy.

Online News Editor (2021-01-30). An ever-growing memorial: Peru's health worker death toll nears 300. laprensalatina.com Lima, Jan 30 (efe-epa).- A row of almost 300 portraits of healthcare professionals who have died from Covid-19 lines the sidewalk outside the Medical College of Peru in the capital Lima. The memorial was launched in June 2020 with around 45 portraits to pay tribute to those who lost their lives in the campaign against …

Joe Parkin Daniels (2021-01-30). [World Report] Health experts slam Bolsonaro's vaccine comments. thelancet.com Brazil has begun COVID-19 vaccinations, but health experts are having to boost confidence following the president's remarks. Joe Parkin Daniels reports.

Online News Editor (2021-01-30). Bolivian artists tackle topic of panedmic. laprensalatina.com La Paz, Jan 30 (EFE).- An exhibition in Bolivia is offering a close look back on the Covid-19 pandemic so far through the medium of contemporary art. The exhibit, Mutaciones y Afecciones #Cuerpos Pandémicos, is hosted at the Spanish Cultural Center in La Paz and showcases eight Bolivian artists who offer a creative look at …

Online News Editor (2021-01-30). Jay Pfahl, the 'orchidolic' who discovered two new species in 2020. laprensalatina.com Key West (USA), Jan 30 (efe-epa).- To many familiar with his work, Jay Pfahl is not merely an orchidologist but an "orchidolic" — the specialist cultivates some 4,000 orchids at his home in Key West, Florida. In 2020, he discovered two new species of the flower while scouring the countryside outside the Colombian capital Bogotá, …

Grace Livingstone (2021-01-30). Review — Santiago Rising. zcomm.org Review of Santiago Rising, a new film which portrays the recent eruption of protest against inequality in Chile…

teleSUR (2021-01-30). Huge Fire Affects Hospital in Chilean Capital. telesurenglish.net According to authorities, the fire started after 07: 00 local time and about thirty firefighters were immediately mobilized to the scene. | Different versions indicate that the flames were concentrated in the northern area of the hospital, on the side of the children's diagnostic and emergency center, while the National Emergency Office indicated that the fire affected the fourth floor of the building, where the boilers are located. | RELATED: | Heal…

teleSUR (2021-01-30). Fears of US Interference in Ecuadorean Elections. telesurenglish.net On February 7, presidential and legislative elections (137 assembly members) will be held in Ecuador, and the candidate best positioned to win is Andres Arauz, candidate for the coalition Union for Hope (UNES). Arauz, who represents correísmo, is the heir of a citizen revolution which the current government has tried to annihilate and outlaw electorally.

Peoples Dispatch (2021-01-29). Roger Waters on Ecuador and Steven Donziger's fight for justice. peoplesdispatch.org Musician Roger Waters and Vijay Prashad of Tricontinental: Institute for Social Research talk about the struggles of the indigenous people of Ecuador against Chevron's Lago Agrio oil field and the persecution of attorney Steven Donziger who fought their case. They also reflect on the struggles of people like Donziger, Julian Assange and others who strive for a better world against those for whom power and profit are more important than anything else.

teleSUR (2021-01-29). Ecuador: Health Minister Investigated Over Influence Peddling. telesurenglish.net Ecuadorian Attorney General's Office Thursday opened an investigation against Health Minister Juan Zeballos over an alleged crime of influence peddling during the COVID-19 vaccine distribution process. | RELATED: | The investigation started after several complaints against the minister, who presumably allowed some family members to receive the first doses of the Pfizer vaccine. | The Popular Legal Action and Amapola Nara…

teleSUR (2021-01-29). Chile: Socialist Party Nominees Its Presidential Candidate. telesurenglish.net Chile's Socialist Party on Thursday unanimously approved psychologist Paula Narvaez as its presidential candidate for the 2021 elections. | RELATED: | She served as Government Secretariat Minister and Chief of Staff during Michelle Bachelet's second term (2014-2018). She also works as an advisor for the United Nations Women Program in Latin America. | Narvaez noted that the right-wing would deliver a "weakened" co…

Geraldina Colotti (2021-01-29). UN Independent expert Alfred de Zayas: 'This is how the human rights industry works'. mronline.org Italian journalist Geraldina Colotti asks de Zayas about corporate media manipulation of Venezuela's human rights situation.

yenisafak (2021-01-29). Will Biden return to multilateralism in South America? yenisafak.com While new US President Joe Biden's return to multilateralism, the Paris Agreement, and a commitment to protect the Amazon forests has raised hopes, experts believe there will be less substance in US-Latin America relations due to a host of factors.They believe, however, that Biden's flexible and less confrontational approach has shown that he will retain focal points of the Obama administration and rebuild ties with countries.Although during his eight years as vice president under Barack Obama, Biden visited Latin America 16 times, analysts now say domestic issues along with other strategically important global i…

RT (2021-01-29). 'That is freedom': UFC stunner Claudia Gadelha shows off snap from naked photoshoot as star stays fit during layoff from action. rt.com Women's UFC strawweight sensation Claudia Gadelha has thrilled her vast fan following by revealing a shot from a naked photoshoot, offering kisses and love to her supporters while showing off her mental and physical fitness. | The seven-time Brazilion jiu-jitsu champion announced her pleasure with the teaser photo from her scantily-clad shoot, and her admirers clearly agreed as the picture, which featured Gadelha side on with no clothes on, racked up well over 100,000 likes in less than 24 hours. | Gadelha is currently recovering from injury and only her second loss in almost two years, having lost by decision…

_____ (2021-01-29). Venezuela: United States Goal Is To Support A 'Transition'. popularresistance.org "The goal of the United States is to support a democratic, peaceful transition in Venezuela through free and fair elections," said White House press secretary Jen Psaki on Tuesday, January 26, reading from notes she carried with her. | The spokeswoman for the new US administration answered a question from a journalist by adding "the President has always been very clear that the approach towards Venezuela is to address the humanitarian situation, give support to the Venezuelan people, and revitalize multilateral diplomacy." During her comments, she said that measures will continue to be taken to prosecute those al…

Online News Editor (2021-01-29). Remote learning's deficiencies leave Venezuelan students adrift. laprensalatina.com By Barbara Agelvis Caracas, Jan 29 (efe-epa).- Venezuelan grade-school and university students have not attended in-person classes for nearly a year due to the government's coronavirus restrictions, relying instead on online instruction that is hampered by technical problems and a lack of resources and training. The poor quality of telecommunications, badly underpaid teachers who lack …

Susan Price (2021-01-29). 'Santiago Rising': Documenting the Chilean 'awakening' from below. greenleft.org.au Santiago Rising, a new Alborada Films documentary by British filmmaker and journalist Nick MacWilliam, takes viewers to the streets of Chile's capital city as the 2019-20 protests unfolded, and introduces them to the social movements, protesters and ordinary people behind the rebellion, writes Federico Fuentes.

Susan Price (2021-01-29). Santiago Rising: Documenting the Chilean 'awakening' from below. greenleft.org.au Santiago Rising takes viewers to the streets of Chile's capital city as the 2019-20 protests unfolded, introducing them to the social movements, protesters and people behind the rebellion, writes Federico Fuentes.

teleSUR (2021-01-29). Paraguay: Opposition Leader Efrain Alegre Faces Jail. telesurenglish.net A Paraguayan judge Thursday ordered pre-trial detention for the former presidential candidate Efrain Alegre, who is under investigation for an alleged corruption scandal related to his 2018 election campaign. | RELATED: | According to Guarantees Judge Cynthia Lovera, the Authentic Radical Liberal Party (PLRA) leader failed to comply with the alternative measures to prison imposed on him 20 days ago. | "Alegre syste…

teleSUR (2021-01-29). Peru: Parties Contesting the Elections Sign Ethical Guidelines. telesurenglish.net Peru's National Elections Jury (JNE) President Jorge Salas Thursday announced that 17 parties signed the Ethical Electoral Pact (PEE) to observe democratic values and health protocols in the April general elections. | RELATED: | They committed to complying with certain democratic principles such as the acceptance of the electoral results without undermining the right to challenge when appropriate. | Popular Renovatio…

Gabriela Sarmet (2021-01-29). Vale's Crime in Brumadinho. globalresearch.ca All Global Research articles including the E-Book can be read in 27 languages by activating the "Translate Website" drop down menu on the top banner of our home page (Desktop version). | *** | Brazilian activists continue to campaign for justice two …

teleSUR (2021-01-29). Argentina: Judge Bans Safe Abortion Law in Chaco Province. telesurenglish.net A Chaco Province's court on Thursday declared unconstitutional the Safe Abortion Law approved by the Argentine Congress and suspended its application in that territory. | RELATED: | Judge Marta Aucar announced the verdict after a complaint filed by an anti-abortion group from Chaco city. | "The Senate's decision is contrary to Chaco regulations," the conservative group stated, alluding to the Safe Abortion Law that gran…