Monthly Archives: May 2021

2021-05-14: News Headlines

thelancet (2021-05-15). [Department of Error] Department of Error. thelancet.com Chauvin L. Peruvian COVID-19 vaccine scandal spreads. Lancet 2021; 397: 783—This World Report incorrectly stated that clinical trials had been halted at Cayetano Heredia University. The National Institute of Health suspended the unit at Cayetano Heredia University doing the Sinopharm trial, pending an investigation. It did not suspend other trials. This correction has been made to the online version as of May 13, 2021.

Jorge Arévalo, Francisco C Villafuerte, Martin Montes, Theresa J Ochoa, researchers from Facultad de Ciencias y Filosofía, from Instituto de Medicina Tropical Alexander von Humboldt, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia (2021-05-15). [Correspondence] Peruvian research: striving for the highest standards. thelancet.com For 60 years, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia (UPCH) in Lima, Peru, has contributed to world-class knowledge in tropical medicine, high-altitude medicine and physiology, public health, and basic sciences with the highest research standards and ethics. We therefore read with interest the World Report by Lucien Chauvin,1 in which we found some inaccuracies that we would like to clarify.

WSWS (2021-05-14). Nationwide demonstrations in Brazil after police slaughter 27 in Rio favela raid. wsws.org The raid, the largest police massacre in Rio since 1989, was carried out in defiance of a Supreme Court ban on such operations during the pandemic.

_____ (2021-05-14). South America's 'Business Friendly' Bloodbath. popularresistance.org International Business and Banking support for the most repressive regimes in Latin America is even more evident than it was during the original cold war. Now, Wall Street ºs three main men in South America all face charges of crimes against humanity, even genocide, at the International Criminal Court. | Whilst the anglosphere regularly attacks governments of the left in Latin America on human rights grounds, it is its pliant business friendly U.S. regional allies; Brazil ºs Bolsonaro, Chile ºs Piñera, and Colombia ºs Duque, who face being sent before the Hague. | All three countries face cruc…

Staff (2021-05-14). Chile: 5 Keys for this Weekend's Election that will Define the Future. orinocotribune.com For some they are the most important elections [in Chile] since the plebiscite that marked the end of the Augusto Pinochet dictatorship (1973-1990), for others these elections will set the rules of the game for the next decades. Whatever the approach, no one doubts the significance of the elections that Chile will experience this weekend. The star will undoubtedly be the Constituent election, which should bury the dictator's legacy. | 1. What is being voted on | Chile faces four simultaneous elections on May 15 and 16 in which 16,730 candidates participate: municipal and regional elections, in which mayors, counc…

David Swanson (2021-05-14). Chile and Colombia to Move Money Out of Militaries. warisacrime.org By David Swanson, World BEYOND War, May 15, 2021 While the proposal for a global ceasefire during a disease pandemic has done the opposite of catching on, there are a few small signs of sanity and even of successful activism. While most big military spenders (including the super-mega-biggest one) have increased or kept their spending …

Waging Nonviolence (2021-05-14). How the Movement in Chile Went from Jumping Subway Turnstiles to Rewriting the Constitution. dissidentvoice.org Mass protests that began in 2019 in Chile — and have deep roots in the country's militant history of resistance to neoliberalism — are about to bring about a new constitution. This is an attempt to correct the constitution imposed under military dictatorship in 1980 (with the guidance of Milton Friedman and the so-called Chicago …

_____ (2021-05-14). Meet The Neo-Nazi Advising Colombian Police On Breaking The National Strike. popularresistance.org Cali, Colombia – Colombia is on strike. And the police and military are terrorizing the population to crush it. | It kicked on when the far-right president President Ivan Duque announced a wildly unpopular tax reform imposing crushing austerity measures on middle class and poor Colombians. Duque's proposal aimed to pay off debt in order to project stability and satisfy international investors. But that stability for international capital means more instability for the tens of millions of Colombians struggling to put food on the table. | The country is already in dire economic straits — 43 percent of Colombi…

_____ (2021-05-14). Colombia: Anti-Government Protests. popularresistance.org Colombia's security forces apparently entered panic mode and the government of President Ivan Duque all but collapsed after the US Congress reiterated threats to cut military funds. | The panic was most evident on the National Army's twitter page, which suddenly began publishing in Spanglish about mysterious "spirit of body and military training." | The prosecution and the police additionally announced investigations into reports on widespread human rights violations against anti-government protesters. | This violence that surged after protests began on April 28 suddenly stopped on Wednesday when police apparentl…

Dan Cohen (2021-05-14). Meet the Neo-Nazi advising Colombian police on how to break the National Strike. mronline.org Behind The Headlines' Dan Cohen examines the ongoing national strike in Colombia and how President Duque is relying on a neo-fascist ideology to subdue it. | May 14, 2021 | Newswire…

Jeffrey St. Clair (2021-05-14). Roaming Charges: How Bio-Warfare Came to Colombia. counterpunch.org There's a theory that Israel controls US politics, that the most powerful war-making state the world has ever known is a mere puppet of Israel, institutionally incapable of asserting its own agenda in the Middle East. This is a convenient myth for both parties, since it makes Israel seem more powerful than it is and it tends to exculpate the US from direct complicity in ergregious human rights abuses. But in fact the US finances Israel. It is dependent on us. Its crimes are ours. We paid for them.

news.un (2021-05-14). Rights experts call for probe into violent crackdown on Colombia protests. news.un.org Independent human rights experts appointed by the UN and the Organization of American States (OAS) have called for the Colombian Government to conduct a thorough and impartial investigation into the violent crackdown on recent peaceful protests in the country.

Vijay Prashad (2021-05-14). If I fall in the struggle, take my place. mronline.org Ugliness defines the mood of state violence from Cali (Colombia) to Durban (South Africa), each context different and the depth of the violence particular to the location. Images of security forces cracking down on people trying to express their political rights have become commonplace. | May 14, 2021…

Peoples Dispatch (2021-05-14). Colombians continue to resist as national strike completes 15 days. peoplesdispatch.org Enduring brutal police and military repression, hundreds of thousands of Colombians continue to remain on the streets against neoliberalism and violence, for life, peace, justice and democracy…

_____ (2021-05-14). If I Fall In The Struggle, Take My Place. popularresistance.org Ugliness defines the mood of state violence from Cali (Colombia) to Durban (South Africa), each context different and the depth of the violence particular to the location. Images of security forces cracking down on people trying to express their political rights have become commonplace. It is impossible to keep track of the events, which move swiftly from public manifestations to courtroom scenes, from the dissipation of tear gas to the invisible frustration of the prison cell. Yet, underlying these events and amidst the range of feelings that shape them lies a sense of refusal, the Great Refusal, the refusal to…

_____ (2021-05-14). Colombia Has Lost Its Fear. popularresistance.org After decades of armed conflict and paramilitary violence, Colombia has seen protest movements return in strength over the past year and a half. The forceful demonstrations of the past week exceed even the high points of the nationwide uprising of November and December 2019. In response, the most heavily armed government in Latin America has carried out a brutal crackdown. | The COVID-19 pandemic and its social and economic consequences have hit Colombia hard. The country is reaching a breaking point as the ruling class attempts to squeeze the last drops of profit out of an already suffering populace kept in line…

Editor2 (2021-05-14). Zionism's Alliance with Luis Almagro the Yanacona. orinocotribune.com By Pablo Joffre Leal — May 11, 2021 | The policy of "public diplomacy" that the Zionist government has ordered, as part of the process of cleaning up the image of its regime, implies buying support from international organizations, governments, parliamentarians, and opinion leaders. | These are usually well rewarded for this shameless support in favor of an entity that commits war crimes and crimes against humanity. In this context and as part of his political conversion process from progressivism and solidarity with the peoples, the Secretary General of the Organization of American States (OAS), the Uruguay…

teleSUR (2021-05-13). Bolivia Holds Forum on COVID-19 Vaccine Patent Liberalization. telesurenglish.net Bolivia's President Luis Arce Thursday warned that the COVID-19 pandemic might wipe out health systems worldwide if patents for vaccine production are not released. | RELATED: | He made the remarks at the International Forum on Patent Freedom, which was organized by the Bolivian Foreign Ministry and the United Nations Development Progam (UNDP) in El Alto. | "Humanity has had the scientific and technological capac…

teleSUR (2021-05-13). Brazil's COVID-19 Death Toll Tops 430,000. telesurenglish.net Tests detected 74,592 new cases, taking the national count to 15,433,989, said the ministry. | Brazil has the world's second-highest COVID-19 death toll, after the United States, and the third-largest caseload, behind the United States and India. | The country sees the second wave of an outbreak in 2021, increasing cases and deaths, and surging COVID-19 patients have overwhelmed numerous hospitals. | According to the ministry, Brazil now has a death rate of 204.8 per 100,000 inhabitants and an incidence rate of 7,344.4 per 100,000. | Local media reported that as of Wednesday, 55.8 million people had been vacci…

teleSUR (2021-05-13). Brazil: Poll Shows Lula as Winner of 2022 Presidential Election. telesurenglish.net On Wednesday, Brazil's Datafolha institute revealed the results of a poll ahead of the presidential elections to be held in the country next year, in which it puts the former president, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, as the favorite over the current head of state, the far-right Jair Bolsonaro. | RELATED: | According to the poll results, Lula would obtain 41 percent of the votes in the first round, well above Bolsonaro wi…

teleSUR (2021-05-13). Brazil Passes Law To Reduce Gov't-Led Environmental Assessment. telesurenglish.net Brazil's Congress lower house passed on Thursday a bill to further reduce state-conducted environmental assessments and allow companies to carry out their impact study instead, a decision widely rejected by activists and human rights organizations. | RELATED: | The bill lifts control over a series of economic ventures from the construction of roads to agriculture, which used to require a state-led environmental st…

Workers World Party (2021-05-13). PDF of May 13 issue. workers.org Download the PDF. Repression and resistance in South America Colombia: State terror won't stop the struggle Brazilians tell police: 'Stop killing us!' Pandemic triple threat; 'We have power'; Indigenous pipeline protest; Black Lives Matter in Georgia; Editorial Vaccine monopolies. GLOBAL: Palestine; U.S. vs. China; Evictions in South Asia. Tear down . . . |

Monica Moorehead (2021-05-13). Brazilians tell police: 'Stop killing us!'. workers.org The police invaded the Jacarezinho favela (slum) in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, at dawn May 6, armed to the teeth with bulletproof helicopters, armored tanks and machine guns to confront what they claimed were suspected drug traffickers. When the smoke cleared after what seemed like hours of shooting, 27 young . . . |

Ruhi Bhasin (2021-05-13). Mismanagement of the COVID-19 Crisis Increases Food Insecurity in India and Brazil. counterpunch.org As Indians continue to scramble for survival through a deadly second COVID-19 wave and deal with an inadequate health care system that has failed them at every step, for a majority of the country living in rural areas and in slums in urban centers, food insecurity is proving to be a bigger struggle than protecting

teleSUR (2021-05-13). Mexico Welcomes Brazil's Former President Dilma Rousseff. telesurenglish.net Mexico's President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador (AMLO) held a meeting with Brazil's former President Dilma Rousseff (2011-2016), who will attend the 700th anniversary of the founding of Tenochtitlan on Thursday. | RELATED: | Rousseff was also received by Mexico City's Mayor Claudia Sheinbaum who declared her a distinguished guest of the country's capital.

teleSUR (2021-05-13). Pope Francis Backs Argentina on IMF Debt Renegotiation. telesurenglish.net Argentina's President Alberto Fernandez met with Pope Francis on Thursday as part of an international tour to obtain European support for the renegotiation of Argentina's debt with the International Monetary Fund (IMF). | RELATED: | Fernadez held a 30-minutes private audience with the Pope to whom he offered details on the progress of the debt renegotiation process. The meeting took place in the Paul VI Hall studio…

Tanya Wadhwa (2021-05-13). Chile prepares for historic Constitutional Convention elections. peoplesdispatch.org This weekend, around 15 million Chileans will go to the polls to elect the 155 members of the Constitutional Convention, a body that will be responsible for rewriting the country's dictatorship-era constitution inherited from the era of Pinochet…

teleSUR (2021-05-13). Colombia: Foreign Minister Claudia Blum Submits Her Resignation. telesurenglish.net "I want, in the most respectful manner, to submit to you my irrevocable resignation to the position of Minister of Foreign Affairs, effective immediately," reads the letter sent by Blum to Colombian President Iván Duque, dated last Tuesday, May 11. | Her departure from the Foreign Ministry occurs although Blum was scheduled to travel to Madrid (Spain), Brussels (Belgium), and The Hague (Netherlands) to meet with delegates from the United Nations (UN), the European Union (EU), and the diplomatic staff of her country, to offer the Government's version on the protests that have been taking place in Colombia since…

WSWS (2021-05-13). Colombia enters third week of protests as Bogotá and Washington prepare to escalate repression. wsws.org The crackdown is being carried out not only with the support of the Biden administration in Washington, but in close coordination with the Pentagon.

Guest Contributor (2021-05-13). OPINION: All Colombians Must Unite and Fight for the Legitimate Right to Protest. latinorebels.com Until we all access these basic rights, la protesta y la lucha no deben de parar.

teleSUR (2021-05-13). INDEPAZ Confirms Murder Of Another Social Leader In Colombia. telesurenglish.net Colombia's Institute for Development and Peace Studies (INDEPAZ) on Wednesday reported the murder of women's rights defender Cecilia Valderrama in the Chaparral municipality, Tolima Department. | RELATED: | The leader of the El Escobal Women's Association (ASMUES) was found dead with signs of violence in a pasture on Wednesday. | Her neighbors last saw her on Tuesday at 18h00 local time, when she left her residence to a nearby road to wait fo…

Vijay Prashad (2021-05-13). If I Fall in the Struggle, Take My Place. dissidentvoice.org Tiger Tateishi (Japan), Samurai, the Watcher (Koya no Yojinbo), 1965. Ugliness defines the mood of state violence from Cali (Colombia) to Durban (South Africa), each context different and the depth of the violence particular to the location. Images of security forces cracking down on people trying to express their political rights have become commonplace. It …

_____ (2021-05-13). From Palestine To Colombia: The End Of The White World Colonial/Capitalist Project? popularresistance.org The world is shocked by the image of an eleven-story residential building in Gaza collapsing from a bomb dropped by the Israeli Defense Force, one of the most advanced armies in the world thanks to U.S. support. But in the U.S., Andrew Yang, former presidential candidate and now candidate for mayor of New York, proudly proclaims that he stands with the heroic people of Israel who are under attack from the vicious, occupied Palestinians who have no army, no rights, and no state. | But as politically and morally contradictory as Yang's sentiments might appear to be for many, the alternative world of Western liberal…

teleSUR (2021-05-13). Colombian Police Crack Down On Protests In Bogota And Popayan. telesurenglish.net Colombians denounced that the Mobile Anti-Riot Squad (ESMAD) attacked peaceful demonstrations that took place in Bogota and Popayan on Wednesday night. | RELATED: | Videos posted on social media show police shooting and throwing tear gas canisters at citizens. Local media have not yet reported any deaths due to police brutality, but witnesses say several people were injured or arbitrarily arrested. | During the clashes, Bogota's mayor Claudia…

teleSUR (2021-05-13). Colombians Demand Resignation Of Ombudsman. telesurenglish.net The Human Rights Union of the Ombudsman's Office (SINDHEP) on Thursday demanded the resignation of Ombudsman Carlos Camargo for not being committed to the social process the country is going through. | RELATED: | "Camargo does not represent us nor the people. We are concerned about his erratic actions and pronouncements, which put protesters and workers of the Ombudsman's Office at risk," the defenders said. | They criticized the Ombudsman's…

teleSUR (2021-05-13). Dialogue Table in Cali Reaches No Agreement Amid High Tensions. telesurenglish.net A dialogue table between Cali's demonstrators, local authorities, and government representatives was lifted amid high tensions and no resolution on Thursday, ahead of tomorrow's meeting of the National Strike Committee to evaluate starting a negotiation. | RELATED: | Despite extreme police brutality and militarization of the country, Colombians have remained in the streets for 16 days demanding social justice and…

Susan Price (2021-05-13). Colombia's leaders want to stain the country with blood. greenleft.org.au In the face of ongoing state repression, the Colombian people remain on the streets and continue resisting, write Laura Capote and Zoe Alexandra.

àÅngel Guerra Cabrera (2021-05-13). Colombia — El derrumbe del uribismo. globalizacion.ca Hace dos años àÅlvaro Uribe habló de perpetrar una masacre con criterio social para acabar con la Minga indígena en el Cauca (n9.cl/42qwi ).Y hace unas horas, a lo comandante en jefe, proclamaba: "confiamos en el inmediato copamiento militar de…

teleSUR (2021-05-13). Uruguay: Military Withheld Information on Dictatorship Crimes. telesurenglish.net The "Mothers and Relatives of Detained and Disappeared People" Organization (Desaparecidos) decried the concealment of information related to the crimes committed by Uruguay's military dictatorship (1973-1985). | RELATED: | Over the weekend, files were found in a military unit containing intelligence reports and orders from the Information and Defense Service (SID) and the Coordinating Body for Anti-Subversive Ope…

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2021-05-13: News Headlines

teleSUR (2021-05-13). Venezuela Seeks To Boost Its Economy Through E-Commerce. telesurenglish.net Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro said Wednesday that his country will create an e-commerce system to boost businesses and stimulate the economy, which has been severely hit by the U.S. blockade and the pandemic. | RELATED: | "The Commerce to Person (C2P) system will allow the Venezuelans to free themselves from the use of paper money. This technological proposal will help us overcome the sanctions' impact and assist the needs…

José Manuel Blanco Diaz (2021-05-13). The Real Reason Why Former Deputy Guaidó now Wants Dialogue. orinocotribune.com "The bobolongo (former deputy Guaidó) comes out to say that he wants dialogue because he was left out of everything, isolated and defeated" Venezuelan head of state, Nicolás Maduro, stated emphatically on Tuesday. "Nobody will ask him anything, and the country's course is already set for a great mega-election this year of 2021." | With these words, President Maduro was reacting to a message circulated on social media networks in which the far-right former deputy changed his tack and, demanding invariably the departure of the legitimate government, now spoke of "reaching agreements." | For this reason, Maduro was…

Daniela Jimenez (2021-05-13). Biden Administration to Review Sanctions Policy Against Venezuela. orinocotribune.com The administration of US President Joe Biden is reviewing its policy of illegal unilateral measures, also called "sanctions," against Venezuela, reported Bloomberg. | "The relationship between the United States and Venezuela is under quiet review, " wrote the US outlet. Bloomberg also claimed that US figures with access to the Biden administration are talking to the "inner circle" of the government of President Nicolás Maduro. Among them are House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Gregory Meeks, former New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson, and World Food Program Director David Beasley. The latter is the executive…

_____ (2021-05-13). From Palestine To Colombia: The End Of The White World Colonial/Capitalist Project? popularresistance.org The world is shocked by the image of an eleven-story residential building in Gaza collapsing from a bomb dropped by the Israeli Defense Force, one of the most advanced armies in the world thanks to U.S. support. But in the U.S., Andrew Yang, former presidential candidate and now candidate for mayor of New York, proudly proclaims that he stands with the heroic people of Israel who are under attack from the vicious, occupied Palestinians who have no army, no rights, and no state. | But as politically and morally contradictory as Yang's sentiments might appear to be for many, the alternative world of Western liberal…

Workers World Party (2021-05-13). PDF of May 13 issue. workers.org Download the PDF. Repression and resistance in South America Colombia: State terror won't stop the struggle Brazilians tell police: 'Stop killing us!' Pandemic triple threat; 'We have power'; Indigenous pipeline protest; Black Lives Matter in Georgia; Editorial Vaccine monopolies. GLOBAL: Palestine; U.S. vs. China; Evictions in South Asia. Tear down . . . |

Anya Parampil (2021-05-13). USAID Admits to Venezuela Regime Change Fraud. orinocotribune.com By Anya Parampil — May 6, 2021 | Red Lines host Anya Parampil explores an internal USAID report admitting the agency's policy on Venezuela was driven by the State Department and National Security Council's push for regime change. | The report specifically investigated USAID's attempt to use the US military to force aid through Venezuela's border with Colombia on February 23, 2019.

Ruhi Bhasin (2021-05-13). Mismanagement of the COVID-19 Crisis Increases Food Insecurity in India and Brazil. counterpunch.org As Indians continue to scramble for survival through a deadly second COVID-19 wave and deal with an inadequate health care system that has failed them at every step, for a majority of the country living in rural areas and in slums in urban centers, food insecurity is proving to be a bigger struggle than protecting

Andreína Chávez Alava (2021-05-13). Venezuela to Receive Sputnik Light and Johnson & Johnson Single-Dose Vaccines. venezuelanalysis.com President Maduro said a mass Covid-19 vaccination campaign would take place between June and August to inoculate 70 percent of the population.

Editor2 (2021-05-13). When a Cuban Mother Sacrifices Herself for Venezuelan Mothers. orinocotribune.com By Yosdany Morejón Ortega — May 9, 2021 | The plane took off and a lump tightened in her throat as she evoked the figure of a son who had said goodbye to her minutes before. She was 27 years old and, until that moment, the separation between herself and her family would be limited to a few days; but this time it would be very different. | She thought of birthdays that she would not be celebrating, dinners where her presence would be a mere evocation, empty cutlery at the end of the table, laughter, hugs and tears that would dissolve into the nothingness of a prolonged absence. | She thought and thought until…

Staff (2021-05-13). Hinterlaces Poll Reveals the Most Unpopular Leaders of the Venezuelan Opposition. orinocotribune.com A recent opinion poll by Hinterlaces revealed the level of rejection by the people of Venezuela towards the main leaders of the opposition. | The Venezuelan research and analysis firm Monitor País Hinterlaces carried out this latest study between April 14 and April 25 this year, directed 15% to the strata A, B and C, and the remaining 85% to the strata D and E. | In addition, the poll was classified by gender, age, region of the country, socioeconomic condition, and educational qualification of the respondents, with a margin of error of 3%, according to the firm. | What was the poll? | The people who were consult…

Monica Moorehead (2021-05-13). Brazilians tell police: 'Stop killing us!'. workers.org The police invaded the Jacarezinho favela (slum) in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, at dawn May 6, armed to the teeth with bulletproof helicopters, armored tanks and machine guns to confront what they claimed were suspected drug traffickers. When the smoke cleared after what seemed like hours of shooting, 27 young . . . |

Rainer Shea (2021-05-13). The US Empire's Attempts to Retain Control Bring the Next Wave of Socialist Revolutions Closer. orinocotribune.com In the last year, the imperialists have had both one great defeat and one great victory. Last fall in Bolivia, the indigenous movement overpowered the CIA-installed coup regime and forced through an election which brought the country's socialist party back to power, losing the international bourgeoisie control over Bolivia's Lithium and destroying the strategic military advantage Washington was trying to build up around Venezuela. But then last month in Ecuador, the imperialists

teleSUR (2021-05-13). Pope Francis Backs Argentina on IMF Debt Renegotiation. telesurenglish.net Argentina's President Alberto Fernandez met with Pope Francis on Thursday as part of an international tour to obtain European support for the renegotiation of Argentina's debt with the International Monetary Fund (IMF). | RELATED: | Fernadez held a 30-minutes private audience with the Pope to whom he offered details on the progress of the debt renegotiation process. The meeting took place in the Paul VI Hall studio…

teleSUR (2021-05-13). Mexico Welcomes Brazil's Former President Dilma Rousseff. telesurenglish.net Mexico's President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador (AMLO) held a meeting with Brazil's former President Dilma Rousseff (2011-2016), who will attend the 700th anniversary of the founding of Tenochtitlan on Thursday. | RELATED: | Rousseff was also received by Mexico City's Mayor Claudia Sheinbaum who declared her a distinguished guest of the country's capital.

Tanya Wadhwa (2021-05-13). Chile prepares for historic Constitutional Convention elections. peoplesdispatch.org This weekend, around 15 million Chileans will go to the polls to elect the 155 members of the Constitutional Convention, a body that will be responsible for rewriting the country's dictatorship-era constitution inherited from the era of Pinochet…

teleSUR (2021-05-13). Colombian Police Crack Down On Protests In Bogota And Popayan. telesurenglish.net Colombians denounced that the Mobile Anti-Riot Squad (ESMAD) attacked peaceful demonstrations that took place in Bogota and Popayan on Wednesday night. | RELATED: | Videos posted on social media show police shooting and throwing tear gas canisters at citizens. Local media have not yet reported any deaths due to police brutality, but witnesses say several people were injured or arbitrarily arrested. | During the clashes, Bogota's mayor Claudia…

teleSUR (2021-05-13). INDEPAZ Confirms Murder Of Another Social Leader In Colombia. telesurenglish.net Colombia's Institute for Development and Peace Studies (INDEPAZ) on Wednesday reported the murder of women's rights defender Cecilia Valderrama in the Chaparral municipality, Tolima Department. | RELATED: | The leader of the El Escobal Women's Association (ASMUES) was found dead with signs of violence in a pasture on Wednesday. | Her neighbors last saw her on Tuesday at 18h00 local time, when she left her residence to a nearby road to wait fo…

WSWS (2021-05-13). Colombia enters third week of protests as Bogotá and Washington prepare to escalate repression. wsws.org The crackdown is being carried out not only with the support of the Biden administration in Washington, but in close coordination with the Pentagon.

Susan Price (2021-05-13). Colombia's leaders want to stain the country with blood. greenleft.org.au In the face of ongoing state repression, the Colombian people remain on the streets and continue resisting, write Laura Capote and Zoe Alexandra.

àÅngel Guerra Cabrera (2021-05-13). Colombia — El derrumbe del uribismo. globalizacion.ca Hace dos años àÅlvaro Uribe habló de perpetrar una masacre con criterio social para acabar con la Minga indígena en el Cauca (n9.cl/42qwi ).Y hace unas horas, a lo comandante en jefe, proclamaba: "confiamos en el inmediato copamiento militar de…

teleSUR (2021-05-13). Uruguay: Military Withheld Information on Dictatorship Crimes. telesurenglish.net The "Mothers and Relatives of Detained and Disappeared People" Organization (Desaparecidos) decried the concealment of information related to the crimes committed by Uruguay's military dictatorship (1973-1985). | RELATED: | Over the weekend, files were found in a military unit containing intelligence reports and orders from the Information and Defense Service (SID) and the Coordinating Body for Anti-Subversive Ope…

Staff (2021-05-13). Venezuela: Electrical Line Explosion in Galipán Leaves La Guaira Without Electricity Service — Sharp Deterioration of Public Utilities. orinocotribune.com A failure at the transmission level in the Cota Mil-Guaira 69 circuit, with a report of explosions in the heights of Picacho Galipán (El Avila mountain), Macuto parish, caused a loss of electrical service in almost 70% of La Guaira state for more than 14 hours this Wednesday. | The service interruption began around midnight, according to users' reports, and service was gradually reestablished beginning around 4 p.m. | Parishes such as Maiquetía, La Guaira, Macuto, Caraballeda, Naiguatá, and Caruao were affected and only Carlos Solublette, Urimare, Catía La Mar, Carayaca, and El Junko, that is to say areas in the…

Peter Bolton (2021-05-13). Failed Venezuelan coup leader now wants dialogue. But here's what corporate media won't tell you. thecanary.co Juan Guaidó, the leader of the US-backed coup attempt in Venezuela, is now But there's an important reality that the corporate-owned press will surely leave…

Ruhi Bhasin (2021-05-12). Mismanagement of the COVID-19 crisis increases food insecurity in India and Brazil. peoplesdispatch.org Food insecurity has worsened across the world during this pandemic with countries like India and Brazil exhibiting systemic failure, forcing people to depend on voluntarism…

Anand Naidoo (2021-05-12). The Heat: COVID-19 in India, Brazil and U.S. america.cgtn.com While some countries have already approved vaccinating teenagers, others are still struggling to get their hands on the shots.

Martha Grevatt (2021-05-12). Colombia: State terror won't stop the struggle. workers.org Since April 28, workers in Colombia have been waging a general strike. The strike was provoked by the third of three recent tax "reforms" imposed by the right-wing government of President Iván Duque. The new taxes squeeze workers at both ends, by raising taxes on personal income and charging sales . . . |

J.P. Linstroth (2021-05-12). The Tax Protests in Colombia. zcomm.org As long as there are income disparities and class disparities in Colombia, and the pandemic continues to put people in financial jeopardy, the unrest will likely continue…

Ben Norton (2021-05-12). Economics of the new cold war and US 'super imperialism' with economist Michael Hudson. thegrayzone.com The Grayzone's Max Blumenthal and Ben Norton interview world-renowned economist Michael Hudson on his concept of American "super imperialism" and the economics of the new cold war on China and Russia. In this wide-ranging discussion on the Moderate Rebels podcast, Hudson addresses US sanctions on Venezuela and Iran, the policies of the Joe Biden administration, Beijing's economic model, cryptocurrencies, and dedollarization — the potential end to the dollar as the global reserve currency. Transcript Ben Norton 0: 03 Hello everyone, I'm …

teleSUR (2021-05-12). Venezuelan Supreme Court Asks Extradition of Coup-Plotter Lopez. telesurenglish.net Venezuela's Supreme Court (TSJ) Tuesday approved to request the extradition from Spain of Leopoldo Lopez, who was sentenced to imprisonment for several crimes connected to internal destabilization in the Bolivarian nation. | RELATED: | Lopez is linked to the failed Gideon Operation undertaken by Colombian-backed paramilitary groups that intended to invade Venezuelan soil in May 2020. | The Supreme Court highlighted that…

Daniela Jimenez (2021-05-12). Venezuela's Supreme Court Authorizes Leopoldo López Extradition Request from Spain. orinocotribune.com This Tuesday, May 11, the Criminal Cassation Chamber of Venezuela's Supreme Court of Justice (TSJ) admitted a request to the government of Spain for the extradition of the fugitive from the Venezuelan justice, Leopoldo López Mendoza, leader of the extreme right-wing political party Popular Will (Voluntad Popular). | The extradition request was executed for the fulfillment of the remainder of the right-wing politician's sentence to be served in Venezuela, which is eight years, six months, 25 days and 12 hours. | López was convicted of committing the crimes of inciting arson, inciting damages, public instigation, a…

Editor2 (2021-05-12). Uprising Across the Global South. orinocotribune.com By Nicholas Ayala — May 11, 2021 | For the past week massive uprisings in Colombia have captured international attention. The scale of the unrest has been so large and vocal that long-time allies to the Duque regime have been forced to speak up. The US released a statement saying "citizens in democratic countries have the unquestionable right to protest peacefully" but that "Violence and vandalism is an abuse of that right." After claiming that the protesters were guilty of some of the violence they then stated "we continue to support the Colombian government's efforts to address the current situation" and t…

José Luis Granados Ceja (2021-05-12). Venezuela to Hold Regional Elections as Opposition Groups Signal Intent to Participate. venezuelanalysis.com President Nicolás Maduro said US-backed Juan Guaidó's call for dialogue was a desperate attempt to avoid being marginalized.

Staff (2021-05-12). Venezuela Condemns New Violent Actions Against the Palestinian People (Communiqué). orinocotribune.com The Foreign Affairs Minister of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela Jorge Arreaza reported, through a statement, that Venezuela expresses its strongest condemnation of Israel's new military actions against the Palestinian people, which have left at least 20 dead. | Through his official account on the social media network Twitter the senior official wrote: "Venezuela condemns the new violent actions against the Palestinian people by Israel, and calls upon the international community, reaffirming its historical position in defense of the sovereignty, independence, and self-determination of Palestine." | In the sta…

RobertAlvarez (2021-05-12). What's up With the Herd? ips-dc.org The problem with the current pandemic is that we don't know if we're coming or going. It's as if we're swimming far from shore, overwhelmed by one wave after another, and we're unsure if we're heading toward land or away from it. | China was the early face of COVID-19, but it hasn't faced many infections since last spring. Europe, like the United States, has experienced successive outbreaks. Brazil continues to be hit hard while Turkey is only now seeing a reduction of cases from a mid-April surge. Thailand and Cambodia are only now dealing with their first major upticks in the disease. | But the real surprise ha…

teleSUR (2021-05-12). Chile Implements Measures To Encourage People to Vote. telesurenglish.net Chile's Electoral Service (SERVEL) announced some organizational measures to carry out the elections on May 15 and 16. This political process was to be held in April, but the resurgence of COVID-19 infections led to its postponement. | RELATED: | Electors can cast their vote in 2,502 polling stations that will operate from 08: 00 a.m. to 06: 00 p.m. They will receive four ballots corresponding to the candidates for govern…

Staff (2021-05-12). China Urges the US to Lift Sanctions Against Venezuela. orinocotribune.com The government of China demanded an end to the coercive measures of the United States administration against Venezuela, calling the unilateral sanctions illegal and highlighting that the coercive measures were intensified amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, despite the fact that the sanctions are violating human rights. | China's position was ratified by the spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Hua Chunying, who pointed out that while Washington presents itself as a defender of legal guarantees and human rights, it nonetheless is intensifying its illegal measures, not only against Venezuela, but also agains…

teleSUR (2021-05-12). Venezuela To Receive Sputnik Light, Speed up Vaccination Drive. telesurenglish.net Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro announced on Tuesday that his country would receive Russia's Sputnik Live vaccine to advance the inoculation amid a COVID-19 upsurge. | RELATED: | "In May, vaccination will accelerate and have widespread growth, and June, July, and August will be the months of a vaccination offensive," the Venezuelan President said on national television as the authorities aimed to vaccinate at least…

Ruhi Bhasin (2021-05-12). Mismanagement of the COVID-19 Crisis Increases Food Insecurity in India and Brazil. zcomm.org With leaders in both countries refusing to accept the urgency of the situation before them, marginalized populations already struggling are having to fight a dual fight: against the virus and against hunger…

Gerardo Szalkowicz (2021-05-12). Colombia se levanta contra el neoliberalismo de guerra. globalizacion.ca "Aquí si no te mueres por covid te matan de hambre o de bala", vociferaba una manifestante veinteañera a un micrófono extranjero condensando en una frase al voleo el nudo central del paro que se volvió estallido social. | Si la…

Editor2 (2021-05-12). The Left Unites in Peru: Pedro Castillo Gains the Support of Verónika Mendoza. orinocotribune.com By Carlos Noriega — May 9, 2021 | Four weeks before the June 6 run-off election, the Peruvian left have united and close to an agreement to promote a "government of change" headed by the professor and trade unionist Pedro Castillo, who is facing the right-wing Keiko Fujimori, daughter and political heir of the imprisoned ex-dictator Alberto Fujimori.The Peru Libre party, which defines itself as Marxist-Leninist and is running Castillo's candidacy, and the progressive coalition Together for Peru, which in the first round had Verónika Mendoza as its candidate, have signed a political pact to support Castillo's…

Cira Pascual Marquina (2021-05-12). Venezuela's popular Democracy under siege: A conversation with Elías Jaua. mronline.org Chavez's former Vice President and long-time minister talks about the internal dynamics of the Bolivarian process. | May 12, 2021 | Exchange…

Editor2 (2021-05-12). Colombia: 12 Wounded in Shooting Targeting Indigenous Minga. orinocotribune.com Twelve members of an indigenous Minga were injured, at least four with serious bullet wounds, after being shot by armed men in plain clothing on Sunday afternoon in the city of Cali, Valle del Cauca, during the 12th day of mass mobilizations. | In an evening

Editor2 (2021-05-12). Gustavo Petro: 'The End of the Neoliberal Model in Colombia is Coming'. orinocotribune.com The former mayor of Bogotá and candidate for president, Gustavo Petro, analyzed the political and social crisis that Colombia is going through, where at least 379 have disappeared, and at least 20 deaths have been recorded, following more than nine days of protests against the government of Iván Duque. He denounced the transformation of young urban protesters into "military targets." | Petro assured Colombians that "the end of the neoliberal model in Colombia is coming" while indicating that "the public policies of Duque have exhausted the patience of Colombian society." | The candidate for the presidency of Colo…

Laura Capote — Zoe Alexandra (2021-05-12). Colombia's Leaders Want to Stain Their Country with the Blood of the Working Class. counterpunch.org According to Temblores and Indepaz, two human rights organizations that have been tracking reports of police violence, from April 28 to May 8, the violent actions of the state security forces resulted in the death of at least 47 people, the arbitrary detention of 963 people, 28 victims of eye-related injuries, and 12 victims of sexual violence. In total, they registered 1,876 cases of police violence.

Laura Capote — Zoe Alexandra (2021-05-12). Colombia's Leaders Want to Stain Their Country with the Blood of the Working Class. counterpunch.org According to Temblores and Indepaz, two human rights organizations that have been tracking reports of police violence, from April 28 to May 8, the violent actions of the state security forces resulted in the death of at least 47 people, the arbitrary detention of 963 people, 28 victims of eye-related injuries, and 12 victims of sexual violence. In total, they registered 1,876 cases of police violence.

Internationalist 360 ∞ (2021-05-12). Colombia's Massacres of Dissenters Will One Day Be Replicated in the U.S. libya360.wordpress.com Rainer Shea The recent developments within Colombia fulfill all of one's darkest fears of how bad modern state repression can get. Colombian police are tracking down protesters via GPS so that they can either arrest them, or kill them outright. This has made it so that the leaders of the protests fear for their lives…

teleSUR (2021-05-12). 'Don't Approve Brazil's OECD Membership', NGOs Ask. telesurenglish.net Over 60 Non-Governmental Organizations requested that Brazil's entry into the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) not be approved because President Jair Bolsonaro's policies undermine the protection of Amazonian ecosystems and Indigenous peoples. | RELATED: | "Current environmental protection and human rights policies are incompatible with what is expected of an OECD country and should be taken into acc…

Fight Back (2021-05-12). Rally on Milwaukee's southside in solidarity with Colombians struggling against political repression. fightbacknews.org Milwaukee, WI – On the sunny afternoon of May 10, members of the Milwaukee's Colombian community, activists and supporters gathered at Walker's Square Park on the Southside to demonstrate solidarity with the people of Colombia in the wake of the violent repression. Nearly 40 people joined the protest, including members of the Red Condor Collective, Freedom Road Socialist Organization, Milwaukee Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression, The People's Revolution, and Our Wisconsin Revolution. | On April 28, most sectors of Colombia began a general strike in response to anti-people measures put forward by the…

Fight Back (2021-05-12). Rally on Milwaukee's southside in solidarity with Colombians struggling against political repression. fightbacknews.org Milwaukee, WI – On the sunny afternoon of May 10, members of the Milwaukee's Colombian community, activists and supporters gathered at Walker's Square Park on the Southside to demonstrate solidarity with the people of Colombia in the wake of the violent repression. Nearly 40 people joined the protest, including members of the Red Condor Collective, Freedom Road Socialist Organization, Milwaukee Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression, The People's Revolution, and Our Wisconsin Revolution. | On April 28, most sectors of Colombia began a general strike in response to anti-people measures put forward by the…

Staff (2021-05-12). Duque's Lightning Visit to Cali & the Stark Contrast with How He Addressed Venezuelans. orinocotribune.com The president of Colombia, Iván Duque, made a lightning visit early morning on Monday, May 10, to the city of Cali, the epicenter of the protests that have been going on in Colombia since April 28. The president stayed in Cali for hardly four hours to meet with the security council established there in the aftermath of the paramilitary attacks perpetrated against an indigenous minga [community reunion]. | On May 9, Duque was emphatic that he had no intention of visiting the capital of Valle del Cauca department; however, eventually he yielded to the pressure from the members of his Democratic Center party. At 3: 4…

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