2020-05-01: News Headlines

(2020-05-01). Workers' Revolutionary and Anti-Imperialist International Manifesto. workers.org Workers World Party has endorsed this international declaration for May Day, initiated by the Party of Liberation of Argentina and others, and endorsed as of April 30 by the parties listed at the end. This May 1, fight together against imperialism. Activists in San Juan, Puerto Rico, hold up wooden . . . |

Staff (2020-05-01). Caravan for Life: Protesters in Puerto Rico Demand More Tests & Resources to Combat the Coronavirus. democracynow.org On Thursday in Puerto Rico, activists in dozens of cars held a "Caravan Por La Vida," or "Caravan for Life," through San Juan to demand the government provide more COVID-19 tests and sufficient resources for people to stay at home during the pandemic. At least 92 people have died from COVID-19 in Puerto Rico, and last week the island was reporting a testing rate lower than any U.S. state, at an abysmal average of 15 tests a day for every 100,000 people. No one in Puerto Rico has received $1,200 checks from the government, according to San Juan Mayor Carmen Yulín Cruz. Police stopped the caravan and said their sou…

Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla (2020-05-01). Cuban statement regarding attack on Cuban Embassy. liberationnews.org Statements by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Cuba, Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla.

Party for Socialism and Liberation (2020-05-01). PSL denuncia ataque terrorista a Embajada Cubana. liberationnews.org Cuba no está sola. El mundo está con Cuba.

Party for Socialism and Liberation (2020-05-01). PSL condemns terrorist attack on Cuban Embassy. liberationnews.org Cuba is not alone. The world stands with Cuba.

Zero Hedge (2020-05-01). Pompeo Demands Countries Block Airspace to Iran's 'Terrorist Airline' After Venezuela Deliveries. globalresearch.ca The US is going on the offensive once again against Venezuela, this time attempting to break up growing Iranian cooperation and assistance to Caracas. The two so-called 'rogue states' recently targeted for US-imposed regime change are helping each other fight …

teleSUR (2020-05-01). CARICOM Observer Team for Guyana Elections Recount Arrives. telesurenglish.net The three-member team is led by Ms. Cynthia Barrow-Giles, Senior Lecturer in the Department of Government at the University of the West Indies (UWI), and includes Mr. John Jarvis, Commissioner of the Antigua and Barbuda Electoral Commission and Mr. Sylvester King, Deputy Supervisor of Elections of St. Vincent and the Grenadines.

Peoples Dispatch (2020-05-01). Cuba denounces attack on diplomatic mission in the US. peoplesdispatch.org On April 30, in the early hours of the morning, a terrorist attack was perpetrated against the embassy of the Republic of Cuba to the United States in Washington. According to the statement by the Cuban Minister of Foreign Affairs, Bruno Rodríguez, an unknown man shot several times at the embassy's building using an assault rifle. | At the moment of the attack, ten Cuban officials and diplomats were inside the building. Fortunately, none of the diplomatic officials or any other staff members were injured. The aggressor was arrested by local authorities and is currently in their custody. | Cuba's foreign minister…

Telesur (2020-05-01). Cuba Cannot Get Swiss Respirators Due to US Inhuman Blockade. globalresearch.ca Journalist Laura Hunter published an article in the Swiss newspaper Le Courrier denouncing that the companies IMT Medical AG and Acutronic Medical Systems AG were ordered not to sell high-tech respirators to Cuba. | Claiming that they do not wish to …

Alan MacLeod (2020-05-01). Groundhog Day: Juan Guaidó Is Trying to Overthrow the Venezuelan Government Again. thealtworld.com One year since his audacious coup attempt failed spectacularly, Guaidó is once again trying to overthrow the government of Nicolas Maduro. | MPN— Exactly one year since his audacious coup attempt failed spectacularly, self-declared Venezuelan president Juan Guaidó is once again trying to overthrow the government of Nicolas Maduro. "Today I speak to the patriotic soldiers of our Armed Forces who rebelled against hunger and destruction and sided with the constitution," he

en.mehrnews (2020-05-01). Iranian, Cuban FMs hold talks on coronavirus. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, May 01 (MNA) — Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif and his Cuban counterpart Bruno Eduardo Rodriguez Parrilla held a telephone conversation on Thursday evening.

Diana Block (2020-05-01). What Cuba Has to Teach, in Pandemic Times and Beyond. counterpunch.org In July 2019, I visited the Cuban Institute for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (CIGB) as part of the 50th Anniversary Venceremos Brigade. We were impressed by the many scientific advances that the Institute had achieved, including the development of interferons to successfully fight viral diseases such as dengue and ebola. Little did we imagine that

Kate Zeller (2020-05-01). Developing Countries Struggle with Coronavirus Health and Economic Impacts. indybay.org From Ecuador to the Dominican Republic to Ethiopia, developing countries are struggling to obtain aid and financing to address the health and economic impacts of the coronavirus.

WSWS (2020-05-01). New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman calls for letting COVID-19 run rampant. wsws.org Friedman has published an op-ed endorsing a policy of allowing large portions of the US population to be infected with COVID-19.

en.mehrnews (2020-05-01). US trying to disrupt trade relations between Iran, Venezuela: Mousavi. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, May 01 (MNA) — Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Abbas Mousavi said that the US officials' remarks are aimed at paving the way for Washington to put more pressure on the Venezuelan government and disrupt trade relations between Tehran and Caracas.

Ricardo Vaz and Lucas Koerner (2020-04-30). US to Mobilize Military Reservists in 'Anti-Drug' Operation Against Venezuela. venezuelanalysis.com The Trump administration is also targeting oil-for-food deals involving the Venezuelan government and Mexican companies.

Alison Rose Levy (2020-04-30). What's Michael Moore's Actual Agenda? commondreams.org In erasing both the Green New Deal, and the Sunrise Movement and its diverse group of energized young people across American, Moore and company vilify climate leaders and remedies, boosting population control, and chooses consumerism over systemic change. (Photo: Screenshot) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/michaelmoore_0.jpg

Stephen Lendman (2020-04-30). US-China Relations on the Rocks? globalresearch.ca Both right wings of the US war party are hostile toward sovereign independent states that are free from its imperial control. | It's notably true for nations with enormous hydrocarbon resources like Iran and Venezuela — what the US seeks control …

teleSUR (2020-04-30). Cuba Willing to Help Investigate Attack on Its US Headquarters. telesurenglish.net Cuba's Foreign Minister, Bruno Rodríguez, today expressed the will of his Government to assist in the investigation of the attack against the diplomatic headquarters of the Caribbean island in Washington. | RELATED: | In statements to the press, the Foreign Minister emphasized the seriousness of the attack, which could have endangered the life and safety of the embassy staff and their families, he said. | During a meeting wit…

teleSUR (2020-04-30). Cuba's Embassy in the US Under Firearm Attack: No Victims. telesurenglish.net Cuba's Embassy in the United States was attacked in the early hours on Thursday, after an unknown individual opened fire on the facade of the building. | RELATED: | Cuban diplomats in the country were not injured, and are safe and protected. | Material damage was reported after the projectiles hit the facade, the official website of the Cuba's Ministry of Foreign Affairs explained in a statement. | The aggressor was arrested by the local auth…

Abayomi Azikiwe (2020-04-30). Cuba Continues African Solidarity in COVID-19 Battle. globalresearch.ca High-ranking governmental and military leaders in the Republic of South Africa greeted a Cuban medical mission which arrived on April 27. | The 217 Cuban healthcare workers are in the country to assist in efforts to contain and eradicate the COVID-19 …

news.un (2020-04-30). Lift Cuba embargo or risk many lives lost to COVID-19, UN rights experts warn US. news.un.org The United States must urgently lift its blockade on Cuba to save lives amid the expanding COVID-19 crisis, UN human rights experts stressed on Thursday, emphasizing that the more than six-decades-old sanctions are impeding the supply of medicine, medical equipment, food and other goods essential to surviving the pandemic.

Pablo Vivanco (2020-04-30). Cuba is Ready to Aid the U.S. in its Fight Against COVID-19. progressive.org Despite Trump's sanctions, Cuba advocates international solidarity as the only way to overcome this pandemic.

teleSUR (2020-04-30). Herd Immunity Is a Naive Bet, German Scientists Say. telesurenglish.net The Robert Koch Institute (RKI), the competent center for epidemiology in Germany, warned against betting on "herd immunity" and reiterated that the health authorities' goal should be to keep the rate of infection flat until a vaccine against COVID-19 is found. | RELATED: | The RKI President Lothar Wieler indicated that it is naive to let the virus roam the population until it achieves so-called "herd immunity." | If t…

teleSUR (2020-04-30). Peru: Government Plans Economic Recovery Amid the Pandemic. telesurenglish.net Peruvian President Martin Vizcarra announced on April 29 an economic plan to help his country's population amid the COVID-19 outbreak. | RELATED: | Vizcarra stated that the resumption of production is mandatory, mainly after the Peruvian economy was reduced to 50% due to the coronavirus outbreak in the South American nation. A multidisciplinary commission will determine the economic restoration plan. It will be…

teleSUR (2020-04-29). Cuba and Venezuela Reject Mike Pompeo's Threats. telesurenglish.net Venezuelan Foreign Minister, Jorge Arreaza, demanded on Wednesday that the Government of the United States stop using Venezuela to hide its faults and failures. | The North American nation has now become the epicenter of the global pandemic generated by Covid-19, which has already reached 60 thousand deaths and more than a million confirmed cases. In contrast with the Bolivarian nation, where, "we have achieved a recovery rate of 43% and 0.3 deaths per million inhabitants," according to Arreaza. |

teleSUR (2020-04-29). Biden Says He Would Restore Relations With Cuba If Elected. telesurenglish.net United States presidential candidate for the Democratic Party and former Vice President Joe Biden said Monday he would go back to former President Barack Obama's policies toward Cuba if he wins the presidential election in November. | RELATED: | "In large part, I would go back," Biden said in an interview with CBS. "I'd still insist they keep the commitments they said they would make when we, in fact, set the policy…

Jake Johnston (2020-04-28). Exporting COVID-19: ICE Air Conducted Deportation Flights to 11 LAC Countries, Flight Data Shows. cepr.net There were 232 likely ICE Air deportation flights to Latin America and Caribbean countries between February 3, 2020 and April 24, 2020, CEPR analysis shows. In 2019, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) deported 267,258 individuals — 96 percent of whom were from the Latin America and Caribbean region. Though much of the media focus has …

news.un (2020-04-28). COVID-19 could lead to millions of unintended pregnancies, new UN-backed data reveals. news.un.org Ongoing lockdowns and major disruptions to health services during the COVID-19 pandemic could result in seven million unintended pregnancies in the coming months, according to data released on Tuesday by the UN Population Fund (UNFPA) and partners.

Susan Price (2020-04-28). Venezuela: Bolivarian Revolution stopping COVID-19 in its tracks. greenleft.org.au

Fight Back (2020-04-28). Venezuela: Solidarity vs. COVID-19 (and Capital). fightbacknews.org Chicago, IL – These are hard days for people the world over. The COVID-19 virus has forced billions of people to stay at home, bringing the global economy to a near standstill. At the moment of writing, nearly 3 million people have been confirmed to have COVID-19 across the world, and over 200,000 people have died. | It is in a crisis like this that society is tested, that the strength of human organization must prove itself. And if there is one thing that every American can see, it is that our society has failed this test. "American exceptionalism" means that our economy and our way of life is superior, that it…

Behnam Shakiba, Shirin Irani (2020-04-27). [Letter] Covid-19 and perioperative mortality; where do we stand? thelancet.com In the age of Covid-19, surgeons are facing some challenges when deciding to perform or postpone elective operations. Therefore, we read with great interest the paper by Lei and colleagues [1]. They reported the overall hospital mortality following selective surgeries during the incubation period of COVID-19 as 20.5%.

Alan Macleod (2020-04-27). A Soft Power Ploy? Cuba Continues to Aid the Poorest and Least Influential Nations. mintpressnews.com As the coronavirus pandemic grows worse in many countries, Cuba has answered an urgent South African request for aid, sending 217 medical personnel to the country.

Venezuelanalysis (2020-04-27). Venezuela Rolls out Cabinet Change, Economic Measures to Combat Inflation. venezuelanalysis.com Measures include a 60 percent wage increase and a push to bring food prices under control.

Lucas Koerner (2020-04-23). Venezuela: Guaido to Use Funds Frozen in US to Pay Loyalists $5000 Monthly Salaries. venezuelanalysis.com Pro-Guaido lawmakers and diplomats will take nearly a third of an $80 million "Liberation Fund."

Staff (2020-04-23). Global Health Doctor: Hire 1000s of Contact Tracers to Stop COVID-19, Save Lives and the Economy. democracynow.org As parts of the United States and Europe consider reopening, most of the world's population remains susceptible to the coronavirus. We look at new efforts to stop the deadly spread of COVID-19 with contact tracing — finding who infected patients have been in contact with so they can get tested and isolated. We'll speak with global health expert Dr. Joia Mukherjee, with Partners in Health, about a contact tracing project she is working on now in Massachusetts.

Staff (2020-04-22). Bill McKibben on Earth Day at 50: We Must Stop Subsidizing Fossil Fuel Industry Wrecking the Planet. democracynow.org Today marks the 50th anniversary of Earth Day, when more than 20 million Americans joined in actions to protect the environment — 10% of the U.S. population at the time. Half a century later, in the middle of a pandemic, protests planned around the world have moved online, and the Trump administration has gutted the Environmental Protection Agency — established not long after Earth Day — rolled back fuel economy standards and eased the enforcement of pollution regulations. "The countries that flattened the coronavirus curve early on are doing far better than those like ours, which delayed," says…

Lucas Koerner and Ricardo Vaz (2020-04-22). Trump Administration Orders Chevron to Shutter Venezuela Operations. venezuelanalysis.com The latest measures followed reports of fresh dialogue between the government and the opposition.

Bill Lueders (2020-04-22). Wisconsin Confirms 19 Cases of COVID-19 Related to April 7 Election. progressive.org More reported cases are likely as two-week incubation period ends.

Ben Norton (2020-04-20). Human Rights Watch cabildea por sanciones letales contra Nicaragua y Venezuela, mientras arrecia la crisis de Covid-19. thegrayzone.com Human Rights Watch está orgullosamente asumiendo el crédito por sanciones devastadoras contra Nicaragua, mientras busca escalar la guerra económica en…

Paul Dobson (2020-04-20). US 'Plunders' $342m of Venezuelan Funds as COVID-19 Hotspot Breaks Out at Baseball Academy. venezuelanalysis.com The money has been transferred from a Venezuelan Central Bank account at Citibank to an account at the US Federal Reserve.

The Lancet Infectious Diseases (2020-04-17). [Editorial] COVID-19: endgames. thelancet.com As of April 14, 2020, coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has killed more than 120‚Äà000 people and led to nearly 2 million confirmed infections worldwide. At least a third of the global population is in some form of lockdown, treading the fine line between health services overwhelmed with rapidly rising infections and an economic recession with its own detrimental health consequences. Although this surreal situation might seem like a plot from the Avengers franchise, the hard reality is that the selfless actions of health-care workers will not alone restore the world to normality.

Ricardo Vaz (2020-04-16). Venezuelan Crude Production Falls amid Coronavirus Crisis. venezuelanalysis.com The Caribbean country has seen worsening gasoline shortages as the US ramps up secondary sanctions.

Whitney Webb (2020-04-14). Driven By The Dramatic Collapse Of US Shale, The Trump Administration Takes Aim At Venezuela. thelastamericanvagabond.com President Trump has claimed that the U.S. no longer needs foreign oil and is "energy independent." Yet, now the U.S. shale oil industry faces near total ruin, meaning that another "war for oil" could be in our future. With Trump again taking aim at Venezuela, we may be closer to war than we think. On …

Paul Dobson (2020-04-13). Venezuela Extends COVID-19 Quarantine as Pope Criticizes Sanctions. venezuelanalysis.com This is the first time the Pontiff has spoken out against the measures.

Lucas Koerner (2020-04-08). European Left Slams EU Support for Trump's Venezuela 'Transition' Plan. venezuelanalysis.com The European Union took "positive note" of Washington's initiative.

Paul Dobson (2020-04-06). Venezuela Braces for Migrant Return as Coronavirus Rattles Latin America. venezuelanalysis.com The Caribbean country's 159 confirmed COVID-19 cases and 7 deaths is considerably lower than its neighbours' tallies.

Ricardo Vaz and Lucas Koerner (2020-04-02). US Sends Navy Ships to Caribbean in 'Anti-Drug' Mission Targeting Venezuela. venezuelanalysis.com Venezuela denounced an attack on one of its naval vessels in recent days.

MacGowan RJ, Chavez PR, Mermin JH. (2020-04-01). Implementation of HIV Self-Testing Program in New York City—Reply. jamanetwork.com In Reply We were pleased to read the letter from Edelstein and colleagues about successful HIV self-testing programs supported by the New York City Health Department since 2015. The distribution of HIV self-tests to men who have sex with men and to other at-risk populations has the potential to increase HIV testing, awareness of HIV infection, and to initiate access to treatment and prevention services for more than 150‚ÄØ000 people living in the country with undiagnosed HIV. HIV testing programs could distribute HIV self-tests via the internet, community-based organizations, or other avenues. T…

Lucas Koerner (2020-03-31). Venezuela Blasts US 'Transition' Plan as 'Tutelage'. venezuelanalysis.com Washington has threatened to "increase" crippling sanctions until Caracas accepts the deal.