(2020-06-01). US Campaign Against Cuba's Medical Brigades Targets Healthcare, Not 'Forced Labor'. zcomm.org According to UNICEF figures, Cuba has since 2000 consistently maintained a lower child mortality rate than the US…
(2020-06-01). The UN's Anti-Poverty Proposal for Latin America: A "Basic Emergency Income" cepr.net The economic impact of the COVID-19 crisis on Latin America could be potentially devastating, according to a new Special Report by the UN's Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC). The report, based on the available data in mid-April, has estimated a -5.3 percent drop for the region's GDP growth in 2020 — …
(2020-06-01). An Impending Crisis: COVID-19 in Haiti, Ongoing Instability, and the Dangers of Continued U.S. Deportations. counterpunch.org Prepared remarks by Jake Johnston to Congresswoman Frederica S. Wilson's forum on COVID-19 and ICE's deportation of detainees to Haiti First, I want to thank Congresswoman Wilson for convening this forum and for her leadership on this issue. The introduction of legislation mandating a halt to these deportations is a concrete and necessary step. I'd
(2020-06-01). Public Health Interventions for Lowering Dietary Sodium Intake. jamanetwork.com The link between dietary sodium intake and hypertension has been well established, with reductions in dietary sodium intake being associated with decreases in blood pressure and cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. The World Health Organization recommends reducing sodium intake (limit sodium intake to <5 g [87 mmol] per day for adults) as one of the most cost-effective measures that countries can take to improve general population health outcomes.
(2020-06-01). Puerto Rico Was a Precursor for the Pandemic. zcomm.org Trump politically disappeared the victims of Irma and Maria in 2017; and is trying to do the same to victims of Covid-19…
(2020-06-01). Venezuela Inaugurates New Fuel System, Increases Local Production. venezuelanalysis.com The new model features dual prices, dollar payments and private import permits, ending the state's 50-year monopoly on fuel supply.
(2020-06-01). US Tankers in Persian Gulf Will Not be Safe If Iranian Oil Shipments Seized: Political Analyst. globalresearch.ca A Canadian political analyst said the US is well aware that its oil tankers that are freely moving in the Persian Gulf would be exposed to retaliation if it attempts to seize Iranian oil shipments carrying fuel to Venezuela. | ***…
(2020-05-31). Armed Israeli Settlers Invade Local Markets in Hebron. imemc.org Armed Israeli settlers in the Palestinian West Bank city of Hebron, reportedly invaded, on Saturday afternoon, some local markets in the city, causing panic among local Palestinians. Palestinian WAFA News Agency reported that a large group of armed colonists invaded the Allaban, Alqasaba and Ein Alaskar local markets and began …
(2020-05-30). In the West: Propaganda, Hysteria and Truly Foul Breath! dissidentvoice.org If it wasn't so tragic, it would be laughable: the political brigands in North America and Europe are fuming, spitting and rolling their eyes upwards towards the ceiling. They are pointing fingers in all directions, shouting incoherently "China!", "Russia!", "Venezuela and Cuba!", "Iran!"; "You, You, YOU!". China and Russia are quietly building a new world, …
(2020-05-30). [Editorial] COVID-19 in Africa: no room for complacency. thelancet.com Despite over 100‚Äà000 confirmed cases and infections in every country, the passage of COVID-19 through the African continent remains somewhat enigmatic. High numbers of deaths were expected in the region due to fragile health systems, lack of access to preventive measures, barriers to testing, and potentially vulnerable populations. But, according to WHO, Africa is the least affected region globally, with 1 ∑5% of the world's reported COVID-19 cases and 0 ∑1% of the world's deaths. Although comparisons are inaccurate, mortality rates have been lower compared with outbreaks of similar si…
(2020-05-30). [Perspectives] A call for food system change. thelancet.com In shutting down entire societies, the COVID-19 pandemic has exposed the fundamental inequities and inadequacies of market-driven economies that prioritise profits over human welfare. Inequities show up in businesses that furlough employees while paying high salaries and bonuses to executives. They are also revealed by the dependence of food systems on poorly paid workers and cheap global supply chains. The COVID-19 crisis demonstrates how current food systems fail to protect populations from hunger and diet-influenced non-communicable diseases and why the poor, disenfranchised, discriminated against, and chronic…
(2020-05-28). Latin America and Caribbean: Millions more could miss meals due to COVID-19 pandemic. news.un.org Some 14 million people in Latin America and the Caribbean could experience severe food insecurity this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, according to projections released on Thursday by the World Food Programme (WFP).
(2020-05-28). Venezuela Cuts Back Oil Production, Mulls Gasoline Price Hike. venezuelanalysis.com Four Iranian tankers carrying fuel and additives have arrived in recent days.
(2020-05-27). In 2007, acclaimed US physician Paul Farmer pushed for Cuban Medical Brigades to be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. zcomm.org Today Code Pink is making a push for that. It would be a lock in a civilized world. Click below to here to read Farmer's letter. In it, he glowingly sums up his decades of working closely with Cuban doctors in Haiti.
(2020-05-26). Desafiando las sanciones de EEUU, primer buque iraní llega a Venezuela. liberationnews.org 
La presencia militar de los Estados Unidos en aguas del Caribe no disuadió a Irán mientras el "Fortuna", el primero de sus cinco gigantes buques petroleros llenos de gasolina y suministros de refinería llegó a las aguas de Venezuela el sábado 23 de mayo.
(2020-05-26). Defying U.S. sanctions, first Iranian tanker reaches Venezuela. liberationnews.org The enhanced U.S. military presence in Caribbean waters did not deter Iran as the first of its five giant tankers full of gasoline and refinery supplies reached Venezuela's waters late Saturday, May 23.
(2020-05-26). Ondansetron Use in Pregnancy and Congenital Malformations. jamanetwork.com To the Editor Dr Huybrechts and colleagues conducted a population-based cohort study of intravenous ondansetron use during pregnancy and congenital malformations and found no association.
(2020-05-26). Ondansetron Use in Pregnancy and Congenital Malformations—Reply. jamanetwork.com In Reply Ms Saban and colleagues raise questions about treatment with intravenous ondansetron in our cohort study of congenital malformations. We reported an adjusted relative risk (RR) of oral clefts of 0.95 (95% CI, 0.63-1.43) for intravenous ondansetron and 1.24 (95% CI, 1.03-1.48) for oral ondansetron in an earlier publication. Although the point estimate is lower for intravenous ondansetron compared with oral ondansetron, the 95% CI was wide, with an upper limit similar to that for oral ondansetron. Although the increase in risk was statistically significant for oral ondansetron and was not for intravenous o…
(2020-05-25). Venezuelan Government Seizes AT&T Assets, Looks to Re-establish DirecTV Cable Service. venezuelanalysis.com The Texas-based multinational abandoned the country last week citing legal pressure caused by US sanctions.
(2020-05-24). Iranian Fuel Tanker Reaches Venezuela, Defying US Threats. venezuelanalysis.com The five Iranian tankers are estimated to carry enough gasoline to supply Venezuela for 50 days.
(2020-05-22). Cuba has maintained a lower infant morality rate than Canada since 2009. zcomm.org According to UNICEF's latest figures which can be downloaded here. I should add that UN agencies like UNICEF are not biased in favor of states like Cuba that the US has been trying to destroy for decades.
(2020-05-21). Trump Claims to Have Venezuela 'Surrounded' as Iranian Tankers Approach. venezuelanalysis.com Venezuela's armed forces will escort the vessels upon reaching territorial waters.
(2020-05-21). US Blocks UNSC Draft Resolution Denouncing Paramilitary Incursion into Venezuela. venezuelanalysis.com Russia, China and other countries criticized violations of Venezuelan sovereignty.
(2020-05-26). Headlines for May 26, 2020. democracynow.org U.S. Nears 100,000 Deaths from COVID-19 as Trump Shuns Face Masks, Goes After Democrats on Twitter, Trump Threatens to Pull RNC Out of North Carolina If Dem Governor Refuses to Allow Packed Crowds, Second Immigrant in ICE Jail Dies from COVID-19, U.S. to Deport Haitian Death Squad Leader and COVID-Positive Haitians Amid Pandemic, U.S. Restricts Travel from Brazil as It Becomes Second Most Infected Country, South American Nations Experience Mounting Cases as New Epicenter of the Pandemic, Boris Johnson Faces Pressure over Reopening Country and Lockdown-Flouting Adviser, WHO Suspends Tests of Hydroxychloroquine as…
(2020-06-01). Iranian tanker "FAXON" being protected, monitored by Venezuela's navy forces. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Jun. 01 (MNA) — The fourth tanker of an Iranian flotilla, FAXON, carried fuel for Venezuela is being protected and monitored by the country's navy forces. FAXON took a berth at Venezuelan port on Friday.
(2020-06-01). Cuba reiterates rejection of US blacklist. yenisafak.com Cuba reiterated Monday its "strong rejection" of being placed on a list of non-cooperators with US counter-terrorism efforts.The counter-terror blacklist made public by Washington on May 13 is "a unilateral and arbitrary listing without any base, authority or international support whatsoever which, as it is known, only aids to the intentions to defame and pressure countries refusing to bend to the will of the US government in their sovereign decision," the Caribbean nation's Foreign Ministry said in a statement.The US State Department justified the decision by saying: "Cuba's refusal to productively engage with t…
(2020-06-01). India: Film industry up against shooting guidelines. yenisafak.com The lockdown enforced to stem the spread of coronavirus or COVID-19 pandemic has hit the glitz, vibrancy, and spectacle of India's film industry.As per initial estimates the Bollywood — second largest film industry in the world — has lost $134 million over the past three months.Even as India on Monday relaxed its lockdown, easing most of the restrictions for over 1.3 billion population, experts believe that it will take a long time for the entertainment industry to return to its vibrancy.The guidelines issued for the fifth phase of the nationwide lockdown have allowed resumption of shooting. The Cultu…
(2020-06-01). Nicaragua Battles COVID-19 And A Disinformation Campaign. popularresistance.org Every country in the world is trying to balance its fight against the virus with the need to have a functioning economy, and there is plenty of debate about what the balance should be. The world's poorer countries face the toughest challenge, because a high proportion of their populations engage in a daily struggle to earn enough to eat, whether in small businesses or the informal economy. In Nicaragua, around 80% of people make their living in this way. | But there are two more problems uniquely affecting Nicaragua in tackling the pandemic. One is that its economy and social life had already been attacked only t…
(2020-06-01). White Supremacist Infiltration Of US Police Forces. popularresistance.org The term "systemic racism" does not mean that individuals who operate within the system are generally racists. Instead, it means the institutions we have in place produce racially disparate effects on minority populations. And, in that regard, there are well-documented empirical studies of systemic racism in law enforcement agencies—including the use of policies like stop and frisk and disparate rates of policing activities including traffic stops, searches of motorists during traffic stops, levels of respect shown during stops, misdemeanor arrests, marijuana arrests, use of SWAT teams, individuals jailed f…
(2020-06-01). The Frontlines Of Venezuela's Fight Against COVID-19. popularresistance.org Since the emergence of COVID-19 in December of last year, when it became evident that this would be a global pandemic, epidemiologists made it clear that in the fight against the new coronavirus the key would be to flatten the curve. To do so, two very important factors should be taken into account: reducing the contagion rate and increasing the capacity of the healthcare system. In other words, the objective is to flatten the curve to a level that allows a reinforced healthcare system to attend to all the cases. | That is why, early on, the Venezuelan government decided to adopt strategies that would tend to fla…
(2020-05-20). AT&T Shuts down DirecTV in Venezuela over Sanctions. venezuelanalysis.com The National Assembly will investigate the "rash decision" that affects 600 workers and two million households.
(2020-05-20). Venezuela Sues UK over Frozen Gold Reserves, Loses CITGO Appeal. venezuelanalysis.com The US $1 billion worth of gold would be used in the fight against COVID-19.
(2020-05-18). Disgraceful yet illuminating reactions to the 2002 coup that briefly ousted Hugo Chavez: IACHR, CPJ and RSF. zcomm.org The Inter American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) The IACHR claimed in 2009 report on Venezuela that its reaction to the "the attempted coup d'état [of 2002] was immediate and decisive" and that it "warned that these acts constituted an interruption of the constitutional order as defined in the Democratic Charter." The evidence it offered
(2020-05-18). Iran Sends Fuel Tankers to Venezuela, Vows 'Decisive Response' to US Threats. venezuelanalysis.com Crippling US sanctions have caused severe fuel shortages in the Caribbean nation.
(2020-05-18). Venezuela Sees COVID-19 Surge as Returning Migrants Surpass 40,000. venezuelanalysis.com Authorities say that 75 percent of recent cases have been "imported."
(2020-05-17). Attempts to whitewash the military coup of April 2002 in Venezuela. zcomm.org Given the overwhelming support opposition voices have been given in western media since Hugo Chavez was first elected in 1998, it is unsurprising that some would have had the audacity to attempt at least a partial whitewash of what the opposition and its foreign allies did in April of 2002. I'll address some of those
(2020-05-17). Venezuela: Guaido's Leadership in Question Following Failed Coup Attempt. venezuelanalysis.com A letter from Silvercorp's lawyers demanding payment has cast doubt on Guaido's denials of involvement in a recent paramilitary operation.
(2020-05-17). [Letter] Clinical characteristics and outcomes of patients undergoing surgeries during the incubation period of COVID-19 infection. What are the implications for the commencement of elective surgery? thelancet.com …
(2020-05-15). [Correspondence] Health inequity during the COVID-19 pandemic: a cry for ethical global leadership. thelancet.com Widespread reports of disproportionate impact of the COVID-19 pandemic among already vulnerable communities worldwide, from New York City to New Orleans and Chicago, to the shocking pictures of bodies lying in the streets in Ecuador, represent a prelude of the impact in low-income and middle-income countries, home to more than 80% of the world's population. Disadvantaged people are at higher risk of infection and death from COVID-19, and they have less access to care due to systems that treat health as a commodity and not a human right.
(2020-05-13). [UPDATED] Venezuelan Oil Sector Continues Slump Amid Pandemic, US Sanctions. venezuelanalysis.com The Maduro government is working to repair refineries with Chinese and Iranian assistance to tackle fuel shortages.
(2020-05-11). Western Venezuela Rocked by Rolling Blackouts. venezuelanalysis.com Low water levels at hydroelectric dams, "terrorist sabotage" and damaged infrastructure have been blamed for the power cuts.
(2020-05-10). [UPDATED] Venezuela Makes Fresh Arrests as Opposition Splinters over Failed Coup. venezuelanalysis.com Trump said the operation "was not a good attack," again denying any US involvement.
(2020-05-08). [Comment] Sharpening the global focus on ethnicity and race in the time of COVID-19. thelancet.com Tackling injustices, including those that result from prejudice and racism globally, is essential in the response to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Here, we focus on UK South Asian and Black and African-American populations, using internationally recognised terminology and definitions,1 and consider the UK and the USA as globally relevant examples. We recognise other minorities also need consideration in the COVID-19 response, and we hope our principles apply broadly. Given their settled status either after migration or by birth in the country, ethnic/racial minority populations should experien…
(2020-05-07). US Investigating Ex-Green Beret, Denies 'Direct' Involvement in Failed Venezuela Coup. venezuelanalysis.com New documents confirm that the Venezuelan opposition signed a contract with Florida-based Silvercorp to kidnap President Nicolas Maduro.
(2020-05-05). Venezuela: Two US Citizens Captured in Botched Coup Attempt. venezuelanalysis.com Two former green berets were arrested in a second failed assault on Venezuelan shores on Monday.
(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.
(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.
(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
(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.
(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.