2020-05-05: News Headlines

Vijay Prashad, Paola Estrada, Ana Maldonado, and Zoe PC (2020-05-05). Defeat of a Dirty Military Incursion into Venezuela on a Sunday Morning. counterpunch.org In the early morning hours of Sunday, May 3, speedboats left the Colombian coastlines and headed toward Venezuela. These boats had no authorization to cross the maritime border. They landed on the Venezuelan coastline at La Guaira. This was clearly a hostile action, since the boats carried heavy weaponry, including assault rifles and ammunition; the people on the boats possessed satellite phones as well as uniforms and helmets with the flag of the United States of America.

RT (2020-05-05). Maduro says 2 Americans 'on Trump's security team' were among 'mercenaries' behind failed invasion attempt. rt.com Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro claimed that two US citizens were captured along with a group of "mercenaries" Caracas accused of trying to infiltrate the Latin American nation in order to assassinate him. | Also on rt.com | | "Among those captured are the traitor Antonio Sequea and a citizen with the last name Baduel, who stated that two Americans from Donald Trump's security team were in the raiding group," Maduro's office twee…

Prensa Latina (2020-05-05). Venezuela denuncia serie de acciones de EE.UU y Colombia. peoplesworld.org CARACAS, 5 may (Prensa Latina) El Ministerio Público denunció hoy que el intento de invasión del pasado domingo a Venezuela forma parte de una serie de acciones preparadas y financiadas por Colombia y Estados Unidos para derrocar al presidente Nicolás Maduro. En la cuenta oficial de esa institución, en la red social Twitter, se anuncian …

en.mehrnews (2020-05-05). Venezuela arrests 13 mercenaries, incl. two Americans, for incursion attempt. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, May 05 (MNA) — Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro said that 13 mercenaries including two US citizens working with an American military veteran who has earlier claimed responsibility for a recent marine incursion attempt into Venezuela have been arrested.

Steve Sweeney (2020-05-05). Venezuela says U.S. behind another attempted coup this past weekend. peoplesworld.org Washington has been accused of orchestrating a coup attempt against Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro after the police and armed forces stopped "a terrorist group" entering the country by sea on Sunday. President of Venezuela's constituent assembly Diosdado Cabello Rondón described the attack as "a coup financed from the United States, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) …

Eds. (2020-05-05). Another life-saving brigade travels to South Africa. mronline.org More than 1,450 men and women in white lab coats from Cuba's Henry Reeve Contingent have traveled to 22 nations in Europe, Latin America and the Caribbean, Africa and the Middle East to battle the pandemic.

Ross Clark (2020-05-05). Herd Immunity May Only Need 10-20 Percent to Be Infected. anti-empire.com Since mid-March there has been an assumption that herd immunity against Covid-19 would not be achieved until around 60 per cent of the population has been infected. It is a figure which gave rise to the now-famous paper by Professor Neil Ferguson of Imperial College, which claimed that a herd immunity policy (which the government denies ever following) would result in the deaths of 250,000 people in Britain. That figure has been challenged by scientists who have questioned some of the assumptions behind it — for example, it assumed a mortality rate of 0.9 per cent which Imperial College itself has since…

Nic de la Riva (2020-05-05). Paramilitary invasions in Venezuela: Made in USA. liberationnews.org Attempted invasion taken care of swiftly and efficiently by the Venezuelan government.

Federico Fuentes (2020-05-05). Bolivia vs Venezuela: COVID-19 response reveals true nature of governments. mronline.org Government responses to the COVID-19 pandemic have put into sharp relief their true nature. This is perhaps no more evident than when we compare Bolivia and Venezuela.

Matt Sedlar (2020-05-05). Exportación de COVID-19: Inmigración estadounidense realizó vuelos de deportación a 11 países de América Latina, según datos aéreos. cepr.net Un análisis de CEPR revela que es probable que hubo 232 vuelos de deportación del Servicio de Inmigración y Control de Aduanas de Estados Unidos (ICE, por sus siglas en inglés) a países de América Latina y el Caribe entre el 3 de febrero y el 24 de abril de 2020. En 2019, el Servicio …

Jake Johnston (2020-05-05). Can Haiti's Peanut Value Chain Survive US Generosity? cepr.net The following post is a guest submission from Marc J. Cohen and Tonny Joseph. Breakfast in Haiti typically includes manba, the local peanut butter. Unlike the smooth or chunky product found in the United States, it frequently includes a kick from chili peppers! Haitian peanut butter stands out in another way. In a country where …

WSWS (2020-05-05). Human challenge trials are being pushed to develop a vaccine against the coronavirus. wsws.org Purposefully exposing volunteers to the coronavirus after they have been given an experimental vaccine is fraught with tremendous risks to the patients themselves and the population at large.

Finn Andreen (2020-05-05). Economic Cataclysm: Politicians Have Destroyed Markets and Ignored Human Rights with Alarming Enthusiasm. globalresearch.ca An economic cataclysm has been unleashed upon the world by Western politicians and bureaucrats. Unbelievably, economic activity in the West has slowed to a creep, as entire populations have been confined to their homes for weeks, if not months. As …

WSWS (2020-05-05). Washington and its puppet Guaidó implicated in armed attacks on Venezuela. wsws.org At least two of those captured in the abortive invasion plot have been identified as US citizens.

Alan Macleod (2020-05-04). New Details Emerge Linking US to Latest Coup Attempt in Venezuela. mintpressnews.com The government of Venezuela is celebrating after thwarting another foreign-backed coup attempt Sunday, just two days after self-declared another coup attempt by "Interim President" Juan Guaidó

Adriaan Alsema (2020-05-04). The narco history of Colombia's security forces | Part 1: Santa Marta. colombiareports.com Colombia's security forces have been involved in the drug trade since the beginning. On the Caribbean coast, cops began extorting marijuana traders in the 1960s and ended up being their…

RT (2020-05-04). Why US and Russian high Covid-19 case counts are DECEPTIVE. rt.com You've probably seen the headlines about the US having the most cases of coronavirus and Russia moving into the worldwide top seven. Meanwhile, Italy receives a huge focus, but badly stricken Belgium is largely ignored. | When you read that there have been over 67,000 American deaths and over a million reported infections, it seems shocking. It also feels hugely worrying that Russia has over 145,000 diagnosed sufferers. Nevertheless, the fact is the US is a big country, with 328 million people. Russia is even larger, of course, but has a smaller population of 146 million. So although these figures are enormous…

Paul Dobson (2020-05-04). Venezuela: 45 Killed in Guanare Prison Riot. venezuelanalysis.com The government pledged to investigate the May 1 riot, which it described as an attempted breakout.

The Canary (2020-05-03). 'Don't exclude healthy pensioners from lockdown easing' say doctors' leaders. thecanary.co Doctors' leaders have said excluding any section of the population from lockdown easing based solely on age would be "discriminatory".NHS England's national medical director Professor Stephen Powis said on 1 May, that officials will be studying whether stricter measures will or will not have to continue to apply to the elderly when restrictions are relaxed.But the British Medical Association (BMA) said excluding any section of the population from lockdown easing based on age would be "unacceptable". | BMA council chair Dr Chaand Nagpaul said: "Any proposal to impose stricter social distancing for those at higher…

Peoples Dispatch (2020-05-03). Venezuela thwarts invasion attempt by mercenaries. peoplesdispatch.org The National Bolivarian Armed Forces (FANB) and the National Bolivarian Police repelled an attempted invasion by a group of mercenaries early on May 3, Sunday. The group of mercenaries attempted to enter Venezuela on the coast of the La Guaira State. They arrived in speed boats from Colombia, according to the GPS system of the boats. | In the confrontation, eight mercenaries were killed and two were detained, one of whom has confessed to being an agent of the Drug Enforcement Agency of the United States. Venezuelan security forces also seized large amounts of weaponry, including assault rifles and ammunition, as…

Ricardo Vaz (2020-05-03). Venezuelan Armed Forces: Paramilitary Incursion Neutralized. venezuelanalysis.com Former US green beret Jordan Goudreau, reported to have led preparations for a coup, confirmed the operation.

Lucas Koerner (2020-05-02). Former US Special Ops Soldier Led Plot to Invade Venezuela: Sources. venezuelanalysis.com AP reports that the Venezuelan opposition and Colombian authorities were aware of the plan.

a guest author (2020-05-02). Cuba: 'We don't deny anyone our assistance'. workers.org The Cuban Foreign Ministry issued the following letter April 16 calling on the international community to come together to combat the COVID-19 outbreak. The impact of COVID-19 can already be measured and will be assessed in the future by the striking numbers of people infected, the unacceptable numbers of deaths, . . . |

RT (2020-05-02). 'It's a Swift reference': Alex Jones says 'eat my neighbors' rant was SATIRE to highlight people 'starving' in Covid-19 lockdown. rt.com Infowars founder Alex Jones says his viral "eat my neighbors" rant was taken out of context by the media, insisting it's a reference to satirist Jonathan Swift and a way to bring attention to what he calls "population control." | Through his son Rex's Twitter account, Jones said on Saturday that his viral rant was an homage of sorts to the 1729 essay 'A Modest Proposal' by Swift in which the author recommends the poor use their children as food to sell to the rich to help with their economic burdens. | Not many would likely compare Jones to Swift, Irish writer and cleric, on any normal occassion, but the Infow…

Joe Emersberger (2020-05-02). Remembering Henri Falcon's May 2018 Presidential campaign in Venezuela. zcomm.org Henri Falcon was a viable candidate — attacked by his own side Venezuela's opposition had a viable candidate in Henri Falcon, a two-time governor of the state of Lara. He was first elected governor of the state of Lara in 2008 as a pro-Chavez candidate.[1] He broke with Chavez in 2010 and was then re-elected

a guest author (2020-05-02). Declaración de Cuba: La pandemia demuestra la necesidad de cooperación. workers.org Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores de Cuba La necesidad de cooperación El impacto de la COVID19 puede medirse ya y podrá evaluarse en el futuro por la impresionante cantidad de personas infectadas, por las cifras inaceptables de muertes, por el daño indiscutible a la economía mundial, a la producción, el comercio, . . . |

Alan Macleod (2020-05-01). Groundhog Day: Juan Guaidó Is Trying to Overthrow the Venezuelan Government Again. mintpressnews.com 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

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.

Kunst N, Long JB, Xu X, et al. (2020-05-01). Use and Costs of Breast Cancer Screening for Women in Their 40s in a US Population With Private Insurance. jamanetwork.com This study uses Blue Cross Blue Shield Axis data to examine the total annual cost of breast cancer screening for women aged 40 through 49 years in the United States.

Anderson TS, Odden M, Penko J, et al. (2020-05-01). Generalizability of Clinical Trials Supporting the 2017 ACA/AHA Blood Pressure Guideline. jamanetwork.com This study uses National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey data to evaluate whether patients enrolled in the clinical trials that support the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association (ACC/AHA) guideline are representative of the US adult population recommended additional pharmacotherapy by the ACC/AHA guideline.

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.

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.

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.

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."

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.

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.

Carla Colombo, Pierre-Régis Burgel, Silvia Gartner, Silke van Koningsbruggen-Rietschel, Lutz Naehrlich, Isabelle Sermet-Gaudelus, Kevin W Southern (2020-04-15). [Correspondence] Impact of COVID-19 on people with cystic fibrosis. thelancet.com Early and detailed characterisation of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has emerged principally through publications from China, where the disease was first identified.1 As the pandemic spread to Lombardia, Northern Italy and then globally,2 evaluating the impact on people with cystic fibrosis has become imperative, because the prevalence of this inherited condition is much higher in populations derived from Europe than in other populations.3 Since the beginning of the outbreak in Lombardia, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infections have been reported in ten patients with cystic f…

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.

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.