2020-03-31: News Headlines

Alan Macleod (2020-03-31). Meet the Americans Studying Medicine on the Cuban Government's Dime. mintpressnews.com The Cuban government has been paying Americans through a little known program to study medicine in order to return to the United States and serve underprivileged communities.

Eds. (2020-03-31). Nicaragua and the COVID-19 pandemic. mronline.org While each country's experience facing the COVID-19 pandemic is different, some common fundamental factors can make the difference between widespread catastrophe and relative stability. Nicaragua has so far been among the most successful countries in Latin America in protecting its population from the virus while also maintaining normal economic life. As of March 28th, Nicaragua …

RT (2020-03-31). Covid-19 deaths in Russia almost DOUBLE in single day: Parliament clears path for state of emergency. rt.com The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Russia rose by 500 on Tuesday — a new daily record for the world's largest country. Authorities also reported eight new deaths, bringing the overall total to 17. | The latest figures mean Russia has now recorded 2,337 known Covid-19 infections, with 121 patients recovered. While cases are beginning to multiply, the country still remains an outlier in European terms. Other large states, such as Italy and Spain, have been hit much harder by the outbreak, with even the likes of Ireland, Luxembourg and Norway, with comparatively tiny populations, more badly affect…

RT (2020-03-31). Coup plan B! US tells Guaido he may renounce his Venezuela 'presidency' claim — but they'll still support him. rt.com The US State Department magnanimously agreed that opposition politician Juan Guaido may not actually be president of Venezuela, but insisted he still has to be part of a transition government if Caracas wants sanctions relief. | Secretary of State Mike Pompeo put forth a "democratic transition framework" on Tuesday, under which Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro would set up a power-sharing interim government with Guaido, that would arrange for elections in six months to a year. | According to Pompeo, the proposal "protects the interests and equities of all Venezuelan people who desperately seek a resolution…

RT (2020-03-31). Attempted coup & assassinations: Venezuelan prosecutors subpoena Guaido as 'among main perpetrators' in US-backed regime-change op. rt.com Venezuela's prosecutors have summoned Juan Guaido over his role in the "attempted coup d'etat," as well as in alleged assassination attempts. Guaido is the main figure in US-backed efforts to oust President Nicolas Maduro. | The move was The move comes after a cache of weaponry, said to be smuggled into Venezuela, was seized in neighboring Co…

RT (2020-03-31). Russia sets up new oil company to potentially take over operations in Venezuela. rt.com A company specializing in the production and transportation of oil and gas has been set up in Russia, according to the state registry data. The new firm could take over projects in Venezuela after Rosneft sold its assets there. | Roszarubezhneft, which is owned by the Federal Agency for Government Property Management, will have an authorized capital of 322.7 billion rubles (over $4 billion). | The company was registered in Moscow on March 28, after Russia's oil major Rosneft announced the sale of its assets in Venezuela. On Saturday, Rosneft signed an agreement with the newly established government-run company…

Ben Norton (2020-03-31). Southcom boosts US military presence in Latin America, citing China, Russia 'threats'. thegrayzone.com Southern Command is ramping up the US military presence in Latin America to counter China, Russia, and Venezuela, after signing…

Ben Norton (2020-03-31). Brazil's ex-President Lula on Venezuela: Maduro is democratic, Guaidó should be in prison, US blockade kills civilians. thegrayzone.com In comments ignored by English language media, Lula da Silva slammed the US coup attempt against Venezuela, calling Nicolás Maduro…

Alan MacLeod (2020-03-31). One Quarter of the World's Population is Under US Sanctions. zcomm.org Eight countries, representing around one-quarter of all humanity, say that Washington's actions are undermining their response to the COVID—19 pandemic sweeping the planet.

Nino Pagliccia (2020-03-31). Cuba: An Example of Solidarity In a Time of Crisis. counterpunch.org The most frequent qualifier used to describe the global experience of the pandemic we are currently witnessing or affected by, is "crisis". And I am reminded of political theorist Antonio Gramsci's words: "The crisis consists precisely in the fact that the old is dying and the new cannot be born; in this interregnum a great

Peter Kornbluh (2020-03-31). Covid-19: Cuba Deserves Relief From US Sanctions. thenation.com Covid-19: Cuba Deserves Relief From US Sanctions…

Nino Pagliccia (2020-03-31). Cuba — An Example Of Solidarity In A Time Of Crisis. zcomm.org What would it be like to have foreign relations between countries based on solidarity instead of hostility? Cuba shows us that it is possible…

Thomas Klikauer (2020-03-31). COVID-19 in Germany: Explaining a Low Death Rate. counterpunch.org On 31st March 2020, www.worldometers.info calculated the global death toll from Corona tallied 38,000. Among comparable European countries, Italy (population 60 million) had 11,600 Corona deaths, Spain (46,6 million) registered 7,700, France (67 million) 3,000, the UK (67 million) noted 1,400 deaths, the Netherlands (17 million) 740, the USA (330 million) 3,000, and Germany (83

Roger Harris (2020-03-31). Beyond Chutzpah: US Charges Venezuela With Nacro-Terrorism. counterpunch.org According to the parable, the ungrateful son takes out a life insurance policy on his parents, murders them to collect, and is caught and found guilty. At his sentencing, the judge asks if he has anything to say on his behalf. The son replies: "Have mercy upon me because I am an orphan." That's chutzpah.

WSWS (2020-03-31). US military veterans who fought as mercenaries for Ukrainian fascists indicted on double murder charges. wsws.org Alex Zwiefelhofer and Craig Lang are accused of orchestrating the double murder and robbery of Serafin and Deana Lorenzo to finance a trip to Venezuela for the purpose of killing "communists."

sputniknews (2020-03-31). Pompeo Calls on Maduro and Guaido to Step Aside for New Venezuela Elections. sputniknews.com The US secretary of state also said that the two men need to establish a transitional government to arrange the polls.

sputniknews (2020-03-31). Indian Railways to Turn 20,000 Coaches Into Isolation Wards Capable of Holding 320,000 COVID Cases. sputniknews.com New Delhi (Sputnik): Earlier this week, amid a national lockdown, coronavirus cases crossed the 1,000-infected threshold in India. Some analysts view the exodus of migrant workers back to their hometowns, the untended slums, and a population with little awareness of the disease as a ticking time bomb that could cause a literal virus explosion.

Granma (2020-03-30). Cuba: La mano extendida que el Caribe estrecha. peoplesworld.org Grabma — Como quien corresponde, con un apretón de manos, al gesto solidario de aquel que trajo a sus tierras la presencia invaluable de un sanador de vidas, varias islas del Caribe hicieron saber a Cuba la gratitud de los pueblos que hoy reciben a los médicos cubanos. Ya era de noche sobre el arco …

Staff (2020-03-30). "Housing Is Health": Calls Grow for California to Give Vacant Homes to Unhoused People Amid Pandemic. democracynow.org We look at the crisis of homelessness during the coronavirus pandemic in California, where the number of cases has passed 6,000 with 132 deaths. The entire state has been ordered to shelter in place, leaving the state's massive unhoused population extremely vulnerable. As the state braces for a surge in cases, tens of thousands of people are living on the streets. A recent study estimates that nearly 2,600 unhoused people will need to be hospitalized for the virus in Los Angeles alone — and nearly 1,000 will need intensive care. We speak with Martha Escudero, a member of a group of unhoused mothers, elders…

RT (2020-03-30). Mandatory self-isolation: With Moscow in partial lockdown, Russian PM urges rest of country to follow suit. rt.com As Covid-19 spreads, enforcing a nationwide shutdown across the world's largest country isn't easily done, in practical terms. With this in mind, it seems the Russian government has reached for the carrot rather than the stick. | After all, there's a considerable difference between enforcing rules in Moscow's tightly packed metropolitan area (population over 20 million) and attempting the same trick in the wilderness of Chukotka, separated by the Bering Straits from Alaska. Also, the fact that the capital has recorded about two-thirds of the known 1,836 Russian infections has helped to concentrate minds. | Thu…

RT (2020-03-30). St. Petersburg adopts strict measures to fight Covid-19: Russia's second city goes into partial lockdown. rt.com Following Moscow's lead, authorities in Russia's cultural capital Saint Petersburg have imposed strict limits on movement, preventing most residents from leaving their homes except in emergencies or to do essential shopping. | Governor Aleksandr Beglov rolled out the measures on Monday evening, the day after Moscow introduced a similar regime, as Russian efforts to stymie the spread of Covid-19 intensify. The Baltic Sea city is one of Europe's largest, with a population of 5.4 million. The surrounding Leningrad Region, home to another 1.9 million people, has also put general travel restrictions in place. | Als…

Roger D. Harris (2020-03-30). Beyond Chutzpah: the Hypocrisy of US Nacroterrorism Charges Against Venezuela. mintpressnews.com This latest escalation of the US hybrid war against Venezuela takes place amid a global pandemic, which the US apparently sees as an opportunity to further attack a people made more vulnerable by the health crisis.

Nazaire St. Fort (2020-03-30). Haiti on the precipice as coronavirus and US-imposed leadership take their toll. thegrayzone.com While Haiti's widely despised, US-backed government officially promotes social distancing to suppress Covid-19, the stark reality is that most of…

Alan Macleod (2020-03-30). IMF Conditions Emergency COVID-19 Loan to Venezuela on Regime Change. mintpressnews.com Earlier this month, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) blocked a request from Venezuela for an emergency loan to deal with the COVID—19 pandemic on the grounds that President Nicolas Maduro "lacked recognition." "IMF engagement with member countries is predicated on official government recognition by the international community, as reflected in the IMF's membership. There is no clarity on recognition at this time," a spokesperson for the international banking organization

teleSUR (2020-03-30). St. Kitts and Nevis Thanks Cuba for Its Aid Against COVID-19. telesurenglish.net The government of Saint Kitts and Nevis expressed Saturday its appreciation and gratitude for the assistance Cuban authorities are providing to the Caribbean island to help it handle the novel coronavirus outbreak. | RELATED: | In a message published on Twitter, Saint Kitts and Nevis Prime Minister Timothy Harris announced that a Cuban medical team is arriving at the country to help cure the COVID-19 cases and prevent their increase.

Asantewaa Boykin, APTP (2020-03-30). Sacramento Police Have Arrested Unhoused People Seeking to Shelter in Place. indybay.org At a time when the entire State of California has been asked to shelter in place, unhoused populations remain unprotected, with nowhere to go, no house to shelter in, no sanitary supplies, and no means by which to honor social distancing requirements.

teleSUR (2020-03-30). Chinese Specialists Arrive in Venezuela to Combat Coronavirus. telesurenglish.net On Monday morning, a HAINAN Airlines flight from Beijing arrived in the Venezuelan capital, Caracas, to deliver aid and transport several medical specialists to help fight the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. | RELATED: | According to reports, the HAINAN Airlines aircraft arrived in Caracas at 2: 30 A.M. (local time) on Monday. The aircraft reportedly transported a large amount of humanitarian aid and eight specialist. | "

Eds. (2020-03-30). Cuba sends doctors, nurses worldwide in COVID-19 fight. mronline.org Cuba on March 28 sent a team of 39 doctors and nurses to Andorra, the thirteenth medical brigade the country has dispatched overseas to combat the COVID-19 pandemic.

Fight Back (2020-03-29). U.S. Imperialism Pulls Desperate Move in Venezuela. fightbacknews.org Fight Back News Service is circulating the following statement from United National Antiwar Coalition (UNAC). | For years, the criminal government of the United States has attempted to remove the democratically elected president of Venezuela and discredit the peoples' movement in that country that has been so successful in lifting millions of Venezuelans out of extreme poverty. Under the corrupt Trump administration alone, the United States has conducted multiple illegal attacks against President Nicolas Maduro and the people of Venezuela, including: failed assassination attempts by drone, poorly orchestrated mi…

teleSUR (2020-03-29). Cuba Reports 139 Cases of Coronavirus and 3 Deaths. telesurenglish.net Dr. José àÅngel Portal Miranda, Minister of Public Health of the Republic of Cuba, reported that on Saturday, 20 new positive cases of Covid-19 (coronavirus) were confirmed, after more than 200 diagnostic tests were performed during the day. | RELATED: | The country's situation to date is as followed: 139 cases of coronavirus, 1.34 per 100,000 inhabitants. Three deaths have been registered, leading to a…

teleSUR (2020-03-29). Evo Morales Expresses Solidarity With Venezuela Amid US Attacks. telesurenglish.net Former Bolivian President Evo Morales said that with the most recent attack by the United States government against Venezuela, Washington intends to distract public opinion about the collapse of the country's health services in the face of Covid-19. | RELATED: | "The US is in a humanitarian crisis. The health services of its main cities are beginning to collapse," stressed the leader of the Movement to Socialism (MAS) o…

teleSUR (2020-03-29). Venezuela Never Part of US Drug Circuit: Ex-UN Anti-Drugs Chief. telesurenglish.net Former Vice Secretary of the United Nations and Former Executive Director of the U.N. Office on Drugs and Crime Pino Arlacchi reminded Saturday that Venezuela has always been outside the main cocaine trafficking circuits between the world's main producer and consumer; Colombia and the United States. | RELATED: | "I have been dealing with the issue of drugs for forty years, and I have never encountered Venezuela. Before, durin…

Joe Parkin Daniels (2020-03-28). [World Report] Venezuelan migrants "struggling to survive" amid COVID-19. thelancet.com Humanitarian organisations are concerned that border closures and health-care shortages are amplifying the challenges posed by COVID-19. Joe Parkin Daniels reports from Bogotá.

The Lancet (2020-03-28). [Editorial] Learning the lessons of Chernobyl: time is running out. thelancet.com Unit number 4 of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant exploded on April 26, 1986, causing radiation injuries to hundreds of people within a couple of weeks. High levels of radiation affected clean-up workers (liquidators) involved in the emergency response, more than 500‚Äà000 liquidators involved in later decontamination and containment, and the general population in the surrounding Soviet states. 116‚Äà000 people were evacuated, 220‚Äà000 were permanently relocated, and a 30 km exclusion zone still exists around the plant.

Leonardo Flores (2020-03-28). Trump's Narcoterrorism Indictment of Maduro Already Backfires. commondreams.org A U.S. Justice Department images displays charges against Venezuelan President Nicol√°s Maduro and other Venezuelan officials on March 26, 2020. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/charges-maduro-doj.jpg

teleSUR (2020-03-28). Cuba's Medical Brigade Fight Along With Jamaica Against COVID-19. telesurenglish.net Cuba's medical brigade is currently fighting along with the Jamaican people and government against the Covid-19 pandemic, which is the result of the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. | RELATED: | In statements to Prensa Latina on Internet, doctor Jose Armando Arronte, head of Cuba's Medical Brigade (BMC) in this nation, confirmed the favorable health condition of all collaborators who comply with health measures to the threatening of…

teleSUR (2020-03-28). Russia Calls to Lift 'Genocidal' Sanctions Against Venezuela. telesurenglish.net Russia's Foreing Minister Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova Friday reiterated her country's call to lift the illegal economic sanctions imposed by the United States on Venezuela, which they consider as a "genocide tool" in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic. | RELATED: | "We will not tire of repeating our call to immediately cancel arbitrary unilateral sanctions that at the current juncture of the epidemic become almost a weapo…

news.un (2020-03-27). Migrants in Hawaii care for the elderly, the aloha way. news.un.org Migrants are playing an increasingly important role in the provision of health care around the world. The number of doctors, nurses and other medical professionals who move from developing countries to take up posts in developed countries is expected to rise as the global population of older persons and children continues to grow.

Alan Macleod (2020-03-27). With a Quarter of the World's Population Under US Sanctions, Countries Appeal to UN to Intervene. mintpressnews.com Eight countries, representing around one-quarter of all humanity, say that Washington's actions are undermining their response to the COVID—19 pandemic sweeping the planet.

teleSUR (2020-03-27). Expert: Cuban Health System's Strength Against COVID-19. telesurenglish.net Cuba's health system is capable of facing the challenge posed by the coronavirus SARS Cov-2, which causes Covid-19 disease, said here today Marylin Celestrin, master in infectious diseases. | RELATED: | 'Despite the limitations imposed by the U.S. blockade policy, our country is capable of dealing with the pandemic with a public health system that reaches all the population, free of charge,' Celestrin told Prensa Latina. | She…

news.un (2020-03-27). UNFPA advocates for women, girls suffering unseen impacts of COVID-19 pandemic. news.un.org The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) is pledging support for those suffering from invisible impacts of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, including women and girls whose access to life-saving sexual and reproductive health care may be disrupted.

Vijay Prashad (2020-03-26). As the World tackles the COVID-19 pandemic, the U.S. raises the pressure on Venezuela. mronline.org In a press conference on March 26, it was almost comical how little evidence the U.S. Department of Justice provided when it accused Venezuela's President Nicolás Maduro and several of the leaders of his government of narco-trafficking. The U.S. offered $15 million for the arrest of Maduro and $10 million for the others. Maduro, U.S. …

Leonardo Flores (2020-03-25). Venezuela's Coronavirus Response Might Surprise You. mintpressnews.com Unlike in the United States where coronavirus treatment can cost up to $35,000 and where Trump seems more concerned about the economy than about peoples' lives, Venezuela is handling the crisis by placing value in health over profits.

Staff (2020-03-25). "People Go Before Money. This Is About Saving Lives," Says San Juan Mayor on Pandemic in Puerto Rico. democracynow.org Puerto Rico announced a record $787 million financial package to fight the economic impact of the coronavirus pandemic Monday, as the island's death toll hits two with 39 cases reported. The pandemic follows a series of devastating earthquakes in Puerto Rico earlier this year and comes as the island continues to deal with fallout from Hurricane Maria, which devastated Puerto Rico's infrastructure and killed at least 3,000. "One of the things that I think is evident is that with the Trump administration and FEMA, we have to continue to remind them, time and time again, that we are people and that we deserve to be…

Susan Price (2020-03-25). After expelling Cuban doctors, Brazil requests their help to fight COVID-19. greenleft.org.au

Joe Emersberger (2020-03-25). Media Struggle to Defend Washington's Cruelty Toward Venezuela and Iran as Coronavirus Spreads. fair.org AP (New York Times, An Associated Press article (New York Times,

Staff (2020-03-24). "Humanitarian Solidarity": Even Under U.S. Sanctions, Cuba Sends Doctor Brigade to Italy and More. democracynow.org As Italy's death toll soars past 6,000, Cuba has sent medical brigades to combat COVID-19. Cuba has also deployed doctors to Venezuela, Nicaragua, Jamaica, Suriname and Grenada. "The arrival of a medical brigade from Cuba to Italy is pretty historic. You have a leading European nation accepting support in the form of a medical team from a small Caribbean island," says our guest, Peter Kornbluh, director of the Cuba Documentation Project at the National Security Archive at George Washington University. "It just goes to the history of Cuba's deep and long-lasting commitment to humanitarian solidarity with other cou…

Miko Peled (2020-03-24). King David's Ancient Road: How Israeli Archaeologists Are Aiding the Theft of Silwan. mintpressnews.com Claiming "science" as their reason and in total disregard for the wellbeing of the population, tunnels are dug under Palestinian homes in Silwan, destroying foundations and forcing residents to flee.

Anya Parampil (2020-03-24). Cuba saves Italians from coronavirus despite US blockade. thegrayzone.com Red Lines host Anya Parampil provides a coronavirus update, highlighting the heroic work of Cuban doctors who have traveled to…

Staff (2020-03-24). Headlines for March 24, 2020. democracynow.org U.N. Calls for Global Ceasefire So Countries Can Unite in Fight Against Coronavirus Pandemic, Italy's COVID-19 Death Toll Tops 6,000 as Spain Officials Say Nearly 4,000 Health Workers Are Infected | , Trump Says Country Will Be "Open for Business Very Soon" Despite Skyrocketing COVID-19 Infections | , 16 U.S. States Enforce Stay-at-Home Orders Amid Coronavirus Pandemic Affecting Over 40% of Population, Texas Orders Abortion Providers to Stop Performing Procedures, Texas Lt. Gov.: Elderly Should "Sacrifice" for U.S. Economy Amid Coronavirus Pandemic, Man in AZ Dies, Wife in Critical Condition, After Couple Took Ch…