Daily Archives: December 15, 2020

2020-12-15: News Headlines

John Catalinotto (2020-12-15). A look at Venezuela's National Assembly election. workers.org Venezuela's December 6 National Assembly (AN) elections overcame the prior pro-imperialist majority in that body and catapulted the ruling United Socialist Party (PSUV) into an overwhelming majority. President Nicolás Maduro, also of the PSUV, won big. Voting is smooth and fair in Venezuela. The imperialist politicians and corporate media, especially . . . |

Federico Fuentes (2020-12-15). Socialist election win masks deeper problems. mronline.org With a majority of the opposition boycotting and an abstention rate of almost 70%, the governing United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV) obtained 69% of the vote in the country's December 6 National Assembly (AN) elections.

_____ (2020-12-15). Lessons To Be Learned From Washington's Lethal War Against The World. popularresistance.org The latest book from Indian Marxist Vijay Prashad is a passionate critique of the "US-led liberal international order," in which Washington has fired — and still fires — its bullets at the peoples of the Global South and the socialist world. | In Guatemala, Congo, Vietnam, Korea, Indonesia, Haiti, Chile, Brazil, Argentina, Yemen, Sudan, Grenada, Nicaragua, Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq, Angola and so many other countries, Washington's bullets have been deployed in the pursuance of regime change, the protection of US hegemony and opposition to the emergence of truly sovereign post-colonial nations, all in fl…

teleSUR (2020-12-15). United Nations Sounds Alarms About Rising Violence in Colombia. telesurenglish.net The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) Michelle Bachelet on Tuesday condemned the increase in violence in Colombia, urging President Ivan Duque's administration to take concrete actions to effectively protect the population. | RELATED: | Bachelet noted that the Indigenous Nasa community has been one of the most affected by the violence in 2020, with 66 of its members reported having been killed in the northern Cauca regi…

Zoe PC (2020-12-15). Elections and building socialism under hybrid war: A Venezuelan perspective. peoplesdispatch.org Hernán Vargas of the Movimiento de Pobladores y Pobladoras discusses the legislative elections in Venezuela held on December 6 and what they mean for politics in the country…

Paul Dobson (2020-12-14). [UPDATED] Venezuela Investigates Maritime Accident on Migrant Route. venezuelanalysis.com An estimated twenty died presumably travelling to Trinidad and Tobago in a small boat.

Alan Macleod (2020-12-14). US Embassy Caught Scrubbing Tweets Urging Venezuelans Not To Vote. mintpressnews.com It is not clear why the embassy decided to go back and delete its posting history, especially as undermining Venezuela's elections continues to be the official line of the US government.

Orinoco Tribune (2020-12-14). Venezuelan Gold Seized by the Bank of England: British Court Accepts Guaidó's Appeal. globalresearch.ca Thursday December 10 the British Supreme Court accepted the appeal issued by the lawyers of the opposition for exiting deputy Juan Guaidó, and ruled in favor of hearing his appeal regarding control of Venezuela's gold reserves, valued at $1.3 …

WSWS (2020-12-14). Macron government authorizes police documentation of political views of French population. wsws.org At the beginning of the month, the Macron government quietly released far-reaching changes to its police intelligence guidelines.

Jake Johnston (2020-12-14). What's in Haiti's New National Security Decrees: An Intelligence Agency and an Expanded Definition of Terrorism. cepr.net On November 26, 2020, the Haitian government published two decrees on national security. The first creates a new national intelligence agency, while the second greatly expands the definition of terrorism. Haitian president Jovenel Moise has been ruling by decree since January when the terms of parliament expired, and has used that power to consolidate the …

RT (2020-12-13). Venezuela's Guaido-led opposition holds alternative vote and then BURNS BALLOTS after boycotting legislative elections. rt.com Venezuelan opposition led by US-backed 'interim president' Juan Guaido has held "popular consultations" to demonstrate rejection of the nation's government after boycotting parliamentary vote but ended up burning ballots instead. | The so-called "popular consultations" organized by the supporters of the self-styled "interim president" started online on Monday and concluded with an in-person participation on Saturday. The move was held after an official election held earlier this month handed control over the Venezuelan National Assembly to President Nicolas Maduro's Socialist PSUV party. | Also on rt.com

Max Blumenthal (2020-12-13). Rafael Correa on Venezuela, Assange, and 'preventing the total destruction of our homeland'. thegrayzone.com Max Blumenthal interviews former Ecuador President Rafael Correa, who was in Venezuela to observe its legislative elections and show support to a government under sustained economic and political attack by the US. Correa addresses issues ranging from the repression in his country under the watch of its outgoing neoliberal president, Lenin Moreno, to the persecution of Julian Assange and the role of a CIA contractor in targeting him and the Wikileaks founder. Blumenthal and Correa also discuss the prospect of …

Rod Jackson, Sue Wells, Anthony Rodgers (2020-12-12). [Correspondence] Cardiovascular preventive strategies are not conflicting. thelancet.com We agree with Michael Brainin and Karen Sliwa1 about the urgent need to improve the primary prevention of cardiovascular disease but would like to correct some other points they raise. Brainin and Sliwa suggest that we2 promoted high-risk approaches over population-based approaches; however, we stated that "Too often debate about prevention of cardiovascular disease is polarised between opposing evangelists for the high-risk and population-wide approaches. An agnostic approach based on effectiveness and cost-effectiveness is preferable.

Courtney Waugh, Su Shiung Lam, Christian Sonne (2020-12-12). [Correspondence] One Health or Planetary Health for pandemic prevention? thelancet.com It is a well accepted narrative that the disruption of forests, rapid urbanisation, and population growth are driving zoonotic events simply by increasing close contact between people and animals.1 However, these predictor variables (eg, urbanisation, land usage, human population density) only explain about 30% of the total variation in zoonotic potential.2 With advancing technologies, it has been shown that vertebrate RNA viruses, despite transmitting between species, have co-evolved with their hosts for millions of years, which only strengthens the theory that zoonotic diseases caused by RNA virus spillover, su…

2020-12-15: Social Media Postees

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United Nations Sounds Alarms About Rising Violence in Colombia
telesurenglish.net | 2020-12-15
The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) Michelle Bachelet on Tuesday condemned the increase in violence in Colombia, urging President Ivan Duque's administration to take concrete actions to effectively protect the population. | RELATED: | Antioquia: Colombia Counts 83rd Massacre of 2020 | Bachelet noted that the Indigenous Nasa community has been one of the most affected by the violence in 2020, with 66 of its members reported having been killed in the northern Cauca regi…
telesurenglish.net/news/United-Nations-Sounds-Alarms-About-Rising-Violence-in-Colombia-20201215-0004.html

The Most Lethal Virus Is Not COVID. It Is War
John Pilger | globalresearch.ca | 2020-12-15
John Pilger describes the invisible weapon of past and current wars, and the threat of nuclear war, under cover of the Covid pandemic. This is propaganda, aided by censorship by omission. | Watch Pilger's 2010 film The War You Don't See…
globalresearch.ca/most-lethal-virus-not-covid-war/5732310

The Most Lethal Virus is Not COVID. It is War
John Pilger | counterpunch.org | 2020-12-15
In the midst of the greatest health emergency in modern times, with more than 4 million surgical procedures delayed by the National Health Service, Boris Johnson has announced a record increase of £16.5 billion in so-called defence spending — a figure that would restore the under-resourced NHS many times over.
counterpunch.org/2020/12/15/the-most-lethal-virus-is-not-covid-it-is-war/

A look at Venezuela's National Assembly election
John Catalinotto | workers.org | 2020-12-15
Venezuela's December 6 National Assembly (AN) elections overcame the prior pro-imperialist majority in that body and catapulted the ruling United Socialist Party (PSUV) into an overwhelming majority. President Nicolás Maduro, also of the PSUV, won big. Voting is smooth and fair in Venezuela. The imperialist politicians and corporate media, especially . . . | Continue reading A look at Venezuela's National Assembly election at Workers.org
workers.org/2020/12/53236/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=a-look-at-venezuelas-national-assembly-election

Socialist election win masks deeper problems
Federico Fuentes | mronline.org | 2020-12-15
With a majority of the opposition boycotting and an abstention rate of almost 70%, the governing United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV) obtained 69% of the vote in the country's December 6 National Assembly (AN) elections.
mronline.org/2020/12/15/socialist-election-win-masks-deeper-problems/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=socialist-election-win-masks-deeper-problems

Black Woman Sworn in as Governor in Bermuda
telesurenglish.net | 2020-12-15
Rena Lalgie, the first black governor and woman in the history of the Bermuda archipelago, was sworn in at Government House in Hamilton city. | RELATED: | Hurricane Paulette Hits Bermuda With Torrential Rains and Winds | After arriving from the UK on Sunday, she said it was a privilege to star her service as governor of Bermuda, a British overseas territory in the Caribbean. | Prime Minister David Burt, Chief Justice Narinder Hargun, and Cabinet Secretary Marc Telemaque attended th…
telesurenglish.net/news/Black-Woman-Sworn-in-as-Governor-in-Bermuda-20201215-0007.html

[UPDATED] Venezuela Investigates Maritime Accident on Migrant Route
Paul Dobson | venezuelanalysis.com | 2020-12-14
An estimated twenty died presumably travelling to Trinidad and Tobago in a small boat.
venezuelanalysis.com/news/15077

Chile: Deal on Indigenous People's Seats To Write Constitution
telesurenglish.net | 2020-12-14
The Chilean Senate's Joint Commission reached an agreement on the number of seats reserved for the representatives of the Indigenous Peoples in the convention that will draft the new constitution. | RELATED: Chile: | Piñera at Lowest Approval Rate Since Becoming President | The final proposal established 17 seats for the Indigenous peoples and 1 for the Afro-descendant population, all within the 155 quotas already convened. | It was also included that each political alliance must…
telesurenglish.net/news/Chile-Deal-on-Indigenous-Peoples-Seats-To-Write-Constitution-20201214-0002.html

Max Blumenthal Meets Rafael Correa In Venezuela
_____ | popularresistance.org | 2020-12-14
Max Blumenthal interviews former Ecuador President Rafael Correa, who was in Venezuela to observe its legislative elections and show support to a government under sustained economic and political attack by the US. | Correa addresses issues ranging from the repression in his country under the watch of its outgoing neoliberal president, Lenin Moreno, to the persecution of Julian Assange and the role of a CIA contractor in targeting him and the Wikileaks founder. | Blumenthal and Correa also discuss the prospect of a left-wing victory in Ecuador's upcoming national elections, and what the US-backed government is doi…
popularresistance.org/max-blumenthal-meets-rafael-correa-in-venezuela/

John Pilger: The Most Lethal Virus Is Not COVID. It Is War
John Pilger | mintpressnews.com | 2020-12-14
In the midst of the greatest health emergency in modern times, with more than 4 million surgical procedures delayed by the National Health Service, Britain has announced a record increase of £16.5 billion in so-called defense spending.
mintpressnews.com/john-pilger-lethal-virus-not-covid-war/273597/

President Maduro Calls on the US To Probe Opposition Lawmakers
telesurenglish.net | 2020-12-14
Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro Sunday called on U.S. lawmakers to investigate the use of billion of dollars assigned by President Donald Trump's administration to opposition politicians in order to promote destabilization actions against the Bolivarian nation. | RELATED: | Venezuela Denounces Terrorist Plan Against Its Oil Facilities | Maduro noted that the U.S. Congress will find thefts, scams, and lies by opposition representatives Leopoldo Lopez, Julio Borges, and Juan…
telesurenglish.net/news/President-Maduro-Calls-on-the-US-To-Probe-Opposition-Lawmakers–20201214-0008.html

ALBA-TCP Celebrates XVIII Summit Virtually
telesurenglish.net | 2020-12-14
The XVIII Summit of the Bolivarian Alliance for the Peoples of Our America – People's Trade Agreement (ALBA-TCP), is being held this Monday in a virtual manner and in the midst of the global COVID-19 pandemic. | RELATED: | Bolivia Returns as ALBA-TCP Holds XVIII Virtual Summit | Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez, coordinator of the event, and Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro opened the event by means of vituar interventions transmitted from the Twitter account of the pres…
telesurenglish.net/news/ALBA-TCP-Celebrates-XVIII-Summit-Virtually-20201214-0014.html

US Embassy Caught Scrubbing Tweets Urging Venezuelans Not To Vote
Alan Macleod | mintpressnews.com | 2020-12-14