2020-01-23: News Headlines

Staff (2020-01-23). "The New Colossus": In New Play, Tim Robbins Tackles Immigration & Xenophobia. democracynow.org President Trump said Wednesday that he would expand his highly controversial travel ban, which already bars citizens from seven countries, most of which have Muslim-majority populations — Libya, Iran, Somalia, Syria, Yemen, North Korea and Venezuela — from entering the United States. Politico reports that the expanded ban could implement immigration restrictions on seven more countries: Belarus, Burma, Eritrea, Kyrgyzstan, Nigeria, Sudan and Tanzania, according to two sources. We speak with acclaimed actor, director and activist Tim Robbins, whose recent work has focused on immigration to the United S…

Lauren Smith (2020-01-23). An Epic Act of Resistance and Trial of Our Times. "The Venezuela Embassy Protectors Collective" globalresearch.ca On February 11th, four American peace activists, known as the

Nino Pagliccia (2020-01-23). Venezuela Must Remain Vigilant and On Guard Against US Hybrid Warfare. globalresearch.ca A meme circulating on social media shows the distraught gaze of Venezuela's opposition member Juan Guaidó with a caption that says in part, "he is not a head of State, he has no army, he has no ministers, he never …

teleSUR (2020-01-23). Colombia's Indigenous Demand Justice After 20 Leaders Killed. telesurenglish.net Colombia's Indigenous people are outraged at the death of more than 20 social leaders inside South American country, the counselor of the Indigenous Youth of Colombia , Eliel Castillo, said this week. | RELATED: | Castillo, who participates in the World Encounter Against Imperialism, remarked that there is a systematic massacre occurring in his country. A massacre which has largely been ignored by the Colombian gover…

Lucas Koerner (2020-01-22). How Western Left Media Helped Legitimate US Regime Change in Venezuela. fair.org In Jacobin ( It's been a year since Juan Guaidó began his US-anointed mandate as "interim president" of Venezuela. | Following the opposition leader's

Justin Podur (2020-01-22). The People of Colombia are Cracking the Walls of War and Authoritarianism. counterpunch.org The protests that started with the national strike called by Colombia's central union on November 21 to protest pension reforms and the broken promises of the peace accords have persisted for two months and grown into a protest against the whole establishment. And the protests have continued into the new year and show no signs

teleSUR (2020-01-22). Protests Continue In Colombia Against Ivan Duque's Policies. telesurenglish.net Several clashes between demonstrators and the police took place during rallies in Bogotá and several regions of the country, in the context of a day of protest in Colombia, where isolated cases of repression were reported. | The most serious incident happened in Bogota, when a g…

teleSUR (2020-01-22). Cuba Ratifies Solidarity With Venezuela. telesurenglish.net The member of the secretariat of the Communist Party of Cuba, Victor Gaute, today ratified the firm and unchanging solidarity of the island with the Bolivarian Revolution and President Nicolás Maduro. | RELATED: | During the inauguration of the World Anti-Imperialist Meeting held in Caracas, Gaute expressed that the Caribbean nation brings to this event a message of unity, cooperation and solidarity with Venezuela and all…

Fight Back (2020-01-22). Opening plenary kicks off World Anti-Imperialist Congress. fightbacknews.org Caracas, Venezuela – On January 22, hundreds of international delegates from 52 countries heard from leaders from Syria, Venezuela, Cuba and Brazil to kick off the World Anti-Imperialist Congress. | Starting with a professor from Syria who remarked that U.S. imperialism assassinated Iranian General Qassem Soleimani because the U.S. fears it is losing its grip on the Middle East, the crowd shouted "Viva Soleimani!" He added that, with the help requested by Syria from Russia, Iran and others, the Syrians have bravely declared "No pasarán!" | After the Syrian professor, an official from the Cuban Communist Party sha…

Fight Back (2020-01-22). Syrian ambassador to Venezuela with FRSO delegation. fightbacknews.org Caracas, Venezuela – Members of the Freedom Road Socialist Organization (FRSO) delegation Sarah Martin and Jim Byrne, with Syrian Ambassador to Venezuela Khalil Bitar, attending World Anti-Imperialist Congress in Caracas.

Fight Back (2020-01-22). Delegates arrive in Venezuela on eve of World Anti-Imperialist Congress. fightbacknews.org Caracas, Venezuela – Hundreds of delegates arrived in Caracas from around the world, January 21, the eve of the World Anti-Imperialist Congress. The Congress is being held January 22-24 in Caracas and is hosted by the United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV), Venezuela's governing party, which has been under sharp attack by U.S. imperialism. | The congress is bringing together a broad range of anti-imperialist organizations, movements and governments from around 100 countries. At the congress they will exchange views and experiences and will strategize about strengthening the struggle against U.S. imperia…

Fight Back (2020-01-21). FRSO Delegation Visits Bolivarian University of Venezuela. fightbacknews.org Caracas, Venezuela—A Freedom Road Socialist Organization (FRSO) delegation visited the Bolivarian University of Venezuela on January 20, speaking to political science classes. | "Students asked about the movements for change in our country. They definitely had the impression people are protesting Trump, and movements are growing stronger. They are excited that socialist ideas are becoming popular in the U.S.," said Brad Sigal, a delegation member from Minneapolis. | Sigal continued, "Many of the students are attending the university because of the Bolivarian Revolution and the opportunities it opens up fo…

teleSUR (2020-01-21). Network for Defence of Humanity Voices Support for teleSUR. telesurenglish.net Our America, January 20, 2020 | Compañera Patricia Villegas | President of TELESUR | Caracas, Venezuela | Dear Patricia, | It is difficult to gather together so many elements and of such weak credibility, as those used today by the empire's lackeys with threats and attempts to silence Telesur. These efforts only reaffirm the certainty of the value of this station in the battle of the peoples for their right to truth. | How many times have we, as spectators, felt comforted to see that a Telesur team is in the place where transcendental events are happening for those who have been silenced, for those who ha…

Justin Podur (2020-01-20). The people of Colombia are cracking up the walls of war and authoritarianism. mronline.org The protests that started with the national strike called by Colombia's central union on November 21 to protest pension reforms and the broken promises of the peace accords have persisted for two months and grown into a protest against the whole establishment. And the protests have continued into the new year and show no signs […] |

Ben Norton (2020-01-20). Brazil's far-right government backed terror plot against Venezuela, top newspaper reveals. mronline.org Brazil's extreme Bolsonaro government backed an attack on Venezuela in a plot to overthrow its elected president. The shocking terror operation has received no coverage in mainstream U.S. media. |

Fight Back (2020-01-20). Embassy Protectors speak out in Fort Lauderdale. fightbacknews.org Fort Lauderdale, FL — Over 60 people from South Florida's tri-county area gathered at the Unitarian Universalist Congregation Church of Fort Lauderdale to hear a panel and question-and-answer session featuring anti-war activists Kevin Zeese and Margaret Flowers. Zeese and Flowers are two of the four Embassy Protector activists who spent 37 days protecting international law and peace within the Venezuelan Embassy in Washington, D.C. They are currently facing bogus federal charges brought by the Trump administration that, if convicted, would mean up to one year in prison and $100,000 fines each. | Also on th…

Orlenys Ortiz (2020-01-20). Cómo Juan Guaidó perdió el control de la Asamblea Nacional en Venezuela. thegrayzone.com øNo entiendes lo sucedido el 5 de enero en la Asamblea Nacional de Venezuela? Echemos un vistazo cronológico al fracaso…

Ben Norton (2020-01-13). Under US pressure, social media companies censor critical content and suspend Venezuelan, Iranian, and Syrian accounts. thegrayzone.com As the US escalates its hybrid wars, Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram are suspending accounts and censoring content that conflicts with…

Joe Emersberger (2019-12-20). Notes on a private TV newscast in Bolivia. The contrast with Venezuela is clear as day. zcomm.org In August, I took detailed notes a news broadcast on one of Venezuela's largest TV networks. I summarized these notes in an interview I did with the Real News Network making the point that Venezuela's private media (which reaches 60-90% of households) is remarkably free — most especially when you consider the US is openly

Joe Emersberger (2019-12-16). Francisco Rodriguez answers some questions I asked about Venezuela. zcomm.org Venezuelan economist Francisco Rodriguez, formerly of Torino Economics, answered a few questions of mine about his country. He was the economic adviser to Henri Falcon, the second place finisher in the May 2018 presidential election. His updated estimate for 2019 is that Venezuela's real GDP will contract by 25% . That's horrific, but less severe