Monthly Archives: July 2020

2020-07-23: News Headlines

Black Alliance for Peace (2020-07-23). Trump Administration Deploys Federal Forces into Major U.S. Cities. globalresearch.ca The repressive U.S. state's chickens have come home to roost with President Donald Trump announcing federal troops will be deployed to several U.S. cities. This comes after federal agents reportedly disappeared protesters last week off the streets of Portland, Oregon….

William Boardman (2020-07-23). Defund the Police State, Before It's Too Late. globalresearch.ca The American police state is currently making its boldest test run to date in Portland, Oregon, escalating violence and lawlessness against the peaceful population of an American city. The people of Portland have responded with increased resistance, but support from …

DLI (2020-07-23). Secret police in Portland violated human rights of peaceful protesters. indybay.org Videos showing U.S. Federal secret police(with no badges and riding in unmarked vehicles)inflicting massive violence on mostly peaceful protesters are running viral across the Globe. Yet the Federal governing regime brazenly avows that this will be the "new normal" in major cities from now on…

Fight Back (2020-07-23). Stand with the resistance in Portland! fightbacknews.org Protesters grabbed off the streets by federal agents who refuse to identify themselves, placed unmarked vehicles, and taken to undisclosed locations. These same agents nearly killed a young man holding part of a sound system at a demonstration. This is the outrageous reality in Portland today, were Trump has deployed a paramilitary police force to carry out a wave of repression. The good news is that the resistance in Portland has been nothing short of heroic, as thousands have taken to the streets in a powerful display of opposition. | The Trump administration has repeatedly stated that it is deploying federal a…

Marilyn Bechtel (2020-07-23). Cities challenge Trump's dispatch of federal law enforcement officers. peoplesworld.org OAKLAND, Calif. — Outrage is growing throughout the country over Donald Trump's use of federal law enforcement against protesters in Portland, Oregon, and his threats to dispatch federal officers to other U.S. cities. On July 20, Trump told reporters he might send federal "law enforcement" to cities he claimed were experiencing heightened violence, naming cities …

_____ (2020-07-23). New Civil Rights Lawsuit Filed Against Federal Law Enforcement. popularresistance.org The Western States Center, the First Unitarian Church of Portland, two state representatives and an ACLU legal observer are listed as plaintiffs in the lawsuit, which alleges the federal government has violated protesters' 10th Amendment rights. It was filed Tuesday in federal court. | The 10th Amendment delineates the separation of powers between federal and state governments. | "The power to engage in ordinary law enforcement is one of the long-recognized powers that belong to the states and to their municipalities," said Cliff Davidson, an attorney with Snell & Wilmer, the firm filing the lawsuit. | The W…

_____ (2020-07-23). What Are Trump And His Goons Up To? popularresistance.org First and foremost, it is a political stunt to capture the law and order crowd and press on divides between the coastal cities and inland voters. But it's also more sinister than that. The use of federal forces is designed to weaken local accountability by freezing out local government that constituents can reach. Portland's mayor might not even have opposed some "help" from the feds, but he wasn't asked. In other words, this wasn't mutual aid. This was indeed an invasion. An alphabet soup of federal agencies have been employed to crack down on police brutality protests, including the National Guard, the US Marsh…

_____ (2020-07-23). Federal Agents Retreat To Portland Base As Protesters Control Streets. popularresistance.org The DHS officers dispatched by the president to put down the demonstrations have instead become prisoners of the building they are ostensibly there to defend. | "The feds don't have control of the streets," said a woman holding a sign "100% not a terrorist", who gave her name only as Shannon. "I think they're more scared than us. They're hiding in there. They don't know what they're doing." If the intent was to intimidate the protesters into abandoning the few square blocks of downtown Portland under their control, it backfired spectacularly. | Residents of a city with a long history of radical street protest wer…

_____ (2020-07-23). Portland's Mayor Tear-Gassed By Militarized US Police. popularresistance.org The mayor of Portland, Oregon was tear-gassed by U.S. government agents as he stood outside a federal courthouse during another night of protests against the presence of federal police sent by President Donald Trump to quell the city's ongoing unrest. | Mayor Ted Wheeler, a Democrat, appeared slightly dazed and coughed and said Wednesday night it was the first time he'd been tear-gassed. | He put on a pair of goggles someone handed him and drank water but did not leave his spot at the front of the protest and continued to take tear gas as the demonstration raged — with protesters lighting a large fire betwe…

yenisafak (2020-07-23). In another night of unrest in Portland, tear gas hits mayor. yenisafak.com The mayor of the U.S. city of Portland, Ted Wheeler, was stung by tear gas early on Thursday morning after he joined demonstrators protesting against racial injustice and police brutality.Protests have rocked Portland every night for weeks, with security forces often tear-gassing and clubbing demonstrators.Visiting the protest site, Wheeler was jeered at by some demonstrators who called on him to resign and chanted "Shame on You". They said he should have done more to protect Portland's citizens.However, as he stood amongst the crowd outside Portland's Justice Center, Wheeler, who was wearing a face mask, was him…

RT (2020-07-23). Portland mayor cheers protesters & joins them to face tear gas, gets calls to resign anyway (VIDEOS). rt.com Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler failed to win over a crowd of angry anti-police protesters despite rooting for their cause. But rather than seeing him as an ally against federal agents, some said he's part of the problem and has to go.

Staff (2020-07-23). Paramilitary-Style Tactics in Portland Mirror Decades of U.S. Violence on the Border & Abroad. democracynow.org The harrowing scenes of paramilitary-style units in the streets of American cities like Portland has shocked mainstream America, but award-winning independent journalist Todd Miller, who has reported on border security and immigration for over a decade, says it's a reflection of how the U.S. has operated around the world. We also speak with Cecilia Menjívar, UCLA sociology professor, who says the image of unmarked vans snatching people from the streets "brings back memories to Latin Americans who lived through disappearances of families and friends and co-workers."

yenisafak (2020-07-23). 'Turkish aid helps Venezuela fight virus effectively'. yenisafak.com Sevki Mutevellioglu told Anadolu Agency last week Turkish aid, including 25 ventilators, 40,000 testing kits, 150,000 masks and protective clothing, reached the capital Caracas.He noted that the aircraft was also carrying medical equipment donated to Venezuela as part of various health projects supervised by the Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TIKA).The ambassador said the Venezuelan side welcomed the aid as its economy is crippled by sanctions.Mutevellioglu praised the "fast, effective and accurate" response of President Nicolas Maduro's government.Noting that the ventilators and other supplies were…

Margaret Kimberley (2020-07-23). Freedom Rider: Media silent as Trump declares wars. mronline.org Donald Trump's attacks on Venezuela, Syria and Iran are criminal, but Joe Biden vows to be even worse.

Editor (2020-07-23). Defend Portland! Defend People's Resistance! No Police State! workers.org Despite the brutal attempt of the White House to crush the heroic Black Lives Matter movement by sending camouflaged federal agents ‚àí secret police ‚àí to Portland, Chicago and other U.S. cities, the movement and all who support it have been fighting back. The initial response to the threat of . . . |

Eds. (2020-07-23). As Trump threatens secret police deployment nationwide, Democrats debate expanding surveillance powers and new money for DHS. mronline.org The rogue deployment of secret federal police forces in Portland, Oregon, has added a new complication to negotiations over reauthorizing the Trump administration's vast surveillance powers and appropriating new money for the Department of Homeland Security.

Margaret Kimberley (2020-07-23). Media Silent as Trump Declares Wars. globalresearch.ca Donald Trump's attacks on Venezuela, Syria and Iran are criminal, but Joe Biden vows to be even worse. | The corporate media in this country can endlessly repeat lies about Russia paying Taliban bounties, but ignore important information that is …

Fight Back (2020-07-23). Oscar Lopez Rivera wishes Happy Birthday and Freedom to Simon Trinidad. fightbacknews.org In response to the call for birthday greetings for political prisoner Simon Trinidad, The National Committee to Free Ricardo Palmera received a video message from freed Puerto Rican political prisoner, Oscar Lopez Rivera. Lopez Rivera unjustly spent 35 years in U.S. prison for fighting for the independence of his homeland. Below is the transcription of the video message: | "I want to take this moment to wish a Happy Birthday to comrade Simón Trinidad. He is one of the heroes of our countries. He is one of the heroes who is imprisoned because he wants to fight for the independence and sovereignty of Colombia and f…

Max Elbaum (2020-07-23). Guns? Yes. Masks? No. And Gestapo in Portland. zcomm.org The toxic mix of valuing gun ownership over protecting public health, conspiracism, and reactionary movements glued together by white supremacy and national chauvinism are too deeply rooted to be ended any time soon…

Fight Back (2020-07-22). The Wisconsin District of FRSO condemns the deployment of federal agents to Milwaukee. fightbacknews.org Milwaukee, WI – Last week, unmarked federal agents in military uniforms grabbed protesters off the streets of Portland, Oregon, and threw them into unmarked black vans. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) claimed responsibility for the shadowy operation, citing "graffiti" as their justification for snatching activists off the street and interrogating them. | Now, Milwaukee has been named by the Trump administration as one of the cities that would likely be targeted for deployment of Homeland Security Investigation agents. Some Milwaukee activists have reported spotting unidentified agents in military gear n…

teleSUR (2020-07-22). Colombia: Peace Advocates Say Duque Ignores Leaders' Murders. telesurenglish.net Colombia's Institute for Peace development (Indepaz) refuted President Ivan Duque's statements on social leaders' killings. | RELATED: | "Colombia ranks first in the world in terms of risk and fatalities of social leaders. This situation does not seem to alert the Government of Ivan Duque", Indepaz stated in an official communiqué. | Recently, Duque claimed his administration implemented the Propitious Action Plan (PAO…

Fight Back (2020-07-22). Federal officers seen dragging protesters into unmarked vans in Portland. fightbacknews.org Portland, OR – For weeks now, officers under the oversight of the Department of Homeland Security have been terrorizing the residents of Portland Oregon in new attempts to stamp out the protest movement that has been ongoing since the killing of George Floyd. These officers can be seen in various videos wearing nondescript camo fatigues with no markings indicating who they are or, or what agency they are working for. These same federal officers nearly killed a protester in Portland last week after shooting him in the head with a 'less-lethal' impact device. | In an intensification of an already overzeal…

Joan Walsh (2020-07-22). Another Long Day of GOP Disrespect for Women. thenation.com Attacks on AOC, Liz Cheney, and Portland's "Wall of Moms" make it seem like Republicans don't care about women. Except Ghislaine Maxwell.

Joshua Hanks (2020-07-22). Outrage over Trump attack: Portland movement fights back. workers.org Federal officers were deployed to "quell" Portland's protests beginning the weekend of July 10 and continuing the following week. Camouflaged unidentified agents arrested and detained demonstrators without even a pretext. The Trump administration has escalated the confrontation between the people and the state apparatus, bringing a whiff of fascism to . . . |

Alan MacLeod (2020-07-22). Portland: "Wall of Moms" mobilizes to protect protests from police violence. mronline.org Chanting, "Feds stay clear! Moms are here!," groups of women congregated at the Mark O. Hatfield Federal Courthouse and other locations in Central Portland. They were met with tear gas, flashbangs, and pepper round bullets, injuring many.

Fight Back (2020-07-22). Trump deploying 150 federal agents in Chicago to repress our movement. fightbacknews.org Fight Back News Service is circulating the following statement from the National Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression. | What we have watched in Portland is the dress rehearsal for what Trump is preparing for Chicago: an effort to squash the Black Lives Matter protests flowing from this uprising by violent military means. He claims he is targeting the cities controlled by Democrats because of the chaos caused by the largest rebellion in U.S. history. | In truth, broad democratic forces have come together to exercise their right to protest against police murder and violence. We've had signals this was…

sputniknews (2020-07-22). Over 100 US Lawmakers Ask Barr to Explain Unidentified Federal Officers in Portland. sputniknews.com WASHINGTON (Sputnik) – US law enforcement chiefs need to explain the activities of unidentified federal personnel in Portland, Oregon, during the protests there, 114 members of the House of Representatives wrote in a letter to Attorney General William Barr and Acting Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf on Wednesday.

RT (2020-07-22). 'We won't retreat': DHS chief defends 'proactive arrests' amid Portland riots, stokes Minority Report dystopia outcry (VIDEOS). rt.com The head of the Department of Homeland Security set off alarms after saying that federal agents were making 'proactive' arrests in Portland amid heated protests, drawing comparisons to the dystopian "pre-crime" of Minority Report. | Acting DHS Secretary Chad Wolf appeared on a Fox News segment on Tuesday night, discussing the ongoing protests and rioting across Portland, which he says have continued for "52 nights in a row" as federal officers there are stretched to the limit. | "Because we don't have that local law enforcement support, we are having to go out and proactively arrest individuals, and we need…

Staff (2020-07-22). Philadelphia DA Says Trump's Police Will Be Arrested If They Assault Protesters. truthout.org As President Donald Trump defends his questionable use of federal agents to arrest and detain protesters in Portland, Oregon, in recent weeks, suggesting also that such actions could happen in other places across the country, one district attorney of a city Trump said might be next said he'd take direct action against any federal officers that unlawfully detained individuals. | Trump appeared to cite partisan politics on Monday as part of the reason he felt the need to take action against c…

Mike Hastie (2020-07-22). Tear Gas, Beatings and Projectiles in Portland. counterpunch.org The last couple of nights I have been heavily involved in demonstrations in Portland, Oregon. ( July 18-19, 2020.) As most of you probably know these demonstrations have been going on in front of the Federal Justice Center for over 50 straight nights. Since Trump called in the Feds, the turmoil and violence has escalated. We

Ron Jacobs (2020-07-22). Trumpfen Sturmabteilung (Trump's Stormtroopers). counterpunch.org It is not hard to see the forces kidnapping individuals and teargassing Portland's streets as the Trump administration's private stormtroopers. Although they are operating under the aegis of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the truth is it is the Executive Branch that issued their orders.

teleSUR (2020-07-22). Venezuela Rejects US Actions Against Supreme Court President. telesurenglish.net Venezuela rejects the illegal and coercive actions of Donald Trump's government that intend to disrespect the Supreme Court of Justice and its President, Dr. Maikel Moreno, based on false accusations. | RELATED: | In the style of sheriffs and cowboys of the old American West, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced a reward of five million dollars for information leading to the arrest and prosecution of Moreno,…

teleSUR (2020-07-22). Tropical Storm Gonzalo Puts the Caribbean on Alert. telesurenglish.net Venezuela, Barbados, and other Caribbean islands are on the alert because Tropical Storm Gonzalo is approaching their territories. | RELATED: | On Wednesday morning, the U.S. National Hurricane Center (NHC ) reported that tropical depression seven developed into Tropical Storm Gonzalo in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean. | Gonzalo is a small tropical cyclone, with tropical-storm-force winds that extend outward up to 25 mil…

Fight Back (2020-07-22). Oscar Lopez Rivera desea feliz cumpleaños y libertad a Simón Trinidad. fightbacknews.org En repuesta a la llamada por deseos por el cumpleaño del president politico Simón Trinidad, El Comité Nacional a Liberar Ricardo Palmera recibió un mensaje de video del preso politico Puerto Riqueño, Oscar Lopez Rivera. Lopez Rivera injustamente pasó 35 años encarcelado en los EEUU por luchando la independencía de su patria. Abajo está la transcripción de su mensaje. | "Quiero tomar este momento para desear al de feliz cumpleaño compañero, Simón Trinidad. El es uno de los héroes de nuestros países, uno de los héroes que está preso porque quiere luchar por la independencía, la soberanía de Colombia y por un mundo…

Zoà´ Carpenter (2020-07-22). Why Portland Became the Test Case for Trump's Secret Police. thenation.com Why Portland Became the Test Case for Trump's Secret Police…

_____ (2020-07-22). Portland's Wall Of Moms Joined By Dads With Leaf Blowers. popularresistance.org In response to the use of tear gas being utilized by federal officers against demonstrators, including a group of moms, in an uprising in Portland, Oregon, this week, a like-minded dads' group encouraged others to show up to the event with leaf blowers in order to dissipate the chemical agents. | Uprisings in Portland have happened nightly since the end of May, in response to police violence against Black Americans, including renewed attention to Jason Washington, a Black resident of the city who was shot and killed by police in 2018. | Tensions have escalated in recent weeks as federal officers began appearing a…

ACLU Foundation of Oregon (2020-07-22). ACLU Sues Federal Agents Over "Unconstitutional Nightmare" in Portland. indybay.org Organization Seeks to Block Federal Law Enforcement Attacks on Journalists, Legal Observers in Portland…

Coalition for Police Accountabiity (2020-07-22). Reject the "Exigency Clause" Measure — No Martial Law in Oakland. indybay.org This letter was written by Cathy Leonard on behalf of CPA in response to the Police Union's addition to a Measure LL [Police Commission] clean-up measure which would allow the city administrator to declare a version of martial law. If Mayor Schaaf really opposes the Portlandization of Oakland, she needs to demand this addition be removed from any police accountability measure now.

_____ (2020-07-21). Portland: A Harbinger Of Things To Come? popularresistance.org Militarized federal agents deployed by the president to Portland, fired tear gas against protesters again overnight as the city's mayor demanded that the agents be removed and as the state's attorney general vowed to seek a restraining order against them. (Dave Killen/The Oregonian via AP) | Masked men in unrecognizable police uniforms jump out of unmarked vans and grab an activist who has been involved in demonstrations against a repressive state. That person is disappeared. Is this Pinochet's Chile, apartheid South Africa or a scene from a John Clancy novel? | No, this is happening in Portland, Oregon, a major…

Julia Conley (2020-07-21). 'Feds Stay Clear, Moms Are Here'. zcomm.org Portland Mothers Form Human Shield to Protect Protesters from Federal Agents…

Sasha Abramsky (2020-07-21). When 'Law and Order' Means Maximum Chaos. thenation.com When 'Law and Order' Means Maximum Chaos…

Staff (2020-07-21). Instead Of Battling COVID-19, Trump Launches A War On Protesters. therealnews.com The Nation's Ken Klippenstein discusses the leaked documents that reveal CBP as the federal agency detaining protesters in Portland.

Democracy Now! (2020-07-21). Portland Protests Grow Despite Violent Crackdown from Militarized Federal Agents & Local Police. dissidentvoice.org Heavily armed federal officers without name tags have carried out nightly attacks on antiracist demonstrations in Portland, Oregon, and snatched people off the streets into unmarked vans, sparking widespread outrage. "What we've seen is a continuous escalation in violence against our protesters," says Lilith Sinclair, an Afro-Indigenous local organizer in Portland. They note the federal …

RT (2020-07-21). WATCH: Antifa and parents set up 'shield walls' as protesters lay siege to Portland federal courthouse. rt.com Antifa members and their new reinforcements from parent groups faced off against federal agents in Portland, Oregon, once again, employing shield walls and flanks in tactics reminiscent of the ancient Greeks or Romans. | As midnight approached on Monday, more than 1,000 protesters had gathered outside the federal courthouse. Some among the crowd attempted to tear down barricades outside the courthouse and gain entry, taunting the police inside. Others in the group formed a shield wall to fend off any non-lethal munitions which might be fired at them. | A man climbs up the protective barricade at the Portland f…

Staff (2020-07-21). "Camouflaged Goon Squads": Outrage, Legal Challenges in Portland as Federal Agents Snatch Protesters. democracynow.org The U.S. attorney for the District of Oregon has called for an investigation into the conduct of federal officers deployed to protests in Portland, calling their behavior "unlawful." Local officials are also mounting legal challenges to remove the agents from city streets. Juan Chavez, project director and attorney at the Oregon Justice Resource Center, says it's a terrifying situation for Portland residents who face "these camouflaged goon squads" who often refuse to identify themselves or their agencies. "They just appear in the middle of the night next to people who are in and around downtown who then get corr…

Staff (2020-07-21). Portland Protests Grow Despite Violent Crackdown from Militarized Federal Agents & Local Police. democracynow.org Heavily armed federal officers without name tags have carried out nightly attacks on antiracist demonstrations in Portland, Oregon, and snatched people off the streets into unmarked vans, sparking widespread outrage. "What we've seen is a continuous escalation in violence against our protesters," says Lilith Sinclair, an Afro-Indigenous local organizer in Portland. They note the federal violence follows many years of "severe police brutality" from local police. "It's left the people of Portland not only worried about their safety, but, even more so, justified in the fight that we're engaged in."

Jessica Corbett, staff writer (2020-07-21). New Local Lawsuit Challenges 'Violent and Unlawful' Attacks on Portland Protesters by Trump's Secret Police Force. commondreams.org "There is no positive delegation of authority in any law that makes the federal government's recent forays into general policing in Portland either legal or constitutional." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/gettyimages-12277186951_0.jpg

RT (2020-07-21). US puts $5 MILLION bounty on president of Venezuela's supreme court, accusing him of 'corruption'. rt.com Washington is offering $5 million for the arrest of the presiding judge of Venezuela's Supreme Tribunal of Justice, accusing Maikel Moreno of accepting bribes in criminal cases and of being a "crony" of President Nicolas Maduro. | US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced the bounty on Tuesday, saying that Moreno "used his position of authority for personal gain" and that his designation sends a clear message that the US "stands firmly against corruption." | | Maikel Jose Moreno Perez, a Maduro crony, used his position of authority for…

Kenn Orphan (2020-07-21). The Tactics of Terror in Portland. counterpunch.org "There are decades where nothing happens, and there are weeks where decades happen." — Vladimir Lenin Between 1973 and 1990 scores of people were disappeared by the US supported fascist regime of Augusto Pinochet in Chile. They were incarcerated, tortured and thousands were murdered. In fact, the official total of those killed by the regime

Eds. (2020-07-21). 'No tactics… just seemed like a gang': Navy Veteran speaks out after attack by secret police in viral video viewed nearly 10 million times. mronline.org They just started whaling on me with batons, and I let them," said Christopher David.

2020-07-22: News Headlines

Fight Back (2020-07-22). Oscar Lopez Rivera desea feliz cumpleaños y libertad a Simón Trinidad. fightbacknews.org En repuesta a la llamada por deseos por el cumpleaño del president politico Simón Trinidad, El Comité Nacional a Liberar Ricardo Palmera recibió un mensaje de video del preso politico Puerto Riqueño, Oscar Lopez Rivera. Lopez Rivera injustamente pasó 35 años encarcelado en los EEUU por luchando la independencía de su patria. Abajo está la transcripción de su mensaje. | "Quiero tomar este momento para desear al de feliz cumpleaño compañero, Simón Trinidad. El es uno de los héroes de nuestros países, uno de los héroes que está preso porque quiere luchar por la independencía, la soberanía de Colombia y por un mundo…

RT (2020-07-21). US puts $5 MILLION bounty on president of Venezuela's supreme court, accusing him of 'corruption'. rt.com Washington is offering $5 million for the arrest of the presiding judge of Venezuela's Supreme Tribunal of Justice, accusing Maikel Moreno of accepting bribes in criminal cases and of being a "crony" of President Nicolas Maduro. | US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced the bounty on Tuesday, saying that Moreno "used his position of authority for personal gain" and that his designation sends a clear message that the US "stands firmly against corruption." | | Maikel Jose Moreno Perez, a Maduro crony, used his position of authority for…

Yanis Iqbal (2020-07-21). Environmental Disaster and Health Crisis in Cerrejon. dissidentvoice.org At Cerrejon (Colombia), the largest open-pit coal mine in Latin America owned equally by BHP (Australia), Anglo American PLC (United Kingdom) and Glencore (Switzerland), the situation of the indigenous people is progressively worsening. Cerrejon Limited has informed the workers that "all the existing shifts will be unified into a single 7-day work, for three days …

Paul Dobson (2020-07-20). Venezuela Sees COVID-19 Outbreak at State Television Network. venezuelanalysis.com Caracas' regional government chief, Dario Vivas, has tested positive, while National Assembly President Luis Parra has been hospitalised with pneumonia-like symptoms.

Stephen Sefton (2020-07-20). Nicaragua: No Stopping the Sandinista Revolution. globalresearch.ca 41 years on from the revolutionary triumph of 1979, the Sandinista Front for National Liberation (FSLN) in Nicaragua looks stronger and with greater legitimacy than ever. Nicaragua embodies the same revolutionary paradox as Cuba and Venezuela. Despite all three countries …

Juanita Escobar, The Nation, Magnum Foundation (2020-07-20). In Quarantine, on the Plains of Colombia. thenation.com Juanita Escobar, The Nation, Magnum Foundation In Quarantine, on the Plains of Colombia…

_____ (2020-07-20). Paralyzed Companies Rescued By An 'Army' Of Volunteer Workers. popularresistance.org The Productive Workers' Army (EPO) is a grassroots movement composed of Venezuelan workers that came together in 2014. They dedicate their volunteer labor to rescuing various companies that have been paralyzed because of the economic situation which the country is going through, the shortages of spare parts and supplies due to the US blockade, and the various kinds of political destabilization. | The movement, with 2,270 members spread across the country, defines itself as "an unconventional army to win an unconventional war." | When the EPO is contacted by workers from the company in trouble, those best placed -…

teleSUR (2020-07-19). Colombia: At Least 8 Farmers Killed by Armed Group in Catatumbo. telesurenglish.net Colombia's Peasant Association of Catatumbo (ASCAMCAT) Saturday denounced the murder of at least eight of its members by the narco-paramilitary group "Los Rastrojos". | RELATED: | The massacre occurred in the village of Totumito Carboneras, Catatumbo, in the department of Norte de Santande. | "We urge the Regional Ombudsman's Office of Cúcuta and the municipal authorities of Tibú to initiate an investigation into this violent act," the organization said in a statement. | This mass…

_____ (2020-07-19). SouthCom Warships Sailing Near Venezuelan Shores. popularresistance.org The United States Navy (US) sailed into Venezuelan waters, "to challenge the excessive claim of Venezuela on June 23", when the Minister of Popular Power for Defense, G / J Vladimir Padrino López , warned that a US ship entered 30 miles north of the Venezuelan coasts, calling the event a threat. | According to US military forces, the "Freedom of Navigation" operation in the Caribbean Sea is being carried out "outside 12 nautical miles off the Venezuelan coast." However, the ship sailed through an area that according to international law belongs to Venezuela. According to the Venezuelan Organic Law of Aquatic Spac…