Monthly Archives: December 2020

2020-12-02: News Headlines

W. T. Whitney (2020-12-02). US Plot Relying on Extradition Targets Peace in Colombia. counterpunch.org For 50 years Colombian governments and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) fought a civil war; 200,000 lives were lost. After four years of negotiations, the two sides signed a peace agreement that took effect in November 2016. Now the agreement is in trouble, mainly at the hands of rightwing extremists led by former

Gloria La Riva (2020-12-02). Venezuela's anti-blockade law and the Dec. 6 elections. liberationnews.org Progressive forces mobilize nationwide to win back the assembly from right-wing politicians who won the majority in December 2015.

W. T. Whitney (2020-12-02). US Plot Relying on Extradition Targets Peace in Colombia. counterpunch.org For 50 years Colombian governments and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) fought a civil war; 200,000 lives were lost. After four years of negotiations, the two sides signed a peace agreement that took effect in November 2016. Now the agreement is in trouble, mainly at the hands of rightwing extremists led by former

_____ (2020-12-02). Embassy Protection Collective Members Mark End Of Federal Probation. popularresistance.org Washington, DC — Today, three of the four members of the Embassy Protection Collective, Adrienne Pine, David Paul and Margaret Flowers, who stayed in the Venezuelan Embassy last year to stop its illegal handover to coup leaders, are finished with their six-month probation and 30-day suspended sentence. The fourth member of the collective, Kevin Zeese, died unexpectedly in September. | The three collective members are traveling to Venezuela to serve as official election observers for the National Assembly election to be held on December 6, 2020.

_____ (2020-12-02). Is the U.S. Actually a 'Police State'? strategic-culture.org Eric ZUESSE | Is the phrase "police state" anything more than propaganda that a government uses against a foreign government that it wants to overthrow — such as the U.S. did against Iraq before invading it in 2003, and against Libya and Syria since 2011, and against Venezuela since 2012, and against Ukraine since 2013, and in all instances destroyed those countries, allegedly to 'bring democracy and human rights and the rule of law, and fight against corruption' there (as if that were honestly the intention)? | The phrase "police state" is used propagandistically to denigrate a foreign nation that one's ow…

John Pilger (2020-12-01). "I spoke to impoverished families in 1975 and little has changed since then" dissidentvoice.org A British family from the film Smashing Kids, 1975. Photograph: John Garrett John Pilger interviewed Irene Brunsden in Hackney, east London about only being able to feed her two-year-old a plate of cornflakes in 1975. Now he sees nervous women queueing at foodbanks with their children as it's revealed 600,000 more kids are in poverty …

teleSUR (2020-12-01). Colombia: Another Indigenous Leader Killed in Cauca. telesurenglish.net Romelio Ramos Cuetia, a 31-year-old indigenous community member, was murdered by a group of armed men in the rural area of the municipality of Suárez, in the northern part of the Colombian department of Cauca. | The indigenous man was a native of the village of Paletón in the municipality of Jambaló and resided in the Alejandría village in the of Cerro Tijeras, where he worked as a farmer. | RELATED: | According to…

W. T. Whitney Jr. (2020-12-01). U.S. extradition plot targets peace in Colombia. peoplesworld.org &nbsp…

W. T. Whitney Jr. (2020-12-01). U.S. extradition plot targets peace in Colombia. peoplesworld.org &nbsp…

Eds. (2020-12-01). Parliamentary Elections in Venezuela: All you need to know. mronline.org For the first time in recent history, Venezuela's left is divided. Will this disrupt the PSUV's plans to retake control of the National Assembly?>

Peoples Dispatch (2020-12-01). Anti-imperialists petition EU to recognize Venezuelan elections. peoplesdispatch.org Members of the European Network of Solidarity with Venezuela turned in a petition calling for the European Union to recognize the upcoming Venezuelan elections. The petition was signed by prominent left-wing public figures and leaders from Europe and Latin America and had more than 3,500 signatures from over 30 nations. It is part of an international campaign against regime change attempts in the Latin American nation. Venezuela is scheduled to hold its parliamentary election on December 6, the first since the abortive attempt to overthrow the government in January 2019. | The petitioners have asked the EU leader…

teleSUR (2020-12-01). Venezuela Submits Report to Meet the Hague Court's Requests. telesurenglish.net Venezuela's Public Ministry delivered Monday a report to respond to the requests issued by the Prosecutor Office of the International Criminal Court (ICC) in October this year. | RELATED: | Attorney General Tarek William Saab noted that the "extensive report" was submitted "in time and form" in order to meet the call voiced by the Office of the Prosecutor (OTP) chairwoman Fatou Bensouda. | He also reiterated his go…

sputniknews (2020-12-01). Venezuela Denounces US Sanctions Against CEIEC, Foreign Ministry States. sputniknews.com MOSCOW (Sputnik) – Caracas considers the recent US sanctions against the China National Electronic Import-Export Company (CEIEC) an attempt to destabilize the situation ahead of elections, according to a Venezuelan Foreign Ministry statement.

teleSUR (2020-12-01). Venezuela Rejects US Harassment Against Chinese Tech Company. telesurenglish.net Venezuela's Foreign Affairs Minister Jorge Arreaza called harassment the new U.S. sanctions against China Corporation of Electronic Imports and Exports (CEIEC), which provides telecommunications services in the Latin American country. | RELATED: | "We denounce the U.S. government's coercive measures which were imposed to affect projects in favor of the Venezuelan people ahead of the parliamentary elections," Arreaza tweeted. | On Mond…

sputniknews (2020-12-01). Beijing Urges US to Lift All 'Illegal Sanctions' Amid Venezuela-Related Restrictions on Chinese Firm. sputniknews.com Washington blacklisted the China National Electronic Import-Export Company (CEIEC) for aiding the Venezuelan government, vowing to block all transactions with the firm or any entity that owns a 50 percent or higher stake in it.

Peoples Dispatch (2020-12-01). US sanctions Chinese telecom firm for links with Venezuela's CANTV. peoplesdispatch.org The United States has imposed sanctions on a major Chinese tech firm, China National Electronics Import and Export Corporation (CEIEC), for conducting business with Venezuela. The sanctions were announced on November 30, Monday, by the US Treasury Department. The move is based on allegations that the CEIEC is assisting the Venezuelan government to "suppress" dissent. | The allegations come in light of Venezuelan government-run telecom firm CANTV blocking certain websites and platforms linked with pro-coup and pro-Guaido groups. The US government stated that the contract with the CEIEC has assisted in the supposed…

Paul Dobson (2020-11-30). Venezuelan Government Privatises State-run AgroPatria. venezuelanalysis.com Maduro also requested private sector help in finishing an abandoned rail construction project from 2002.

teleSUR (2020-11-30). US Sanctions Chinese Tech Firm for Having Ties With Venezuela. telesurenglish.net The U.S. Treasury Department on Monday sanctioned China Corporation of Electronic Imports and Exports (CEIEC) for allegedly supporting Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro to "undermine democracy" in his country. | RELATED: | An official statement argues that the Chinese technology company would give the Bolivarian government software to restrict citizens' access to the Internet and monitor their actions on the netw…

Alejandra Garcia (2020-11-30). Hostilities Won't Stop Venezuela's Upcoming Elections. telesurenglish.net The international campaign of discredit against the Venezuelan electoral process, encouraged by the U.S. and the European Union (EU), gains strength one week ahead of the legislative elections scheduled for December 6. | RELATED: | "Chavism won't guarantee biosecurity measures," "The voting machines will fail," "Maduro seeks to settle his government after the parliamentary elections," are some headlines shown by the Miami-Bogota-Ma…

_____ (2020-11-30). Upcoming Venezuelan Election Is Another Rejection Of US Imperialism. popularresistance.org On December 6, Venezuelans will vote for a new National Assembly. Just as it has done for the past twenty years, the United States is interfering in the election process and has already falsely claimed the elections are rigged. The last National Assembly election in 2015 was marred by a vote-buying scheme in one remote region. Upon an order from the Supreme Court to redo those races, right-wing parties refused, putting the entire National Assembly in contempt of court. Latin American policy analyst, Leonardo Flores, joins me to speak about this election and the impacts of the US' efforts to interfere and overthro…

_____ (2020-11-30). Venezuela Calls On UNSC To Reject Unilateral Sanctions. popularresistance.org "All countries suffering from this type of aggression inflicted by economic means must cooperate to put an end to the suffering of our peoples," Ambassador Moncada stressed. | Speaking at the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) on Wednesday, Venezuela's Ambassador Samuel Moncada proposed the formation of an "International Alliance Against Unilateral Coercive Measures" to halt the crimes against humanity committed by the U.S. government, which keeps arbitrary economic sanctions against 29 countries.

_____ (2020-11-30). Venezuela Sentences Former Citgo Executives For Corruption. popularresistance.org Merida – Six former oil executives were sentenced for corruption on Thursday by a Venezuelan court. | They were detained in November 2017 in Caracas on charges of embezzlement, money laundering and conspiracy at state oil company PDVSA's US subsidiary, Citgo. | Attorney General Tarek William Saab stated at the time that the accused had signed contracts without government permission which "jeopardized the country's assets." Refinancing plans with Frontier Group Management and Apollo Global Management allegedly had draconian conditions and offered the company itself as collateral.

_____ (2020-11-30). 'We Will Defend Democracy In Ecuador'. popularresistance.org In countries like Ecuador, Bolivia, Colombia, and Chile, popular movements have risen to express their discontent and demand a new economic model — only to be met with street violence, government repression, and coup d'etats. | In Ecuador, the rise of authoritarianism can be seen in the actions against the electoral opposition. In August — less than 24 hours after the National Electoral Council (CNE) officially called elections — the governing forces attempted illegally and unconstitutionally to eliminate the Movimiento Fuerza Compromiso Social, list 5 that had sheltered the political force of t…

2020-12-01: News Headlines

teleSUR (2020-12-01). Venezuela Submits Report to Meet the Hague Court's Requests. telesurenglish.net Venezuela's Public Ministry delivered Monday a report to respond to the requests issued by the Prosecutor Office of the International Criminal Court (ICC) in October this year. | RELATED: | Attorney General Tarek William Saab noted that the "extensive report" was submitted "in time and form" in order to meet the call voiced by the Office of the Prosecutor (OTP) chairwoman Fatou Bensouda. | He also reiterated his go…

Peoples Dispatch (2020-12-01). US sanctions Chinese telecom firm for links with Venezuela's CANTV. peoplesdispatch.org The United States has imposed sanctions on a major Chinese tech firm, China National Electronics Import and Export Corporation (CEIEC), for conducting business with Venezuela. The sanctions were announced on November 30, Monday, by the US Treasury Department. The move is based on allegations that the CEIEC is assisting the Venezuelan government to "suppress" dissent. | The allegations come in light of Venezuelan government-run telecom firm CANTV blocking certain websites and platforms linked with pro-coup and pro-Guaido groups. The US government stated that the contract with the CEIEC has assisted in the supposed…

sputniknews (2020-12-01). Venezuela Denounces US Sanctions Against CEIEC, Foreign Ministry States. sputniknews.com MOSCOW (Sputnik) – Caracas considers the recent US sanctions against the China National Electronic Import-Export Company (CEIEC) an attempt to destabilize the situation ahead of elections, according to a Venezuelan Foreign Ministry statement.

sputniknews (2020-12-01). Beijing Urges US to Lift All 'Illegal Sanctions' Amid Venezuela-Related Restrictions on Chinese Firm. sputniknews.com Washington blacklisted the China National Electronic Import-Export Company (CEIEC) for aiding the Venezuelan government, vowing to block all transactions with the firm or any entity that owns a 50 percent or higher stake in it.

teleSUR (2020-12-01). Venezuela Rejects US Harassment Against Chinese Tech Company. telesurenglish.net Venezuela's Foreign Affairs Minister Jorge Arreaza called harassment the new U.S. sanctions against China Corporation of Electronic Imports and Exports (CEIEC), which provides telecommunications services in the Latin American country. | RELATED: | "We denounce the U.S. government's coercive measures which were imposed to affect projects in favor of the Venezuelan people ahead of the parliamentary elections," Arreaza tweeted. | On Mond…

teleSUR (2020-11-30). US Sanctions Chinese Tech Firm for Having Ties With Venezuela. telesurenglish.net The U.S. Treasury Department on Monday sanctioned China Corporation of Electronic Imports and Exports (CEIEC) for allegedly supporting Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro to "undermine democracy" in his country. | RELATED: | An official statement argues that the Chinese technology company would give the Bolivarian government software to restrict citizens' access to the Internet and monitor their actions on the netw…

Alejandra Garcia (2020-11-30). Hostilities Won't Stop Venezuela's Upcoming Elections. telesurenglish.net The international campaign of discredit against the Venezuelan electoral process, encouraged by the U.S. and the European Union (EU), gains strength one week ahead of the legislative elections scheduled for December 6. | RELATED: | "Chavism won't guarantee biosecurity measures," "The voting machines will fail," "Maduro seeks to settle his government after the parliamentary elections," are some headlines shown by the Miami-Bogota-Ma…

Paul Dobson (2020-11-30). Venezuelan Government Privatises State-run AgroPatria. venezuelanalysis.com Maduro also requested private sector help in finishing an abandoned rail construction project from 2002.

_____ (2020-11-30). Upcoming Venezuelan Election Is Another Rejection Of US Imperialism. popularresistance.org On December 6, Venezuelans will vote for a new National Assembly. Just as it has done for the past twenty years, the United States is interfering in the election process and has already falsely claimed the elections are rigged. The last National Assembly election in 2015 was marred by a vote-buying scheme in one remote region. Upon an order from the Supreme Court to redo those races, right-wing parties refused, putting the entire National Assembly in contempt of court. Latin American policy analyst, Leonardo Flores, joins me to speak about this election and the impacts of the US' efforts to interfere and overthro…

_____ (2020-11-30). Venezuela Sentences Former Citgo Executives For Corruption. popularresistance.org Merida – Six former oil executives were sentenced for corruption on Thursday by a Venezuelan court. | They were detained in November 2017 in Caracas on charges of embezzlement, money laundering and conspiracy at state oil company PDVSA's US subsidiary, Citgo. | Attorney General Tarek William Saab stated at the time that the accused had signed contracts without government permission which "jeopardized the country's assets." Refinancing plans with Frontier Group Management and Apollo Global Management allegedly had draconian conditions and offered the company itself as collateral.

_____ (2020-11-30). 'We Will Defend Democracy In Ecuador'. popularresistance.org In countries like Ecuador, Bolivia, Colombia, and Chile, popular movements have risen to express their discontent and demand a new economic model — only to be met with street violence, government repression, and coup d'etats. | In Ecuador, the rise of authoritarianism can be seen in the actions against the electoral opposition. In August — less than 24 hours after the National Electoral Council (CNE) officially called elections — the governing forces attempted illegally and unconstitutionally to eliminate the Movimiento Fuerza Compromiso Social, list 5 that had sheltered the political force of t…

_____ (2020-11-30). Venezuela Calls On UNSC To Reject Unilateral Sanctions. popularresistance.org "All countries suffering from this type of aggression inflicted by economic means must cooperate to put an end to the suffering of our peoples," Ambassador Moncada stressed. | Speaking at the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) on Wednesday, Venezuela's Ambassador Samuel Moncada proposed the formation of an "International Alliance Against Unilateral Coercive Measures" to halt the crimes against humanity committed by the U.S. government, which keeps arbitrary economic sanctions against 29 countries.

teleSUR, ce (2020-11-29). Venezuela's Voting Machines Audited Ahead of Parliamentary Elections. telesurenglish.net This Sunday, the National Electoral Council (CNE) of Venezuela carried out the pre-dispatch audit of voting machines, to validate and replicate all stages of the electoral process, sampling 0.5% of voting tables. | RELATED: | The purpose of the voting machines pre-dispatch audit is to replicate and validate all the stages of the electoral process, verifying that both the software and data, as well as the o…

Andres Kargar (2020-11-28). The Emperor Has No Clothes. dissidentvoice.org I reviewed Sra. Michelle Bachelet's Report on Venezuela, and was quite outraged at her lack of consideration and due diligence. I will, in a moment, tell everyone why this report needs to be trashed, but even before that, I think I should mention two systemic flaws about this type of reporting regardless of which country …