(2021-05-05). Venezuela Begins Clinical Trials of Russian EpiVacCorona Vaccine—Russian Ambassador First to be Vaccinated. orinocotribune.com 
Venezuela officially began clinical trials of Russian vaccine EpiVacCorona, as the Russian ambassador to Caracas, Sergey Melik-Bagdasarov, became the first volunteer to receive a dose of the COVID-19 immunization drug. | The start of clinical trials was reported by the Executive Vice President, Delcy Rodríguez, who noted that the vaccine simulates small fragments of the virus; this strengthens the immune system of recipients to prevent COVID-19. | "Thus begins the process of applying the vaccine candidate EpiVacCorona to combat COVID-19 in the country," said Rodríguez, "a vaccine developed by Russia that is advan…
(2021-05-05). US Actor Steven Seagal Presents Maduro With Samurai Sword During Visit to Venezuela. sputniknews.com American actor, producer and musician Steven Seagal, who received Russian citizenship in 2016 and was subsequently appointed as a Russian special envoy for humanitarian liaison with the US, is also a widely-renowned aikido ace.
(2021-05-05). UN Alarmed Over Police Violence in Colombia Protests. latinorebels.com BOGOTàÅ, Colombia (AP) — The United Nations human rights office said it was "deeply alarmed" over violence against protesters in the Colombian city of Cali, where "police opened fire on demonstrators" and allegedly killed and injured several people Monday night.
(2021-05-05). Top US Senate Democrat Concerned Deadly Protests in Colombia Risk Destabilizing Region. sputniknews.com WASHINGTON (Sputnik) – The US Senate Foreign Relations Committee chairman, Bob Menendez, in a statement expressed concern over the risk the recent deadly clashes between police and protesters in the Colombian city of Cali poses to regional stability.
(2021-05-04). Government Report Documents US Responsibility for Venezuela's Humanitarian Dilemma. counterpunch.org 
In January 2019 the US and its allies ceased to recognize Maduro as Venezuela's legitimate president after then National Assembly leader Juan Guaidó, who had never run for national office, "announced he was willing to serve as interim president." Guaidó's coup attempts are euphemistically described as "high-profile but ultimately unsuccessful efforts to encourage security forces to abandon Maduro."
(2021-05-04). Sixth Shipment of Sputnik V: Venezuela Already has 1.48 Million Doses. orinocotribune.com 
This Monday, May 3, the sixth shipment of Russian Sputnik V COVID-19 vaccines arrived in Venezuela, unloaded from a plane of national airline Conviasa that landed at Maiquetía Simón Bolívar International Airport, in the state of La Guaira. This sixth shipment contained 50,000 doses, and brings the total of doses in the hands of Venezuela's government to 1.48 million doses, between China's Vero Cell and the Russian Sputnik V. | In addition, the Ministry of Health announced an expansion of the Venezuelan immunization plan that began on February 18 with Sputnik V. | Venezuelan Minister of Health, Carlos Alvarado, pe…
(2021-05-04). Colombia an Imperial Beachhead: The War of the Colombian Oligarchy and Duque against Venezuela. libya360.wordpress.com Mison Verdad Colombian President, Iván Duque, participates in a military promotion ceremony in Bogotá (Photo: EFE) One year after it sought to invade Venezuela and capture President Nicolás Maduro with Operation Gideon, the Colombian government continues to participate in conspiracies planned in Washington to bring about regime change in Caracas. Since 2018, when the attempted…
(2021-05-04). Between the Lines: Congressional Report Finds US Sanctions to Blame for Venezuela Crisis. mintpressnews.com 
If the U.S. government's propaganda is correct that the current crisis is due to Maduro's mismanagement and corruption, then illegal and inhumane sanctions would not be needed to dislodge the "regime."
(2021-05-04). Colombia: Protesters to Remain in Streets Despite Tax Reform 'Withdrawal'. orinocotribune.com 
Colombia arose again in protest today, despite the fact that President Iván Duque announced the withdrawal of the recent tax reform bill. Demonstrators stated that this was not their only request, and that they will continue to occupy the streets. | The loudest demand voiced today was that "Duque stop the massacre," a response to the brutal repression with which protests have been met in almost all cities of Colombia. Outraged Colombians called attention to the case of the 19-year-old young man who died as a result of a gunshot in the head during a demonstration in Cali. | Nicolás Guerrero died early this Monday,…
(2021-05-04). Recognizing Lies about Latin America: Seven Tips. dissidentvoice.org 
Headlines from two major Venezuelan newspapers (Photo Credit: Laura Wells) Even when we're being lied to by almost every available source across the media and political spectrum, we can still become better lie detectors. A focus on lies about Latin America is important because we do care about how the US treats other people, and …
(2021-05-04). World Leaders Join Human Rights Defenders in Condemning Colombia's Deadly Crackdown on Protesters. commondreams.org The OCHCR and European Union on Tuesday joined human rights defenders in condemning Colombia's deadly crackdown against ongoing protests over scrapped tax reforms and a host of other issues. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/colombia.jpg …
(2021-05-04). UN Breaks Silence and Requests Investigation Following Killings by Colombia Police; Silence from HRW and OAS. orinocotribune.com After several days of brutal police repression in Colombia, the local office of the United Nations finally raised its voice and recommended an investigation into the deaths of dozens of people in protests against President Ivan Duque. On the other hand, nothing have been heard from the Organization of American States (OAS), US Department of State, or Human Rights Watch (HRW)—other than a timid tweet posted on 3 May by HRW's regional spokesperson Jose Miguel Vivanco. | Colombia has experienced massive protests since April 28 in rejection of a controversial tax reform project drafted by Ivan Duque's governmen…
(2021-05-04). UN Breaks Silence and Requests Investigation Following Killings by Colombia Police; Crickets from HRW and OAS. orinocotribune.com After several days of brutal police repression in Colombia, the local office of the United Nations finally raised its voice and recommended an investigation into the deaths of dozens of people in protests against President Ivan Duque. On the other hand, nothing have been heard from the Organization of American States (OAS), US Department of State, or Human Rights Watch (HRW)—other than a timid tweet posted on 3 May by HRW's regional spokesperson Jose Miguel Vivanco. | Colombia has experienced massive protests since April 28 in rejection of a controversial tax reform project drafted by Ivan Duque's governmen…
(2021-05-04). Operation Gideon: One Year After Defeated Mercenary Invasion Contracted by Guaidó & Co. orinocotribune.com On May 3, 2020, the Venezuelan authorities neutralized the mercenary invasion known as Operation Gideon. | The incursion was plotted and organized in Colombia, with mercenaries who left there in speedboats to try to enter Venezuelan territory through the beaches of the central states of La Guaira and Aragua. | The mission was to carry out attacks on military bases and strategic utility services, and to conduct selective assassinations of members of the government. | The plan was the result of a criminal contract for political purposes which involved deserting Venezuelan military personnel, US instructors, drug-tr…
(2021-05-04). UN human rights office urges calm, after bloodshed in Colombian city of Cali. news.un.org The United Nations human rights office (OHCHR) on Tuesday voiced deep alarm over the violence in the city of Cali in Colombia overnight, as a number of people were reportedly killed and wounded when police opened fire on demonstrators.
(2021-05-04). UN human rights office urges calm, after bloodshed in Colombian city of Cali. news.un.org The United Nations human rights office (OHCHR) on Tuesday voiced deep alarm over the violence in the city of Cali in Colombia overnight, as a number of people were reportedly killed and wounded as police opened fire on demonstrators.
(2021-05-04). 19 dead, 846 injured in days-long Colombia protests. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, May 04 (MNA) — The office of Colombia's human rights ombudsman said 18 civilians and a police officer died in violence during the protests that began throughout the country on April 28, while 846 people, including 306 civilians, were injured.
(2021-05-04). Colombian Unions Call to Increase National Strike Actions. orinocotribune.com Colombia's National Strike Committee is calling on citizens to maintain and increase national mobilizations despite Ivan Duque's withdrawal of the neoliberal tax reform bill. | During a 10am press conference on Monday, the Committee made up of the Central Unitaria de Trabajadores (CUT), Confederación General del Trabajo (CGT), Confederación de Trabajadores de Colombia (CTC) and Federación Colombiana de Trabajadores de la Educación (FECODE) announced its decision to continue the strike and national mobilization and stated the Committee's central objectives. | Representatives read a statement by the Committee: "We…
(2021-05-04). La protesta masiva en Colombia en medio de la pandemia. globalizacion.ca Este miércoles 28 de abril fue un día de paro nacional y de movilización callejera. Los ciudadanos nuevamente ocupan masivamente las calles, el espacio público, para manifestar su rechazo a la reforma tributaria presentada por el gobierno de Duque y…
(2021-05-04). Venezuela's Office of the Prosecutor General Presents Report on Operation Gideon. orinocotribune.com On May 3, one year after the failed Operation Gideon in which mercenaries tried to enter Venezuelan territory to attack Venezuelan institutions, the Public Ministry presented a report on the actions taken by the Venezuelan state to punish terrorism and mercenary invasion attempts. | To date, the Prosecutor's Office has requested 114 arrest warrants and 33 search warrants. Likewise, the Prosecutor General, Tarek William Saab, reported through his Twitter account the apprehension in flagrante of 34 subjects involved and 51 others on arrest warrants—a total of 85 people nationwide brought before the 4th Contro…
(2021-05-04). Venezuela — Mitos monetaristas sobre los salarios. globalizacion.ca El salario mínimo legal en Venezuela cubre el 0,65% de lo que básicamente necesita el trabajador para producir y mantener su fuerza de trabajo. Tomando en cuenta el reciente incremento de Bs 7.000.000, equivale a 0,045 petros. La canasta alimentaria…
(2021-05-03). àöltimas Noticias Survey: Bolívar Continues to Dominate Payment Methods in Venezuela. orinocotribune.com 
It is quite common to hear that Venezuela has been "dollarized" and that the sovereign currency bolívar is "no longer economically worth anything." Many of the formal and informal trade prices are set in dollars, although products can be paid and purchased both in bolívars as well as in foreign currencies. The government, however, claims that in Venezuela there will never be a dollarization of the economy and that what actually exists is a set of "mechanisms of economic war and resistance that push to exchange products in other currencies and cryptocurrencies." | What is the real proportion of this phenomenon? So…
(2021-05-03). Sunday: Venezuela Reports 1,202 New COVID-19 Cases, 17 Deaths & 91% Recovery Rate. orinocotribune.com This Sunday, May 2, Venezuela reported 1,202 new COVID-19 cases, all of them of community transmission, within the past 24 hours. In addition, the Caribbean country regretfully announced the death of 17 people. The news was presented by Minister of Health Carlos Alvarado in a special televised broadcast. Alvarado also recalled that as of this Monday, May 3, until May 10, a week of radical quarantine begins, according to the 7+7 reopening scheme implemented by the national Executive for responsible control of the pandemic. | With this report, Venezuela reached 200,067 total infections, and 2,172 deaths from the vi…
(2021-05-03). Venezuelan President Confirms Fifth Shipment of Russian Sputnik V Vaccine Against COVID-19. sputniknews.com MEXICO CITY (Sputnik) – Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro says his country has received yet another delivery of Russia's Sputnik V coronavirus vaccine.
(2021-05-03). Petro Cryptocurrency-Based Social Payments: Why Does Venezuela Need Them? sputniknews.com In 2018, Caracas launched its own cryptocurrency called the Petro backed by Venezuela's oil reserves, in a move that came against the backdrop of a severe economic meltdown in the South American nation. At the time, President Maduro vowed the government would create a single exchange rate linked to the Petro.
(2021-05-03). Colombia's Iván Duque Withdraws Tax Reform — New Proposal to be Processed. orinocotribune.com 
After four days of intense protests, a number of deaths and dozens of serious injuries, the president of Colombia, Iván Duque, announced that the tax reform that led to the protests will be withdrawn from Congress, and that he will submit a new proposal in accordance with the consensus reached in the discussion with political parties. | "I ask the Congress of the Republic to withdraw the project filed by the Ministry of Finance and urgently process a new project as a result of consensus and thus avoid financial uncertainty," said Duque. | Likewise, he reiterated what he has already maintained over the last days,…
(2021-05-03). Colombia: Violent Repression Of Anti-Government Protests. popularresistance.org Residents of Bogota and Medellin continued to report brutal police repression of anti-government protests while Colombia's third largest city Cali retook the streets on Saturday. | The massive turnout followed days of terror that left 10 people dead since Wednesday, the first day of a national strike against a tax reform proposed by the government of President Ivan Duque. | The terrorizing of the local population diminished drastically after local human rights organizations accused Defense Minister Diego Molano of playing a key role in the alleged state terror campaign on Friday. | Indigenous authorities from the…
(2021-05-03). Venezuelan Trade Unions, Left Parties Blast 'Pyrrhic' May 1 Wage Increase. venezuelanalysis.com The new $2.50 monthly minimum salary represents a 1,650% interannual increase but falls short of matching yearly inflation rates of around 4,000%.
(2021-05-03). Workers Struggles: The Americas. wsws.org Major worker strikes and protests are taking place in Latin America including general strikes in Colombia and Chile and continued opposition by Buenos Aires teachers to a return to in-person classroom instruction.
(2021-05-03). Agents of Chaos (Anti-Chavistas Wallow in Hatred). orinocotribune.com By Carola Chavez — May 2, 2021 | With all the billion-dollar attempts to overthrow Chavismo having failed, it is the turn of the Colombian paramilitaries and their Creole franchises. Creating chaos—Iván Simonovis, choking with sadism, revealed in a video, like a Batman villain, in which he explains his secret plan like counting chickens before they are hatched, celebrating a victory that will never come. | Chaos—that has been the proposal of a group of snob psychopaths recruited by Washington as its political hitmen. Chaos for a country they despise, which is nothing more than a tit from which to…
(2021-05-03). The British Connection with Colombia's Police. globalresearch.ca In the last few days, the Colombian police showed what it …
(2021-05-03). Are Canadian Police Providing Training To The Colombian police? popularresistance.org On May 1, the British independent media outlet The Canary reported: "Over recent days, the Colombian national police have killed a number of civilians protesting a proposed tax hike on basic goods. Many more civilians have been injured, and Colombia's riot police reportedly sexually assaulted a woman." | The article by independent journalist John McEvoy further notes: "Documents obtained by The Canary can reveal that the UK's College of Policing has been training Colombian police over the past three years." | Is there a similar relationship between Canada and Colombia? | On October 30, 2017, the Canadian Press re…
(2021-05-03). Colombia: Tax Reform Bill Temporarily Defeated by National Strike, Repression and Militarization Continue. libya360.wordpress.com Peoples Dispatch In the past five days of national strike and nationwide mobilizations across Colombia, the national security forces have unleashed an unprecedented level of repression against peaceful protesters. Photo: Congreso de los Pueblos/Twitter In the past five days of national strike and nationwide mobilizations across Colombia, the national security forces have unleashed an unprecedented…
(2021-05-03). Tax reform bill temporarily defeated by national strike in Colombia, repression and militarization continue. peoplesdispatch.org In the past five days of national strike and nationwide mobilizations across Colombia, the national security forces have unleashed an unprecedented level of repression against peaceful protesters, killing at least 21 people, injuring around 100 and arresting over 650 protesters…
(2021-05-03). Colombia's President withdraws tax proposal following mass protests and other stories. peoplesdispatch.org In today's episode of the Daily Round-up we take a look at the brutal repression of protests in Colombia as President Ivan Duque withdraws a widely denounced tax reform proposal, demonstrations in Thailand following the hospitalisation of a detained protest leader who was on hunger strike, mass 'Kill the Bill' protests in the UK on May Day to demand the withdrawal of a new policing bill, and the forced evictions of Palestinian families in the Sheikh Jarrah locality in Occupied East Jerusalem.
(2021-05-03). Public Ministry of Venezuela Submits Updated Report to International Criminal Court. orinocotribune.com On Saturday, May 1, Attorney General of the Republic Tarek William Saab disclosed some details of the updated report that has been submitted to the Office of the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC), given the fact that "some organizations have wanted to make it invisible or belittle it." | The updated document was sent to the ICC by the Public Ministry on Friday, April 30. This was confirmed by the Venezuelan Attorney General in a press conference broadcast via the TV channel Venezolana de Televisión (VTV). This was the third document in the series, "which amplifies our response to the overall re…