(2021-05-16). How El Nacional Building was Found After Executive Embargo — Meanwhile Al Jazeera and AP Offices in Gaza Bombed to the Ground. orinocotribune.com 
Diosdado Cabello, Venezuelan National Assembly deputy, posted two images on his Twitter account, showing the completely empty building of the newspaper El Nacional, in Caracas, "without workers or equipment," and there were even some offices given on rent to other companies. | This came just a few hours after the notice by poster delivered to the owners of the newspaper this Friday afternoon, informing of the decision of the Supreme Court of Justice (TSJ) to proceed with an executive embargo of the main headquarters of the national daily, resulting from a defamation trial initiated by Cabello against the news out…
(2021-05-16). Six Months Before Regional Elections in Venezuela — What Polls Show. orinocotribune.com 
Caracas, May 15 (OrinocoTribune.com) — Almost six months before the mega regional elections in Venezuela scheduled for November, in which governors, mayors and city council members will be elected, a poll carried out by the firm Hinterlaces is showing positive trends in favor of the ruling PSUV and Chavismo, despite a high percentage of the electorate identifying themselves as politically non-aligned or non-affiliated to any party. | The regional elections are scheduled for Sunday, November 21, as announced last Thursday by the newly elected National Electoral Council (CNE) authorities. This new CNE board ha…
(2021-05-16). What's Happening With Youth Protest And Police In Colombia. popularresistance.org The demonstrations in Bogotá, Colombia kick off with musical performances, theatrical shows and people in traditional dress; they're like festivals. Young people fill the capital's major transitways and the Plaza de Simon Bolivar, a downtown square that is home to several culturally and politically significant buildings, to have their voices heard, Yaneth Ordoñez, an artist and high school teacher at the protests said. | But this time, the government has met civilians with bullets. | On April 28, Colombians protested, in large part, as a response to tax increases proposed by president Iván Duque's government. Cri…
(2021-05-15). The Heat: Israeli-Palestinian Conflict. america.cgtn.com 
The Israeli military continued a major offensive Friday in Gaza while more rockets were fired into Israel by Hamas militants. There were also confrontations between Israeli troops and Palestinians spreading across parts of the West Bank Meanwhile, in Colombia, a wave of anti-government protests …
(2021-05-15). From Palestine to Colombia: The end of the White world colonial/capitalist project? mronline.org 
Despite the quickening decline of the "West," the U.S. and its junior partners in imperialism are determined to hold humanity hostage to terminal capitalist greed and violence. | May 15, 2021 | Newswire…
(2021-05-15). Colombians Continue To Resist As National Strike Completes 15 Days. popularresistance.org Since April 28, hundreds of thousands of Colombians have been organizing and mobilizing across the country as a part of the national strike against the far-right government of President Ivan Duque and his neoliberal policies. The national strike was called for by the trade unions, social organizations and left-wing political parties against the Sustainable Solidarity Bill, a tax reform bill presented by the national government that sought to finance the fiscal deficit incurred due to the COVID-19 pandemic from the pockets of the working class. | After five days of massive protests, Duque announced the withdrawal…
(2021-05-15). Sputnik Light and Johnson & Johnson's Janssen Vaccines to be Available Soon in Venezuela. orinocotribune.com On Tuesday, May 11, Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro announced that the Russian Sputnik Light vaccine and the Janssen vaccine, developed by the US pharmaceutical company Johnson & Johnson, will soon be available in Venezuela. | Both vaccines were developed as single dose injections which will speed up vaccination throughout the country. | This announcement was made during the launch of Vaccination Week 2021. President Maduro expressed that, in regard to the COVID-19 immunization of the Venezuelan population, his government aims to have "an acceleration of mass vaccination" in the month of May, which will co…
(2021-05-15). [Correspondence] Venezuela is collapsing without COVID-19 vaccines. thelancet.com Once considered a rich oil-producing country, Venezuela is confronting a rapidly increasing COVID-19 epidemic that adds to a complex humanitarian crisis that has been affecting the country since 2016.1 The health-care system has collapsed and is incapable of responding to the ever-increasing number of patients who require hospitalisation. Health-care personnel, including doctors, nurses, and other first-line health staff, have been substantially affected by the epidemic, leading to the highest lethality reported in the Americas.
(2021-05-15). If I Fall in the Struggle, Take my Place. orinocotribune.com 
By Vijay Prashad — May 13, 2021 | Ugliness defines the mood of state violence from Cali (Colombia) to Durban (South Africa), each context different and the depth of the violence particular to the location. Images of security forces cracking down on people trying to express their political rights have become commonplace. It is impossible to keep track of the events, which move swiftly from public manifestations to courtroom scenes, from the dissipation of tear gas to the invisible frustration of the prison cell. Yet, underlying these events and amidst the range of feelings that shape them lies a sense of refu…
(2021-05-15). Chavismo Gets Ready to Roll for November elections. orinocotribune.com 
With the guideline of creating a methodology for a simple, practical and fast electoral strategy, the United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV) is working from the get go on choosing its candidates for the upcoming regional and local elections, announced by the CNE to be held on November 21. | The first vice president of PSUV, Diosdado Cabello, addressed the issue during a videoconference held with the secretaries of the party. Cabello, likewise, highlighted the importance of avoiding any type of mistake in the selection of candidates. | Asserting that those responsible for the secretariats are like the eyes of…
(2021-05-15). Venezuelan Oil Production Down as PDVSA Targets Major Investment. venezuelanalysis.com The state oil company is reportedly looking for "new business models" with bigger private sector involvement.
(2021-05-15). INDEPAZ Confirms Murder of Another Social Leader in Colombia. orinocotribune.com Seven social leaders have been killed in Colombia since the beginning of the protests against President Iván Duque's government on April 28. | Colombia's Institute for Development and Peace Studies (INDEPAZ) reported on Wednesday, May 12, the murder of women's rights defender Cecilia Valderrama in the Chaparral municipality, Tolima Department. | The leader of the El Escobal Women's Association (ASMUES) was found dead with signs of violence in a pasture on Wednesday. | Her neighbors last saw her on Tuesday at 6: 00 pm local time, when she left her residence to go to a nearby road, to wait for a package from downtow…
(2021-05-15). Iván Duque Denounced before International Criminal Court for Crimes Against Humanity. orinocotribune.com Colombian senator Iván Cepeda, together with a group of Colombian civil organizations, denounced the government of Iván Duque for crimes against humanity before the International Criminal Court (ICC) and the the United Nations Security Council on Thursday, May 13. | Denunciamos hoy ante la Corte Penal Internacional al presidente de la República, el ministro de Defensa, el exsenador Uribe, los generales Zapateiro y Vargas, por la presunta ejecución de crímenes de lesa humanidad contra participantes en las movilizaciones: — Iván Cepeda Castro…
(2021-05-15). Venezuela's Attorney General Unveils Corruption Plot at Lácteos Los Andes: Its President was Arrested. orinocotribune.com Earlier today the Attorney General of Venezuela, Tarek William Saab announced the dismantling of a corruption scheme at Lácteos Los Andes CA, a public enterprise in the dairy industry, carried out by the president of the company, Colonel Luis Augusto Piligra Jiménez. | During a press conference, Saab indicated that the Public Ministry (MP) together with the General Directorate of Military Counterintelligence (DGCIM ) pursued an investigation following complaints about irregularities within the company. | The prosecutor announced the arrest of the president of Lácteos Los Andes, Colonel Luis Augusto Piligra Jiméne…
(2021-05-15). Venezuela: Regional & Municipal Elections Scheduled for November 21—Complete Electoral Calendar Announced. orinocotribune.com Venezuela's regional and municipal elections will take place on Sunday, November 21, 2021. This was announced to the country on Thursday, May 13, by the president of the National Electoral Council (CNE), Pedro Calzadilla, following the approval of the corresponding electoral calendar. | This calendar comprises, as usual, a set of dates: | ‚Ä¢ The special day for new voter registration and data update will be…