Monthly Archives: December 2021

2021-12-21: News Headlines

Roselena Ramirez (2021-12-21). Mexican Cartels Blamed for Increased Violence in Ecuador's Prisons. america.cgtn.com Ecuador was left reeling when at least 120 inmates were killed in a Guayaquil jail. Local gangs linked with Mexican drug cartels were behind the slaughter in what is believed to be a fight over territory. The riot was the worst prison massacre in Ecuador's …

WSWS (2021-12-21). Brazil flying blind in Omicron surge as Bolsonaro attacks child vaccinations. wsws.org Preparing a response to the Omicron variant that will be a full-blown catastrophe, Bolsonaro announced plans to require medical prescriptions for child vaccinations.

WSWS (2021-12-21). Chile's pseudo-left president-elect Gabriel Boric promises to work with far right. wsws.org Boric's government will be modeled in large measure on Spain's Podemos-Spanish Socialist Workers Party PSOE coalition, composed of thoroughly corrupt, pro-capitalist stooges.

Staff (2021-12-21). Gabriel Boric Win in Chile Is "Huge Victory" for Social Movements That Fought Off Far-Right Threat. democracynow.org Former student activist and leftist Gabriel Boric will become Chile's youngest president after easily defeating the far-right candidate José Antonio Kast with over 55% of the vote. Boric has vowed to fight for progressive social reforms and overhaul the neoliberal economic policies left by the U.S.-backed dictatorship of General Augusto Pinochet. We speak with Chilean writer Pablo Abufom and feminist activist Javiera Manzi, who say Boric's victory signals an opening for progressive policy in Chile and Latin America more broadly.

Roselena Ramirez (2021-12-21). Colombian Locals Make Rehabilitation of Trafficked Monkeys their Life's Work. america.cgtn.com According to the United Nations, one of the top 5 most profitable illicit businesses on the planet is illegal wildlife trafficking. It ranks 4th after narcotics, weapons, and human trafficking. One Colombian community in the Amazon is making a difference by rehabilitating orphaned monkeys that have …

Peoples Dispatch (2021-12-20). Left candidate Gabriel Boric wins presidential elections in Chile. peoplesdispatch.org This Sunday December 19 over eight million Chileans voted to decide who will be the next president of Chile. According to Chile's electoral service SERVEL, with 96.75% of the votes processed, Gabriel Boric of the left-wing Approve Dignity coalition won with 55.8% of the votes over far-right José Antonio Kast of the Christian Social Front who received 44.19% of the votes. | At around 7: 20pm (Chilean time) when the first electoral bulletins were being released, Kast accepted his defeat in a message on

Peoples Dispatch (2021-12-20). Leftist Gabriel Boric wins Chile's key presidential election and other stories. peoplesdispatch.org In today's episode of the Daily Round-up we look at progressive former student leader Gabriel Boric's victory in Chile's presidential runoff elections; massive protests against the October military coup in Sudan on the 3rd anniversary of the 2019 Revolution; a New York Times report on the "deeply flawed" intelligence informing U.S. airstrikes in the Middle East which killed over 1,000 civilians; and an indefinite strike launched by workers at the NagaWorld casino and resort in Cambodia to protest the targeting of unionised workers, and demand better pay.

Staff (2021-12-20). Headlines for December 20, 2021. democracynow.org Build Back Better in Jeopardy After Sen. Joe Manchin Announces He Will Not Vote in Favor, Federal Company Vaccine Mandate Reinstated; New Data Show Moderna Booster Helps Fight Omicron, Southwest CEO Tests Positive After Senate Hearing; Sens. Booker and Warren Announce They Have COVID, Omicron Sends COVID Cases Surging, Prompts New Restrictions in Israel, U.K., the Netherlands, 35-Year-Old Progressive Activist Gabriel Boric Will Be Chile's Next President, Death Toll from Super Typhoon Rai Rises to 375 in Philippines; Floods Kill 8 in Malaysia, Hong Kong's "Patriots Only" Election Sees Record Low Turnout, Hundreds…

Internationalist 360 ∞ (2021-12-20). Chile: Never Again Will a President Declare War on His Own People. libya360.wordpress.com Ollantay Itzamná Gabriel Boric. President-elect of Chile The imperial agents of neoliberalism are losing ground in Abya Yala Sur. Their neoliberal Andean triad of Peru, Chile and Colombia is crumbling, at least politically. Brazil, with Lula da Silva, and Colombia, with Gustavo Petro, in 2022, will further qualify the turn of the contest against neoliberalism…

José Luis Granados Ceja (2021-12-20). UK Gold Ruling Based on 'Illegal Interference' in Venezuela. venezuelanalysis.com "Juan Guaido has never been elected president of Venezuela and his recognition as such is itself a crime," argued international law expert Dock Currie.

Staff (2021-12-20). Lack of Left-Wing Culture, Weakness of Progressivism in Latin America (Interview). orinocotribune.com One of the great weaknesses of Latin American progressivism and something that explains its partial defeats is the lack of a leftist, alternative and accessible popular culture, promoting new ways of organizing daily life, affirms àÅlvaro García Linera. | Despite the electoral triumphs of progressive ideas in the region, neoliberalism has established a common sense which goes beyond who is the ruler, García Linera expressed in a talk with La Jornada on progressivism, left, right, and popular culture. Here is the final part of that interview: | -It seems that in countries like Chile, El Salvador, and Ecuador…

Internationalist 360 ∞ (2021-12-20). Relief for Boric's Victory. Uncertainty Regarding the Social Democratization of His Discourse. libya360.wordpress.com àÅlvaro Verzi Rangel The reactionary right wing expected to add a step forward in Chile. The tandem of José Antonio Kast with the ultra-right-wing Brazilian President Bolsonaro would have meant a threatening pincer for the region. It failed. Almost 12 points of advantage put an end to one of the most polarized and uncertain processes…

_____ (2021-12-20). Our Age Of Uprisings: We Are A World Remaking Itself. popularresistance.org The global pandemic unfolds amidst a world of uprisings. Some have seen huge numbers gather in the streets and become ungovernable, including the victorious farmer's strike in India, the efforts to expropriate the landlords in Berlin, the mass refusal of anti-Black police violence in the US, and the mobilizations against the neoliberal regime in Chile. | Elsewhere, in Chiapas, Kerala, Rojava and an archipelago of smaller "zones to defend," the uprisings take more sustained forms as people reinvent or reclaim life in common. Indigenous people around the world are refusing to allow their lands and lives to be sacri…

Peoples Dispatch (2021-12-20). Leftist candidate Gabriel Boric emerges victorious in Chilean elections. peoplesdispatch.org Boric has promised to deliver on key demands raised during the 2019 protests which includes an increase in state spending on social services, progressive taxes on corporations and wealthy individuals.

_____ (2021-12-20). Gabriel Boric Victory Speech: 'I Will Be The President Of All Chileans'. popularresistance.org The president-elect of Chile, Gabriel Boric, thanked the people this Sunday, December 19, for their support in the second round of the presidential elections, in which he defeated the extreme right-wing Pinochet-admirer José Antonio Kast, becoming the new president of Chile for the 2022-2026 term.

Common Dreams Staff (2021-12-20). In Historic Win, Chile Votes for Socialism Over Fascism. truthout.org Gabriel Boric defeated José Antonio Kast on Sunday — 56% to 44%. | The Associated Press A leftist millennial who rose to prominence during anti-government protests was elected Chile's next president Sunday after a bruising campaign against a free-market firebrand likened to Donald Trump. | Kast recognized defeat and called his opponent to congratulate him on his "grand triumph"

Carole Concha Bell (2021-12-20). West Complicit in Arming Chile to Violate Mapuche Rights. towardfreedom.org Between former U.S.-backed dictator Augusto Pinochet's terror laws being used to criminalize Mapuche elders and activists, the United States and the United Kingdom arming Chile's security forces, and the failure of international agencies to treat the Mapuche conflict with urgency, the West appears complicit in the genocide of the Mapuche people.

Peoples Dispatch (2021-12-20). Gabriel Boric's victory in Chile's presidential run-off hailed across the globe. peoplesdispatch.org Political leaders from across the globe hailed the victory of Gabriel Boric of the left-wing Approve Dignity coalition in Chile's presidential elections. Boric won the presidency with 55.87% of the votes…

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2021-12-20: News Headlines

Peoples Dispatch (2021-12-20). Left candidate Gabriel Boric wins presidential elections in Chile. peoplesdispatch.org This Sunday December 19 over eight million Chileans voted to decide who will be the next president of Chile. According to Chile's electoral service SERVEL, with 96.75% of the votes processed, Gabriel Boric of the left-wing Approve Dignity coalition won with 55.8% of the votes over far-right José Antonio Kast of the Christian Social Front who received 44.19% of the votes. | At around 7: 20pm (Chilean time) when the first electoral bulletins were being released, Kast accepted his defeat in a message on

Staff (2021-12-20). Gabriel Boric Victory Speech: 'I will be the President of all Chileans'. orinocotribune.com "Today, hope won against the campaigns of fear," the Chilean president-elect asserted. | The president-elect of Chile, Gabriel Boric, thanked the people this Sunday, December 19, for their support in the second round of the presidential elections, in which he defeated the extreme right-wing Pinochet-admirer José Antonio Kast, becoming the new president of Chile for the 2022-2026 term. | According to data from the Chilean Electoral Service (Servel), with 99.72% of the votes counted, Boric obtained 4,608,362 votes, representing 55.86% of the votes. His extreme-right opponent from the Christian Social Front coalitio…

Staff (2021-12-20). Headlines for December 20, 2021. democracynow.org Build Back Better in Jeopardy After Sen. Joe Manchin Announces He Will Not Vote in Favor, Federal Company Vaccine Mandate Reinstated; New Data Show Moderna Booster Helps Fight Omicron, Southwest CEO Tests Positive After Senate Hearing; Sens. Booker and Warren Announce They Have COVID, Omicron Sends COVID Cases Surging, Prompts New Restrictions in Israel, U.K., the Netherlands, 35-Year-Old Progressive Activist Gabriel Boric Will Be Chile's Next President, Death Toll from Super Typhoon Rai Rises to 375 in Philippines; Floods Kill 8 in Malaysia, Hong Kong's "Patriots Only" Election Sees Record Low Turnout, Hundreds…

_____ (2021-12-20). Our Age Of Uprisings: We Are A World Remaking Itself. popularresistance.org The global pandemic unfolds amidst a world of uprisings. Some have seen huge numbers gather in the streets and become ungovernable, including the victorious farmer's strike in India, the efforts to expropriate the landlords in Berlin, the mass refusal of anti-Black police violence in the US, and the mobilizations against the neoliberal regime in Chile. | Elsewhere, in Chiapas, Kerala, Rojava and an archipelago of smaller "zones to defend," the uprisings take more sustained forms as people reinvent or reclaim life in common. Indigenous people around the world are refusing to allow their lands and lives to be sacri…

Carole Concha Bell (2021-12-20). West Complicit in Arming Chile to Violate Mapuche Rights. towardfreedom.org Between former U.S.-backed dictator Augusto Pinochet's terror laws being used to criminalize Mapuche elders and activists, the United States and the United Kingdom arming Chile's security forces, and the failure of international agencies to treat the Mapuche conflict with urgency, the West appears complicit in the genocide of the Mapuche people.

teleSUR (2021-12-19). Chile: Kast and Boric Before the Count of the Votes. telesurenglish.net The campaign coordinators of José Antonio Kast and Gabriel Boric, Cristian Valenzuela and Giorgio Jackson, respectively, maintained contact to coordinate the acts to be carried out once the next president's name is known. | Second round presidential elections in Chile between Gabriel Borinc and José Antonio Kast takes place on Sunday, Dec. 19, 2021…

Staff (2021-12-19). Venezuela and Belarus Sign Bilateral Agreements in Strategic Areas. orinocotribune.com This Friday, December 17, the governments of Venezuela and Belarus signed several agreements at the closing event of the Eighth Meeting of the Venezuela-Belarus high level mixed commission, in order to consolidate strategies for the benefit of both nations and for strengthening cooperation relations. At the Simón Bolivar room of the Miraflores Palace, the President of Venezuela, Nicolás Maduro, stressed that Venezuela "is taking a successful step in the right direction, with the pace, speed and intensity that is needed," by signing agreements that will allow the development of different sectors of the national ec…

Tanya Wadhwa (2021-12-19). Bolivian government creates trust for reparations to victims of 2019 state violence. peoplesdispatch.org The trust will provide loans to the relatives of the deceased and living victims of the human rights violations committed during Jeanine àÅñez's de-facto rule, with a 10-year repayment policy and an annual interest rate of 0.5%…

Andreína Chávez Alava (2021-12-19). Venezuela: Oil Output Continues Upward Swing as Iran Calls for Greater Cooperation. venezuelanalysis.com Oil revenues will reportedly fund 61 percent of Venezuela's 2022 budget following a recent hike in crude production and exports.

Staff (2021-12-19). Venezuela Has Carried Out Largest Drug Seizure in 10 Years. orinocotribune.com This Saturday, December 18, Venezuelan National Anti-Drug Superintendent, Richard López Vargas, highlighted that Venezuela has seized 51 tons of illicit drugs so far in 2021, the highest amount in the last 10 years. | "A significant quantity, 51 tons, were seized in 5,334 procedures by law enforcement agencies," he informed. "The last time this figure was superceded was in 2011; which means that today represents the largest seizure in the last 10 years." The superintendent explained this during the first edition of the 2021 Citizen Security Expo, which is being held in the Military Circle, Los Próceres, in Caraca…

_____ (2021-12-19). Tales Of Resistance: Guaidó's Pie. popularresistance.org A few days ago I was out grocery shopping when I heard a man tell his friend that Venezuela was the only country in the world with two presidents but where everything was still screwed up. | This has become a running joke among Venezuelans. However, some three years ago, when Juan Guaidó proclaimed himself "interim president" and was instantly backed by the United States and the European Union, things didn't seem so funny. | The government and its support base feared this was the opening act ahead of a US military invasion. Opposition activists weren't totally clear as to what was going on, but their leaders were…

Marco Teruggi (2021-12-19). Venezuela: What Country Will it Be? orinocotribune.com By Marco Teruggi — Dec 8, 2021 | The economic and financial catastrophe that relentlessly devastated the Venezuelan population during the last few years seems to be easing, while the government of Nicolás Maduro encourages the return of the old entrepreneurial forms of accumulation. Harassed by the imperial powers, the recent elections revealed a decrease in the hard core of the Chavista hardliners and at the same time revealed the fragmentation of the opposition. From Caracas, a chronicle brimming with questions, about the country that mocks forecasts and closed conclusions. | "This was the richest country,…

Joel Richards (2021-12-19). 20 years since Argentina's 2001 crisis. america.cgtn.com Argentina's lower house of Congress rejected the government's 2022 budget proposal on Friday, complicating the country's urgent talks with the IMF over debt repayment. These talks are taking place as the country remembers the anniversary and debates the conditions that fueled its devastating economic and social …

IGD Worldwide (2021-12-19). Communique from Mapuche Political Prisoners of Elicura Imprisoned in Lebu. itsgoingdown.org | On January 29, 2020 in so-called Chile, police violently raided five houses in the Valley of Elicura, in the Lavkenche territory of Wallmapu, detaining six Indigenous Mapuches. Another Mapuche was detained almost a year later and linked to the same case. The seven have been charged with a death at Playa Blanca, in the Mapuche territory of Lake Lanalhue, land usurped by the forestry businessman Hector Garcia. | The seven Mapuche political prisoners from Elicura are part of a larger Mapuche movem…

teleSUR (2021-12-19). Historic Win for Gabriel Boric in Chile Presidential Elections. telesurenglish.net Left-wing former student leader Gabriel Boric has beat out far-right candidate Jose Antonio Kast with nearly 100% of the votes tallied, according to figures published by Chile's electoral authorities SERVEL. | RELATED: | Winning 55,86% of the votes cast thus far, compared to Kast's 44,214%, Boric has a wide enough margin of over 11.5 percentage points to be declared winner of this Sunday's democratic exercise. | Polls…

teleSUR (2021-12-19). I Won't Disappoint Chilean People: Presidential Candidate Boric. telesurenglish.net After casting his vote in Chile's run-off presidential elections on Sunday, the left-wing Social Convergence (CS) party candidate Gabriel Boric reaffirmed that he will assist the population and defend its rights if elected President. | RELATED: | "I will not lead a government locked in its headquarters but one that has dirty shoes of walking all over Chile to listen to its people," Boric said and promised to su…

teleSUR (2021-12-19). Chile Election Update: Polls Have Closed and Vote Count Begins. telesurenglish.net Over 2,500 voting centers opened this Sunday in Chile to start the second round of the presidential election in which left-wing leader Gabriel Boric and the far-right candidate Jose Antonio Kast compete to replace President Sebastian Piñera. | RELATED: | 4: 00 pm: Polls close in Chile's runoff presidential elections | Polls have officially closed at 6pm local time in Chile's second round runoff presidential elections. The vote count…

teleSUR (2021-12-19). 'Hope Has To Beat Fear' in the Chilean Elections, Bachelet Says. telesurenglish.net On Sunday, Chile's Former President Michel Bachelet said "hope has to beat fear" after voting for leftist presidential candidate Gabriel Boric. | RELATED: | The current United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights also asked the winner to be "president of all" and "seek dialogue with all sectors to continue building a country in which we can all feel part of it." | "It is important that the country continue to pro…

WSWS (2021-12-19). Morenoites promote pseudo-left-Stalinist candidate in Chile's election. wsws.org The center-left parties that dominated the transition to civilian rule from Chile's military dictatorship three decades ago have all but collapsed.

teleSUR (2021-12-19). Chileans Denounce Lack of Public Transportation on Election Day. telesurenglish.net Using social networks to make themselves heard on Sunday morning, Chileans denounced that businessmen are prompting a shortage of transport services in Santiago City to sabotage an election in which the leftist presidential candidate Gabriel Boric is the favorite to defeat the far-right candidate Jose Antonio Kast. | RELATED: | The absence of transportation occurs on a day with temperatures above 96.8 ∞F and…

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