(2021-05-08). Colombia's mass protests continue amid reported "disappearance" of 379 demonstrators. wsws.org Colombia's ruling class, backed by imperialism, is determined to force the working class to bear the entire cost of the COVID-19 pandemic.
(2021-05-08). Leopoldo López Condemns Protests in Colombia from Luxury Condo in Madrid: Having Duque 'is a Privilege'. orinocotribune.com Regarding the bloody repression in Colombia against peaceful demonstrators, there are several aspects that are astonishing. In addition to the vicious will of its police officers to impose order through questionable means, there is an occurrence that surpasses them: Leopoldo López's condemnation of violence—but not the violence of Colombia's repressive forces. | The Venezuelan, who is known for his marked vocation for violence, released a statement whose reading produces enormous cognitive dissonance. | These are five paragraphs of an unknown version of Leopoldo López, at least to Venezuelans. The politicia…
(2021-05-08). Colombia an Imperial Beachhead: The War of the Colombian Oligarchy and Duque against Venezuela. orinocotribune.com 
By Mison Verdad — May 4, 2021 | One year after it sought to invade Venezuela and capture President Nicolás Maduro with Operation Gideón, the Colombian government continues to participate in conspiracies planned in Washington to bring about regime change in Caracas. | Since 2018, when the attempted assassination of President Maduro and the Venezuelan military high command was thwarted with the use of explosive drones, Bogotá's willingness to serve as an operational base to plan attacks against Venezuela has been confirmed with every step it takes and laid bare before the international media and diplomatic sho…
(2021-05-08). Gustavo Petro Represents a Progressive Alternative in Colombia. dissidentvoice.org 
Gustavo Petro is a force to be reckoned with in Colombian politics. The senator — once a member of the M-19 guerilla group, later elected to the House of Representations in the 1990s and then the mayorship of Bogotá (2012-2016) — has become the candidate to beat in next year's presidential election. He is such …
(2021-05-08). How Biden Funded Colombia's Deadly Police Regime. popularresistance.org In the last week, Colombia has exploded in nationwide protests and work stoppages against the government of President Ivan Duque. With over 19 people killed by state forces in the last week, and with image after image of brutal police repression going viral across the world, the protests have sparked international outrage and concerns about human rights abuses. Joining this chorus of voices is a growing number of organizations and politicians urging Joe Biden's government to take direct action to curb police violence in Colombia and stop its continued funding of the country's brutal riot cops, commonly referred t…
(2021-05-08). Colombian Security Forces Are Massacring People On The Streets. popularresistance.org In Colombia the right-wing government of Iván Duque is killing people taking part in an ongoing national strike protesting the government's economic policies and widespread human rights abuses. | Since the strike began at the end of April, Colombian human rights groups have estimated that 26 protestors have been killed by the government's infamous security forces. | In addition to the killings, there has been a major militarisation of cities, with reports of disappearances, sexual assaults on women protestors, and other abuses committed by the security forces. Local human rights organisations have registered 1,18…
(2021-05-08). "Nothing to Lose" zcomm.org Colombians Protest "Fascist Mafia Regime" Amid Deadly Police & Military Crackdown…
(2021-05-08). Colombia on the Brink. zcomm.org Colombians see their current political situation as a potential historical opening…
(2021-05-08). Cuba Denounces Colombia's 'Hostile' Gesture in the Expulsion of Diplomat. orinocotribune.com 
Amidst the continued internal crisis in Colombia caused by the ongoing anti-government protests and the heavy police repression, the Colombian authorities decided to declare a Cuban diplomat as persona non grata on charges of exercising "activities not compatible" with his diplomatic post. | On Friday, May 7, the Cuban Foreign Ministry described the expulsion of its embassy's first secretary in Colombia, Omar Rafael García, as unjustified and hostile. García was declared as persona non grata by the Colombian government. | In a message published on its official website, the Cuban Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MINRE…
(2021-05-08). Venezuela's Delcy Rodriguez Provides More Details About Bot Campaign (ICC). orinocotribune.com 
A big data investigation carried out by independent experts determined that local and international right-wing elements used social media networks to carry out a campaign of media denigration and defamation against Venezuela on the issue of human rights, with the result that the South American nation is now the subject of an investigation by the International Criminal Court (ICC). "They want to classify [them as] international crimes without them having been committed," said the Executive Vice President of Venezuela, Delcy Rodríguez, in a press conference broadcast this Friday, May 7 by state-owned Venezolana de…
(2021-05-08). Re-Engaging Russia — OpEd. eurasiareview.com Russian realignment offers the biggest opportunity to dramatically transform the international situation in the immediate future. A cooperative relationship between Russia and the Industrialized World could be a highly visible example of democratic development, strongly undercutting Chinese promotion of autocracy and minimizing cyber intrusions. It would also significantly reduce requirements for military forces, including a potential for major reductions in nuclear weapons. Diplomatically, collaboration with Russia could help resolve confrontations in Afghanistan, Venezuela, Ukraine, Belarus, Syria and Myanma…
(2021-05-07). Colombian Lawmakers Tout Decree of Internal Commotion State. telesurenglish.net The state of "internal commotion" can be declared nationwide or in some parts of the country according to article 213 of the Colombian constitution. Its declaration would require the signature of all ministers and would allow the president to restrict the reporting activities of national and international media outlets as well as reinforcing the police.
(2021-05-07). Rebellion Sweeps Colombia Despite Deadly Repression. popularresistance.org Massive protests are taking place throughout Colombia as people stand firm in the face of deadly police violence. Since April 28, when a general strike was called to oppose deeply regressive proposed tax reforms, nationwide demonstrations against far right President Iván Duque have been ongoing. | "The repression on the streets perpetuated by the police force is systematic," a young protester in Colombia who wished to remain anonymous told Liberation, "The ESMAD [Mobile Anti-Disturbances Squadron] along with the national police shoots without remorse rubber bullets, tear gas and attack the protestors." | This is…
(2021-05-07). Alberto Fernandez, Evo Morales Condemn Repression in Colombia. telesurenglish.net Argentina's President Alberto Fernandez on Thursday expressed his concern over expressions of institutional violence against citizens who are in the streets protesting against Colombia's President Ivan Duque and his economic policies. | RELATED: | "It is with concern that I observe the repression unleashed in the face of social protests in Colombia. I pray for the Colombian people to return to social peace," he said, | "I urge the…
(2021-05-07). Colombian Workers Remain Open to Dialogue with President Duque. telesurenglish.net The Central Union of Workers (CUT) President Francisco Maltes on Friday informed that his organization agrees to dialogue with Colombia's President Ivan Duque to negotiate an end to the anti-government protests. | RELATED: | "The CUT is ready to negotiate with the government. We just need Duque to set a day, a time, and a place. So far, there are only formalities and generalities that do not set the exact time to negoti…
(2021-05-07). Cuba Rejects the Expulsion of Its Diplomat from Colombia. telesurenglish.net Cuba's Foreign Affairs Ministry (MINREX) Friday rejected Colombia's decision to declare the Cuban First Secretary in Bogota Omar Garcia a persona non grata in this Latin American country. | RELATED: | "We have summoned the Colombian ambassador in Havana to convey our energetic rejection of the decision taken by his country on Thursday night," MINREX Director General for Latin American Affairs Eugenio Martinez tweeted.
(2021-05-07). COHA Denounces Brutal Repression by Security Forces in Colombia. orinocotribune.com 
The Council on Hemispheric Affairs (COHA) denounces the systematic violations of human rights perpetrated by the security forces of the government of Colombia. The government of President Iván Duque has deployed special units of the police and military to brutally repress broad based demonstrations that began on April 28, 2021 against a neoliberal tax reform package that proposed to rescue Colombia's IMF credit rating on the backs of the working class. Now that Duque has withdrawn the proposed reform package, protests continue over numerous other topics, including the violations of the peace accords, and urgent l…
(2021-05-07). 'Super Mustache' Strikes Back: Right Wing Could Not Resist Temptation to Blame Venezuela for Colombia's Uprising (+ 'Dissipated Molecular Revolution'). orinocotribune.com 
Although Colombia is ablaze with massive protests everywhere and brutal police repression, its politicians and media could not resist the temptation to blame Venezuela for the social unrest. Of course, this also made it much easier to avoid addressing Colombia's system—the disastrous management of the COVID-19 pandemic, horrific police brutality, and neoliberalism—as the cause of the uprising. | On social media networks, the defenders of Colombia's "imperfect democracy" justified the repression as the way to prevent their country from "ending up like Venezuela." | A week into the strike and demonstrat…
(2021-05-07). 471 People Have Disappeared Amid Protests In Colombia. telesurenglish.net Colombia's Working Group on Enforced Disappearances (MTDF) on Thursday informed that 471 people went missing from April 28 to May 5 during the social outbreak against President Ivan Duque. | RELATED: | "Three hundred and seventy-nine of the victims are still missing. Most of the people who reappeared claimed that they were arbitrarily detained and transferred to unauthorized places and without the presence of judicial authorities," the organizatio…
(2021-05-07). Frente a la protesta ciudadana en Colombia: Militarización y represión. globalizacion.ca Hoy 6 de mayo las masivas protestas en Colombia completan ya 9 días sin signos aún de debilitamiento. Las marchas del miércoles 5 convocadas por el Comité Nacional del Paro fueron masivas en muchas de las ciudades del país. | Contrario…
(2021-05-07). Over 370 People Go Missing During 9 Days of Tax Reform Protests in Colombia, Rights Group Says. sputniknews.com MEXICO CITY (Sputnik) – A total of 379 people went missing in Colombia over nine days of protests triggered by the now-shelved tax reform, the Movice National Movement of Victims of State Crime has announced.
(2021-05-07). Ocasio-Cortez Expresses Solidarity With Colombia's Working Class Facing Off Against Right-Wing Government. commondreams.org "All people should have a fundamental right to demonstrate against their elected leaders," said Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez in a statement of solidarity with working class Colombian protesters. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/aoc_colombia.jpg …
(2021-05-07). Social unrest continues in Colombia. challenge-magazine.org Huge numbers of protestors have taken to the streets of Colombia over the last week after President Duque attempted to pass a bill that would further increase inequality in the country by making the working class pay for the covid-19-induced fiscal deficit. A general strike began on the 28th April in response to Duque's presentation of the ironically titled 'Sustainable Solidarity Bill'. The proposed bill has intensified grievances about the state of inequality in the country, with 2.8 million people having already been pushed into extreme poverty during the last year alone. The bill proposes increasing VAT on…
(2021-05-07). Unforgiving Repression of National Strike in Colombia. latinorebels.com BOGOTàÅ, Colombia — For a week, people from all over the world have looked on in horror as the Colombian government's crackdown on a national strike has been unforgiving. Different organizations have different tallies, but they all indicate tragedy.
(2021-05-07). Colombia: 471 Persons Disappeared During the Mobilizations that Began April 28th. libya360.wordpress.com The Working Group on Enforced Disappearances in Colombia warned that 471 people disappeared in Colombia between April 28 and May 5, in the framework of the #ParoNacional. 379 of them are still missing. The Working Group on Enforced Disappearances in Colombia — MDTDF, warned about the human rights crisis experienced in the country as a…
(2021-05-07). Venezuela & ALBA-TCP Deliver Humanitarian Aid to Saint Vincent & the Grenadines. orinocotribune.com 
The Venezuelan Navy, in conjunction with Civil Protection (PC), traveled to Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and completed the first phase of humanitarian aid delivery, following the emergency caused by the activity of the La Soufrière volcano. | The work was recognized by the executive secretary of the Bolivarian Alliance for the Peoples of Our America-Peoples' Trade Treaty (ALBA-TCP), Sacha Llorenti, in the company of the president of the Bank of ALBA, Raúl Li Causi, who thanked the solidarity of Venezuela and the member countries of the regional body. | En acto de agradecimiento a la tripulación del buque de l…
(2021-05-07). Venezuela's Popular Democracy Under Siege: A Conversation with Elías Jaua. libya360.wordpress.com Cira Pascual Marquina Politician and intellectual Elías Jaua served under Chávez as agriculture minister and vice president. Under Nicolás Maduro's presidency, he has been minister of foreign affairs, of communes, and of education. Now Jaua belongs to the PSUV direction, and he frequently writes about Venezuela, defending the country from imperialist attacks and speaking up…
(2021-05-07). AMLO Complains to the US over USAID Funding of Opposition Group. telesurenglish.net Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador revealed on Friday his authorities sent a complaint to the U.S. government urging an explanation on the funding by U.S. organization USAID of an alleged anti-corruption group that seeks to take down his administration. | RELATED: | "A foreign government can't provide money to political groups," the president known as AMLO said before a virtual meeting with the U.S. V…
(2021-05-07). Venezuela's Attorney General's Office Denounces Bot Campaign before the International Criminal Court. orinocotribune.com This Thursday, May 6, Venezuela's Attorney General Tarek William Saab announced that Venezuela's Public Ministry (MP) sent a fourth report to the Prosecutor's Office of the International Criminal Court (ICC) to denounce a widely extended and active community on social media networks that uses "fraudulent means" to generate opinions that threaten Venezuela. | In the statement, the Venezuelan prosecutor's office denounced the campaign before the ICC, citing a study carried out by communication experts which determined that a "very small core number of profiles are capable of generating trends on the network, using…
(2021-05-07). Venezuela: "Almagro and Lima Cartel Promote Lies Against Us" telesurenglish.net Executive Vice President of the Republic Delcy Rodríguez denounced that Venezuela is facing a media lynching against its political and social leaders, as well as the fraudulent use of social networks in campaigns orchestrated in Washington and five governments of the Lima Cartel led by Luis Almagro that attempt to manipulate public opinion against the country.