Monthly Archives: May 2020

2020-05-02: News Headlines

(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, . . . |

Bill Hackwell (2020-05-02). Cuba: May Day in the Year of the Pandemic. dissidentvoice.org Photo: Bill Hackwell, Havana, Plaza of the Revolution This photograph depicts how the Plaza of the Revolution in Havana usually looks on May 1, International Workers Day (IWD). Every year since 1959 when a revolution, whose backbone was made up of workers and peasants, was victorious against a brutal US-backed dictatorship, millions of Cubans and …

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…

RT (2020-05-02). 'Obstruction attempt': Iran rejects US claim that it's hoarding Venezuela's gold as payment for economic aid. rt.com An Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson has said that Washington is using false accusations to ramp up its pressure campaign in Venezuela following US claims that Caracas has sent planes loaded with golden bars to Tehran. | Seyd Abbas Mousavi described allegations that Iran is taking gold from Venezuela as "baseless comments" that are intended to mount more pressure on the South American nation. | Such claims by the US government are "an attempt to obstruct the Venezuelan government's plans for reviving that country's refineries and producing oil products, including gasoline, a shortage of which has been caus…

(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, . . . |

Kate Zeller (2020-05-02). 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.

en.mehrnews (2020-05-02). Iran has lowest COVID-19 death toll in population terms: official. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, May 02 (MNA) — The Chief of the Red Crescent Society of the Islamic Republic of Iran Karim Hemmati said on Sat. that Iran has the lowest number of death from the coronavirus, also known as COVID-19, in terms of population as compared to other countries.

a guest author (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…

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 …

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

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 condemns terrorist attack on Cuban Embassy. liberationnews.org Cuba is not alone. The world stands with Cuba.

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.

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…

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

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 …

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.

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…

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). 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…

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.

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%.

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.

sputniknews (2020-05-02). Puerto Rico Hit by 5.5-Magnitude Earthquake – USGS. sputniknews.com The tremor was registered at 11: 13 UTC with the epicentre situated 11 kilometres from Tallaboa. There are no reports of any damages or casualties caused by the seismic activity.

sputniknews (2020-05-02). Tehran Denies US Envoy's Claims About Iran Helping Venezuela in Exchange for Gold. sputniknews.com The US special envoy for Venezuela earlier claimed that Iran has been helping Venezuela to restore its oil refineries, crippled by American sanctions, in exchange for gold. The official, however, presented no evidence to support his claims.

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

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.

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.

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.

Essien UR, Paul DW, Jr, Kushel M. (2020-04-01). Database Inaccuracies and Disparities in Care Among Hospitalized Homeless Adults. jamanetwork.com To the Editor In a recent issue of JAMA Internal Medicine, Wadhera and colleagues reported that hospitalized adults experiencing homelessness are less likely than those who were not homeless to undergo indicated cardiovascular interventions, including coronary angiography, percutaneous coronary intervention, and coronary artery bypass graft. Those who were homeless experienced higher mortality rates. Their study adds to the literature on poor health outcomes in homeless populations by demonstrating that disparities may, in part, be because of disparities in care provided to hospitalized patients.

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.

Paul Dobson (2020-03-30). Rosneft Dodges US Sanctions by Transferring Venezuela Operations to Russian State Firm. venezuelanalysis.com Moscow insists that its support for the Venezuelan government and role in its oil industry will remain unchanged.

Ricardo Vaz (2020-03-29). Former Venezuelan General Hands Himself over to US Authorities. venezuelanalysis.com Cliver Alcala had recently confessed to plotting a coup against the Venezuelan government.

Ricardo Vaz (2020-03-27). [UPDATED] Venezuela Registers First Coronavirus Deaths. venezuelanalysis.com There are 113 diagnosed cases as of Friday evening.

Lucas Koerner and Ricardo Vaz (2020-03-26). Venezuela Dismisses US Justice Department 'Narco-terrorism' Accusations. venezuelanalysis.com Cliver Alcala, also indicted, confessed to organizing a coup plot against the Maduro government.

Lucas Koerner and Ricardo Vaz (2020-03-25). UN, EU Urge Venezuela Sanctions Relief as Coronavirus Outbreak Intensifies. venezuelanalysis.com The South American nation has 91 reported COVID-19 cases so far.

2020-05-02: Social Media Postees

Please be social by posting these 'POSTEES' on social media! (Copy the text of the postee below, then paste it on social media and the story images will also appear.)

Declaración de Cuba: La pandemia demuestra la necesidad de cooperación
| workers.org | 2020-05-02
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, . . . | Continue reading Declaración de Cuba: La pandemia demuestra la necesidad de cooperación at Workers.org
workers.org/2020/05/48126/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=declaracion-de-cuba-la-pandemia-demuestra-la-necesidad-de-cooperacion

Cuba: 'We don't deny anyone our assistance'
| workers.org | 2020-05-02
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, . . . | Continue reading Cuba: 'We don't deny anyone our assistance' at Workers.org
workers.org/2020/05/48131/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=cuba-we-dont-deny-anyone-our-assistance-2

Cuba: May Day in the Year of the Pandemic
Bill Hackwell | dissidentvoice.org | 2020-05-02
Photo: Bill Hackwell, Havana, Plaza of the Revolution This photograph depicts how the Plaza of the Revolution in Havana usually looks on May 1, International Workers Day (IWD). Every year since 1959 when a revolution, whose backbone was made up of workers and peasants, was victorious against a brutal US-backed dictatorship, millions of Cubans and …
dissidentvoice.org/2020/05/cuba-may-day-in-the-year-of-the-pandemic/

Developing Countries Struggle with Coronavirus Health and Economic Impacts
Kate Zeller | indybay.org | 2020-05-02
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.
indybay.org/newsitems/2020/05/01/18832737.php

Iran has lowest COVID-19 death toll in population terms: official
en.mehrnews.com | 2020-05-02
TEHRAN, May 02 (MNA)

'It's a Swift reference': Alex Jones says 'eat my neighbors' rant was SATIRE to highlight people 'starving' in Covid-19 lockdown
rt.com | 2020-05-02
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…
rt.com/usa/487644-alex-jones-swift-eat-my-neighbors/

'Obstruction attempt': Iran rejects US claim that it's hoarding Venezuela's gold as payment for economic aid
rt.com | 2020-05-02
An Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson has said that Washington is using false accusations to ramp up its pressure campaign in Venezuela following US claims that Caracas has sent planes loaded with golden bars to Tehran. | Seyd Abbas Mousavi described allegations that Iran is taking gold from Venezuela as "baseless comments" that are intended to mount more pressure on the South American nation. | Such claims by the US government are "an attempt to obstruct the Venezuelan government's plans for reviving that country's refineries and producing oil products, including gasoline, a shortage of which has been caus…
rt.com/news/487632-iran-venezuela-golden-bars/

Pompeo Demands Countries Block Airspace to Iran's 'Terrorist Airline' After Venezuela Deliveries
Zero Hedge | globalresearch.ca | 2020-05-01
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 …
globalresearch.ca/pompeo-demands-countries-block-airspace-iran-terrorist-airline-after-venezuela-deliveries/5711461

Groundhog Day: Juan Guaidó Is Trying to Overthrow the Venezuelan Government Again
Alan MacLeod | thealtworld.com | 2020-05-01
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 announced on social media last night, "To the…
thealtworld.com/alan_macleod/groundhog-day-juan-guaido-is-trying-to-overthrow-the-venezuelan-government-again

Groundhog Day: Juan Guaidó Is Trying to Overthrow the Venezuelan Government Again
Alan Macleod | mintpressnews.com | 2020-05-01
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 announced on social media last night,…
mintpressnews.com/juan-guaido-trying-to-overthrow-venezuela-government/267201/

Cuba Cannot Get Swiss Respirators Due to US Inhuman Blockade
Telesur | globalresearch.ca | 2020-05-01
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 …
globalresearch.ca/cuba-cannot-get-swiss-respirators-due-us-inhuman-blockade/5711453

Cuba denounces attack on diplomatic mission in the US
Peoples Dispatch | peoplesdispatch.org | 2020-05-01
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…
peoplesdispatch.org/2020/05/01/cuba-denounces-attack-on-diplomatic-mission-in-the-us/

PSL denuncia ataque terrorista a Embajada Cubana
Party for Socialism and Liberation | liberationnews.org | 2020-05-01
Cuba no está sola. El mundo está con Cuba.
liberationnews.org/psl-denuncia-ataque-terrorista-a-embajada-cubana/

PSL condemns terrorist attack on Cuban Embassy
Party for Socialism and Liberation | liberationnews.org | 2020-05-01
Cuba is not alone. The world stands with Cuba.
liberationnews.org/psl-condemns-terrorist-attack-on-cuban-embassy/

What Cuba Has to Teach, in Pandemic Times and Beyond
Diana Block | counterpunch.org | 2020-05-01
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…
counterpunch.org/2020/05/01/what-cuba-has-to-teach-in-pandemic-times-and-beyond/

US to Mobilize Military Reservists in 'Anti-Drug' Operation Against Venezuela
Ricardo Vaz and Lucas Koerner | venezuelanalysis.com | 2020-04-30
The Trump administration is also targeting oil-for-food deals involving the Venezuelan government and Mexican companies.
venezuelanalysis.com/news/14857

Cuba Willing to Help Investigate Attack on Its US Headquarters
telesurenglish.net | 2020-04-30
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: | Cuba's Embassy in the US Under Firearm Attack: No Victims | 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…
telesurenglish.net/news/Cuba-Willing-to-Help-Investigate-Attack-on-Its-US-Headquarters-20200430-0016.html

Cuba is Ready to Aid the U.S. in its Fight Against COVID-19
Pablo Vivanco | progressive.org | 2020-04-30
Despite Trump's sanctions, Cuba advocates international solidarity as the only way to overcome this pandemic.
progressive.org/dispatches/cuba-ready-aid-us-in-fight-against-covid-vivanco-200430/

Lift Cuba embargo or risk many lives lost to COVID-19, UN rights experts warn US
news.un.org | 2020-04-30
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.
news.un.org/feed/view/en/story/2020/04/1062982

Peru: Government Plans Economic Recovery Amid the Pandemic
telesurenglish.net | 2020-04-30
Peruvian President Martin Vizcarra announced on April 29 an economic plan to help his country's population amid the COVID-19 outbreak. | RELATED: | Peru: Authorities Report Increase in Femincides Amid Quarantine | 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…
telesurenglish.net/news/peru-government-plans-economic-recovery-amid-the-pandemic-20200430-0009.html

Federal Bill Would Release Vulnerable People from Prisons to Help Stop Spread of COVID-19
Kanya Bennett | aclu.org | 2020-04-29
A month ago, Congress gave the Department of Justice (DOJ) and Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) increased authority to reduce the federal prison population. On March 29th, Congress passed the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act ( CARES Act), providing DOJ and BOP with the ability to expand home confinement eligibility. Then, Attorney General William Barr "applaud[ed] the substantial steps ta…
aclu.org/news/prisoners-rights/federal-bill-would-release-vulnerable-people-from-prisons-to-help-stop-spread-of-covid-19

Exporting COVID-19: ICE Air Conducted Deportation Flights to 11 LAC Countries, Flight Data Shows
Jake Johnston | cepr.net | 2020-04-28
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

COVID-19 could lead to millions of unintended pregnancies, new UN-backed data reveals
news.un.org | 2020-04-28
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.
news.un.org/feed/view/en/story/2020/04/1062742

[Letter] Covid-19 and perioperative mortality; where do we stand?
Behnam Shakiba, Shirin Irani | thelancet.com | 2020-04-27
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%.
thelancet.com/journals/eclinm/article/PIIS2589-5370(20)30108-5/fulltext?rss=yes

Venezuela Rolls out Cabinet Change, Economic Measures to Combat Inflation
venezuelanalysis.com | 2020-04-27
Measures include a 60 percent wage increase and a push to bring food prices under control.
venezuelanalysis.com/news/14855

Venezuela: Guaido to Use Funds Frozen in US to Pay Loyalists $5000 Monthly Salaries
Lucas Koerner | venezuelanalysis.com | 2020-04-23
Pro-Guaido lawmakers and diplomats will take nearly a third of an $80 million "Liberation Fund."
venezuelanalysis.com/news/14853

Puerto Rico Hit by 5.5-Magnitude Earthquake – USGS
sputniknews.com | 2020-05-02
The tremor was registered at 11: 13 UTC with the epicentre situated 11 kilometres from Tallaboa. There are no reports of any damages or casualties caused by the seismic activity.
sputniknews.com/world/202005021079171955-puerto-rico-hit-by-55-magnitude-earthquake—usgs/

Tehran Denies US Envoy's Claims About Iran Helping Venezuela in Exchange for Gold
sputniknews.com | 2020-05-02
The US special envoy for Venezuela earlier claimed that Iran has been helping Venezuela to restore its oil refineries, crippled by American sanctions, in exchange for gold. The official, however, presented no evidence to support his claims.
sputniknews.com/world/202005021079171493-tehran-denies-us-envoys-claims-about-iran-helping-venezuela-in-exchange-for-gold/

Venezuela: Bolivarian Revolution stopping COVID-19 in its tracks
Susan Price | greenleft.org.au | 2020-04-28
Healthcare Nelson DávilaIssue 1263 Venezuela COVID-19 Bolivarian revolution CaracasApril 28, 2020At the time of writing, 37 day…
greenleft.org.au/content/venezuela-bolivarian-revolution-stopping-covid-19-its-tracks

Pompeo Demands Countries Block Airspace To Iran's 'Terrorist Airline' After Venezuela Deliveries
Zero Hedge | iranian.com | 2020-05-01
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 coronavirus as well as Washington-led sanctions. Specifically, Tehran has ramped up cargo deliveries related getting Venezuela's …
iranian.com/2020/04/30/pompeo-demands-countries-block-airspace-to-irans-terrorist-airline-after-venezuela-deliveries/

Global Health Doctor: Hire 1000s of Contact Tracers to Stop COVID-19, Save Lives and the Economy
Staff | democracynow.org | 2020-04-23
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

Trump Administration Orders Chevron to Shutter Venezuela Operations
Lucas Koerner and Ricardo Vaz | venezuelanalysis.com | 2020-04-22
The latest measures followed reports of fresh dialogue between the government and the opposition.
venezuelanalysis.com/news/14852

Wisconsin Confirms 19 Cases of COVID-19 Related to April 7 Election
Bill Lueders | progressive.org | 2020-04-22
More reported cases are likely as two-week incubation period ends.
progressive.org/dispatches/wisconsin-cases-of-covid-related-to-election-lueders-200422/

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

US 'Plunders' $342m of Venezuelan Funds as COVID-19 Hotspot Breaks Out at Baseball Academy
Paul Dobson | venezuelanalysis.com | 2020-04-20
The money has been transferred from a Venezuelan Central Bank account at Citibank to an account at the US Federal Reserve.
venezuelanalysis.com/news/14850

[Editorial] COVID-19: endgames
The Lancet Infectious Diseases | thelancet.com | 2020-04-17
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.
thelancet.com/journals/laninf/article/PIIS1473-3099(20)30298-X/fulltext?rss=yes

Venezuelan Crude Production Falls amid Coronavirus Crisis
Ricardo Vaz | venezuelanalysis.com | 2020-04-16
The Caribbean country has seen worsening gasoline shortages as the US ramps up secondary sanctions.
venezuelanalysis.com/news/14847

Driven By The Dramatic Collapse Of US Shale, The Trump Administration Takes Aim At Venezuela
Whitney Webb | thelastamericanvagabond.com | 2020-04-14
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 …
thelastamericanvagabond.com/foreign-policy/driven-dramatic-collapse-us-shale-trump-administration-takes-aim-venezuela/

Venezuela Extends COVID-19 Quarantine as Pope Criticizes Sanctions
Paul Dobson | venezuelanalysis.com | 2020-04-13
This is the first time the Pontiff has spoken out against the measures.
venezuelanalysis.com/news/14842

European Left Slams EU Support for Trump's Venezuela 'Transition' Plan
Lucas Koerner | venezuelanalysis.com | 2020-04-08
The European Union took "positive note" of Washington's initiative.
venezuelanalysis.com/news/14839

US Sends Navy Ships to Caribbean in 'Anti-Drug' Mission Targeting Venezuela
Ricardo Vaz and Lucas Koerner | venezuelanalysis.com | 2020-04-02
Venezuela denounced an attack on one of its naval vessels in recent days.
venezuelanalysis.com/news/14832

Database Inaccuracies and Disparities in Care Among Hospitalized Homeless Adults
Essien UR, Paul DW, Jr, Kushel M. | jamanetwork.com | 2020-04-01
To the Editor In a recent issue of JAMA Internal Medicine, Wadhera and colleagues reported that hospitalized adults experiencing homelessness are less likely than those who were not homeless to undergo indicated cardiovascular interventions, including coronary angiography, percutaneous coronary intervention, and coronary artery bypass graft. Those who were homeless experienced higher mortality rates. Their study adds to the literature on poor health outcomes in homeless populations by demonstrating that disparities may, in part, be because of disparities in care provided to hospitalized patients.
jamanetwork.com/journals/jamainternalmedicine/fullarticle/2763746

Implementation of HIV Self-Testing Program in New York City–Reply
MacGowan RJ, Chavez PR, Mermin JH. | jamanetwork.com | 2020-04-01
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…
jamanetwork.com/journals/jamainternalmedicine/fullarticle/2763753