(2021-05-06). USAID Admits To Venezuela Regime Change Fraud. popularresistance.org Red Lines host Anya Parampil explores a new report issued by USAID's Office of the Inspector General which admits the agency's policy on Venezuela was driven by the State Department and National Security Council's push for regime change. The report specifically investigated USAID's attempt to use the US military to force aid through Venezuela's border with Colombia on February 23, 2019. Anya highlights the most interesting findings in the audit, including that USAID failed to put proper fraud controls in place in order to appease US officials seeking to overthrow Venezuela's elected government.
(2021-05-06). Bashing China, U.S. commits crimes against humanity. workers.org 
It was announced April 7 that the Biden administration is being pressured by right-wing Republicans to either fully or partially boycott the 2022 Winter Olympic Games in Beijing, China, which will take place for two weeks that February. As part of the ongoing anti-China tirade that accelerated with the COVID-19 . . . |
(2021-05-06). Crisis & Critique: The Ibero-American Summit's Impact on Venezuela. orinocotribune.com By Ociel Alí López — Apr 30, 2021 | VA columnist Ociel López highlights the de facto recognition of the Maduro government by Washington-aligned countries in the recent international event. | The Ibero-American Summit is an event that brings together the presidents or senior representatives of Latin America, Spain, Portugal and Andorra. On April 21, the XXVII meeting was held in Andorra, although most participants attended virtually. | The main theme was "innovation for sustainable development," but for obvious reasons it was the Covid-19 pandemic that ended up taking center stage. | The event's first importa…
(2021-05-06). Cuba begins days against homophobia and transphobia. mronline.org 
Cuba is celebrating from Tuesday to May 30 the 14th edition of the Conference against Homophobia and Transphobia, under the slogan 'All rights for all people.' | May 6, 2021 | Newswire…
(2021-05-06). This is how President Maduro Welcomed Steven Seagal in Miraflores. orinocotribune.com 
The famous US actor Steven Seagal visited President Nicolás Maduro at the Miraflores Palace this Tuesday, May 4, in a meeting full of symbolism about values such as international friendship, culture, cooperation, and fighting spirit. | For these reasons, the Venezuelan president thanked Seagal for his gesture. Seagal currently holds the position of special envoy of Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation, the country that also granted him citizenship. In addition, Seagal is a recognized master of martial arts, especially the discipline called Aikido. | The head of state expressed, through his Twitte…
(2021-05-06). From Colombia to Palestine, resist imperialist crimes! Samidoun solidarity statement with the people of Colombia. samidoun.net 
Samidoun Palestinian Prisoner Solidarity Network expresses its strongest solidarity with the people's movement and political prisoners of Colombia, facing the U.S.-backed right-wing regime of Ivan Duque, police murder and targeted assassinations, and harsh repression of mass protests. Thousands of people in Colombia have been marching for the past eight days against the tax policy of the right-wing Duque administration, supported by the United States and also involved in U.S.-directed regime change operations targeting Venezuela, Bolivia, and other progressive governments throughout Latin America. This movement h…
(2021-05-06). Colombia's Piedad Córdoba Confronts Duque & his Vice President: What Would This Pair be Saying if the Massacre was in Venezuela? + Facebook Censorship. orinocotribune.com 
Amid the wave of state violence against civilian protesters after seven days of demonstrations against the Colombian government's neoliberal policies, former Colombian Senator Piedad Córdoba confronted Colombian President Iván Duque and his Vice President Marta Lucía Ramírez. | "Think for a minute what you would say today, Iván Duque and Marta Lucía Ramírez, if last night's massacre in Siloé had happened in Venezuela," wrote Córdoba on Twitter. "Today it happened to your own people, and you said nothing!" | Piensen por un momento qué estaría diciendo hoy Iván Duque y Marta Lucía Ramírez, si la matanza de anoche e…
(2021-05-06). USAID admits to Venezuela regime change fraud. thegrayzone.com Red Lines host Anya Parampil explores an internal USAID report admitting the agency's policy on Venezuela was driven by the State Department and National Security Council's push for regime change. The report specifically investigated USAID's attempt to use the US military to force aid through Venezuela's border with Colombia on February 23, 2019. Anya highlights the most interesting findings in the audit, including that USAID failed to put proper fraud controls in place in order to appease US officials seeking …
(2021-05-06). Venezuelan Parliament Appoints New Electoral Authorities with Two Opposition Members. venezuelanalysis.com The new CNE was the product of behind-the-scenes dialogue between the Maduro government and moderate opposition sectors.
(2021-05-06). Venezuela Reiterates Its Commitment To Human Rights And Justice. popularresistance.org Mexico City, Mexico – The Venezuelan Attorney General's Office submitted an updated report to the International Criminal Court (ICC) on April 30 detailing its efforts to address alleged human rights abuses by state officials. | In September 2018, Venezuela's right-wing opposition, with support from the US and a handful of allied countries, filed a suit before the ICC accusing the Nicolás Maduro government of being responsible for "crimes against humanity" during violent anti-government protests in 2017. | Attorney General Tarek William Saab said his office had engaged in "meticulous" work to defend human rights.
(2021-05-06). Half of Canada's population less than $200 away from insolvency as billionaires' wealth surges. wsws.org While working people have confronted widespread impoverishment, illness and death, Canada's capitalist elite has seen its wealth soar during the pandemic.
(2021-05-06). Latin America rights groups face growing threats, attacks: Bachelet. news.un.org UN human rights chief Michelle Bachelet on Thursday issued an alert over the rising number of threats, attacks and attempts to undermine national human rights institutions, in Latin America and the Caribbean.
(2021-05-06). Gabriel García Márquez And Magical Internationalism. popularresistance.org Sometimes what is obvious hides what is important. Gabriel García Márquez is best known as the craftsman par excellence of the genre 'magical realism', rather than his profound passion for the profession of journalism that led him to traverse—with the eagerness of a chronicler and a vallenato rhythm in his step—countless cafes, newsrooms, and continents. | Gabo, or Gabito, as he was known to his friends in Aracataca, a town camouflaged among the banana plantations of Colombia's Caribbean coast, produced a journalism that few recognize, journalism militantly committed to a national and global context.
(2021-05-06). Cuba grateful for intellectuals' position denouncing the blockade. en.cubadebate.cu Party First Secretary and President of the Republic, Miguel Díaz-Canel tweeted his thanks to the In Defense of Humanity Network for its message demanding an end to the U.S. blockade of Cuba. "Thanks to intellectuals of the entire world who add prestige with their signatures to our long, determined struggle against the blockade. The redh, founded during other threatening days for Cuba, understands very well the seriousness of the siege the empire has imposed on us."
(2021-05-06). Cuba migrating to open source platforms. en.cubadebate.cu The use of open source platforms and Cuban software will strengthen our industry, technological sovereignty, and information security. The technical migration toward open source platforms and the consistent use of nationally produced software and applications in the country is not only a change needed to strengthen the Cuban industry, but is also key to strengthening our technological sovereignty and information security.
(2021-05-06). 36 Civil Society Organizations Urge Biden to Reverse Draconian Sanctions Against Cuba. commondreams.org "A policy position guided by human rights needs to address how U.S. sanctions towards Cuba severely limit the rights of Cuban citizens to food security, climate justice and dignity." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/cuba-1.jpg …
(2021-05-06). Díaz-Canel holds telephone conversation with General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam, Nguyen Phu Trong. en.cubadebate.cu The Vietnamese party leader congratulated his Cuban counterpart on his recent election as First Secretary and recognized the revolutionary trajectory of Army General Raúl Castro Ruz and his contributions to the fraternal ties shared by Cuba and Vietnam. First Secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba Central Committee and President of the Republic, Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez, held a productive, fraternal telephone conversation on Wednesday morning with the General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam (VCP), Nguyen Phu Trong.
(2021-05-06). Haitian Farmers Fight Dictatorship. popularresistance.org Breakthrough News was on the ground in Haiti for eight days covering the popular uprising sweeping that country. Our BT News team went to Haiti's agricultural heartland to detail the struggles of small and cooperative farmers against land grabs. Hear directly from the voices of those fighting displacement, destructive mining and agribusiness about their struggles and visions for a better future. As well as its connection to the ongoing struggle against Haiti's dictatorial ruler Jovenel MoàØse and his backer in the US government.
(2021-05-06). First 100 Days: Has Biden Kept His Promises To Black America? popularresistance.org Last week, Vice President Kamala Harris agreed with South Carolina Senator Tim Scott that the United States is not a racist country. Generations throughout history have made it plain that all our social and political systems in this country are steeped in racism. | Nearly nine out of 10 Black voters supported Joe Biden and Harris in the 2020 election. Black Americans represented over 50% of all Democratic voters in Georgia (33% of total state population is Black), 20% of all Democratic voters in Michigan (14% of the state population is Black), and 21% of all Democratic voters in Pennsylvania (Black people make up…
(2021-05-06). 'Don't Vaccinate the Young and Healthy': Swedish Doctors Pen Open Letter Against Blanket Inoculation. sputniknews.com Assuming that a large population already has some form of immunity and citing dangerous and fatal side effects such as blood clotting, the doctors urged public health officials not to repeat the mistakes made during the swine flu vaccination which resulted in numerous cases of narcolepsy as a side-effect.
(2021-05-06). Palestinian boy killed during Israeli raids in the Occupied Territories and other stories. peoplesdispatch.org Today we look at the killing of a Palestinian boy in a raid by Israeli forces, protests against femicides in Puerto Rico, and more…
(2021-05-06). War in the Caucasus: Turkey-Azerbaijan-Israel, Turkey-Azerbaijan-Georgia, Turkey-Azerbaijan-Pakistan axes. antibellum679354512.wordpress.com Daily SabahMay 6, 2021 Ways of reviving the Turkey-Azerbaijan-Israel triangleCavid Veliyev Excerpts: Turkey and Israel made important contributions to "Operation Iron Fist." Turkey's unmanned combat aerial vehicle (UCAV) Bayraktar TB2 and Israel's drones Harop contributed to the breaking of the defense line of the Armenian army, which occupied Azerbaijan's territories, and to the Azerbaijani army's …
(2021-05-06). Venezuela Inaugurates CNE Board: Meet the New Authorities. orinocotribune.com At noon on Wednesday, May 5, the new board of directors of Venezuela's National Electoral Council (CNE) was installed, in a session in which they assigned the responsibilities that each rector will assume. | Rector Pedro Enrique Calzadilla Pérez reported that during the meeting held by the new electoral authorities, they decided who will be responsible for the various tasks within the CNE. | "We are the result of an agreement. This governing body is the result of a historic national agreement of the country's political [and[ social forces, to redirect Venezuela to political stability in adherence with the dynamic…
(2021-05-06). One Year after Defeat of Operation Gideon, Heroism of Chuao's Militia Recognized. orinocotribune.com Governor of Aragua, Rodolfo Marco Torres, presented decorations to militia and police officers of Chuao, who a year ago took the lead in capturing a group of mercenaries on the coast of Aragua. The mercenaries were embarked on a terrorist plot—Operation Gideon—launched from Colombia and promoted by the US government, with the goal of destroying critical infrastructure and kidnapping or assassinating the president of Venezuela. | The group of citizens and policemen were recognized by the people as the "warriors of Chuao," and awarded the Order of Santiago Mariño in recognition of their bravery and effe…
(2021-05-05). Grenada Bars Travellers From Brazil & India. telesurenglish.net On May 4, Grenada imposed a ban on people with any travel history of India or Brazil within the past fourteen days. | RELATED: | "This means that… persons will have to spend the relevant time in a third-party state that will allow them to enter," Health Minister Nickolas Steele said. | This policy comes as Grenada tries its best to curb the spread of the COVID-19 virus having just under 200 cases and one death. | Steele also explained that under the advice of the COVI…
(2021-05-05). Trinidad's Health Care System Close to Collapse. telesurenglish.net Trinidad and Tobago's health care system is close to collapse after a sweeping and steady climb of its COVID-19 numbers since mid-March, with 11 deaths recorded in the last two days pushing the deaths to 185 in total. | RELATED: | The country's Ministry of Health said that the healthcare system could collapse in 10 days should the cases and hospitalizations continue at the current rate. | Health Minister Terrence DyalSingh gave a cautionary announ…
(2021-05-05). The Coming Battle For The Malay Heartland — Analysis. eurasiareview.com If and when the emergency lapses called in January with the Covid-19 pandemic as a pretext to protect Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin's shaky Perikatan Nasional (PN) government, five major political forces will be competing to win the hearts and minds of ethnic Malay voters, who make up 63 percent of the population of Peninsular Malaysia, seeking leverage over who will exercise national leadership. The battle for ethnic Malay primacy — the key to government — is yet to be fought. | The Muhyiddin Yassin administration's legitimacy and very survival has been on tenterhooks, since the Sheraton putsch,…
(2021-05-05). Cayman Islands Offering Vaccine to Pregnant Women. telesurenglish.net Pregnant women in the Cayman Islands can now receive the COVID-19 vaccine following the UK's Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) added pregnant and breastfeeding women to the grouping of who can receive the injection. | RELATED: | Cayman's Minister of Health Sabrina Turner said, "This is incredibly great news. Vaccination programs have the greatest chance of impacting the spread of a virus if more people get vaccinated." | Chief Medical Offi…
(2021-05-05). Venezuela Begins Clinical Trials of Russian EpiVacCorona Vaccine—Russian Ambassador First to be Vaccinated. orinocotribune.com 
Venezuela officially began clinical trials of Russian vaccine EpiVacCorona, as the Russian ambassador to Caracas, Sergey Melik-Bagdasarov, became the first volunteer to receive a dose of the COVID-19 immunization drug. | The start of clinical trials was reported by the Executive Vice President, Delcy Rodríguez, who noted that the vaccine simulates small fragments of the virus; this strengthens the immune system of recipients to prevent COVID-19. | "Thus begins the process of applying the vaccine candidate EpiVacCorona to combat COVID-19 in the country," said Rodríguez, "a vaccine developed by Russia that is advan…
(2021-05-05). World's Most Vaccinated Nation Reintroduces COVID Restrictions After Surge in Infections. sputniknews.com Seychelles was among the first countries in the world to reopen to international tourism after the first COVID wave last year. The Indian Ocean nation, located off the coast of Africa, has been vaccinating its population with China's Sinopharm vaccine, received as a gift from the UAE, and AstraZeneca's Covishield, flown in from India.
(2021-05-05). Papua New Guinea parliament adjourned amid escalating COVID-19 crisis. wsws.org Prime Minister Marape is cynically using the escalating COVID-19 pandemic, which is devastating the population, to block his own removal from office before the 2022 election.
(2021-05-05). Thousands flock to community pantries in the Philippines as COVID-19 rapidly spreads. wsws.org Images in the media reveal the degree of desperation for basic resources in the population. Crowds of hundreds line the pavement to try to get a few free vegetables and a canned good or two.
(2021-05-05). Latin America and the Caribbean are facing a serious debt crisis Part 4. mronline.org 
The series continues with analyses of how indebtedness developed in other regions of the Global South. | May 5, 2021 | Newswire…
(2021-05-05). Conviasa Starts Air Route Between Moscow and Caracas. telesurenglish.net The Venezuelan state-owned airline Conviasa inaugurated the Caracas-Moscu air route, which will have one direct flight with a fortnightly frequency. | RELATED: | On Monday, the inaugural flight came from Russia and arrived at the Simon Bolivar International Airport, in Maiquetia, La Guaira State. Onboard the Airbus A340 there were 90 tour operators, journalists, influencers, and investors. | "The new air route will contribute to f…
(2021-05-05). Venezuela's National Assembly Appoints New Electoral Authorities (CNE). orinocotribune.com 
This Tuesday, May 4, in accordance with the provisions of Venezuela's Magna Carta, the National Assembly (AN), by a qualified majority, selected the rectors of the National Electoral Council (CNE) for a period of seven consecutive years. These are 15 qualified individuals, chosen from a list of 103 applications, who have been thoroughly reviewed by the special legislative commission designated for this purpose. | Once the files had been reviewed in a special session, the following were elected as main rectors: | ‚Ä¢ Pedro Enrique Calzadilla Pérez, professor and historian | ‚Ä¢ Alex…
(2021-05-05). Survivors of Trauma Transform Their Vulnerabilities into Strength. counterpunch.org 
In 2015, Médecins Sans Frontières or Doctors Without Borders conducted a survey in Kashmir the results of which were as follows: out of "5600 households selected from more than 400 villages in 10 districts 1.8 million adults (45% of the adult population) are experiencing symptoms of mental distress with 41% exhibiting symptoms of probable depression
(2021-05-05). Venezuela Reiterates Its Commitment to Human Rights and Justice in ICC Report. venezuelanalysis.com Attorney General Saab stressed Venezuela's willingness to work with the ICC but expressed frustration with the court's "lack of transparency."
(2021-05-05). US Affirms That With Its Allies, It Will Pressure Venezuela to 'Return to Democracy'. orinocotribune.com WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — US Secretary of State Antony Blinken declared that the United States and its allies plan to continue the pressure campaign against the Venezuelan government so as to bring democracy to the country. | Blinken affirmed at the 51st annual Washington Conference on the Americas that: "We will continue to work with our partners across the region both to alleviate the suffering of the Venezuelan people and to exert pressure on the regime so the country can peacefully return to democracy." | Blinken also alleged that the government of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro had mismanaged the h…
(2021-05-05). US Actor Steven Seagal Presents Maduro With Samurai Sword During Visit to Venezuela. sputniknews.com American actor, producer and musician Steven Seagal, who received Russian citizenship in 2016 and was subsequently appointed as a Russian special envoy for humanitarian liaison with the US, is also a widely-renowned aikido ace.
(2021-05-05). Video: Steven Seagal Presents Maduro With Samurai Sword During Visit to Venezuela. sputniknews.com American actor, producer and musician Steven Seagal, who received Russian citizenship in 2016 and was subsequently appointed as a Russian special envoy for humanitarian liaison with the US, is also a widely-renowned aikido ace.
(2021-05-05). Immigrants to the Rescue. ips-dc.org Germany faces a major crisis. | The German birth rate is considerably below what's needed to replace the population. German seniors, meanwhile, are living longer and drawing more on state resources for their pensions and health care. | There are basically two ways out of this demographic crisis. First of all, Germany could boost its birth rate. | The German state provides generous family leave and child-care policies—not to mention the famous Kindergelt, the direct monthly payments of child benefits—and the fertility rate has indeed edged up over the years from 1.24 children per woman in 1994 to 1.57…
(2021-05-05). Former Minister in Barbados Sentenced Two Years in US Prison. telesurenglish.net Barbados' former minister of Industry and Commerce Donville Inniss has been sentenced to twenty-four months in a United States Federal Prison on money laundering accounts. | RELATED: | The US Department of Justice said that Inniss was sentenced because of his role in a scheme to launder bribe payments from Barbadian company Insurance Corporation of Barbados through banks in New York. | 55-year-old Inniss was foun…
(2021-05-05). Cayman Islands Sea Turtles Back From Brink. eurasiareview.com Sea turtles in the Cayman Islands are recovering from the brink of local extinction, new research shows. | Monitoring from 1998-2019 shows loggerhead and green turtle nest numbers increased dramatically, though hawksbill turtle nest numbers remain low. | In the first counts in 1998-99, just 39 sea turtle nests were found in total on the three islands. By 2019, the figure was 675. | Captive breeding of green turtles and inactivity of a traditional turtle fishery due to tightening of restrictions in 2008 contributed to this – but populations remain far below historical levels and still face threats including ill…
(2021-05-05). British MPs Sign Parliamentary Motion in Support of Normalising Relations Between Cuba and the US and Ending the Blockade. globalresearch.ca Visit and follow us on Instagram at @crg_globalresearch. Fifty seven British …
(2021-05-05). Social Movements Worldwide Protest In Support Of Colombians. telesurenglish.net Progressive social organizations on Wednesday called for protests worldwide to reject the police brutality upsurge against Colombians who have been demonstrating against President Ivan Duque for eight days in a row. | RELATED: | The Global Network Against Police Violence called on social organizations from Chile, Ecuador, Spain, the Dominican Republic, Mexico, Brazil, Argentina, Venezuela, and Puerto Rico to take to the…
(2021-05-05). Jamaica Imposes Travel Ban on Trinidad and Tobago. telesurenglish.net To prevent the entry of the South African variant of the coronavirus, Jamaica will prohibit the entry of all visitors from Trinidad and Tobago. | RELATED: | The Jamaican government has also an extended list of countries that are restricted for travel. Among them are Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Paraguay, and Peru where the Brazilian variant has been found. | On Monday, Trinidad's Prime Minister Keith Rowley announced the new ban on his count…
(2021-05-05). No-Take Marine Reserves Benefit Overfished Reefs. eurasiareview.com A powerful, long-term study from WCS adds scientific backing for global calls for conserving 30 percent of the world's ocean. The studied no-take marine protected areas (MPAs) increased the growth of fish populations by 42 percent when fishing was unsustainable in surrounding areas, achieving the benefits of stable and high production of fish populations for fishers, while protecting threatened ecosystems. | The study recorded fish catches for 24-years across a dozen fish landing sites within two counties in Kenya, which allowed scientists to evaluate the long-term impacts of two different fisheries management…
(2021-05-05). Members of Congress Request $50 Million to Save Monarch Butterflies. indybay.org WASHINGTON, April 29, 2021— For the first time ever, nearly 60 U.S. representatives have urged the House Appropriations Committee to spend $50 million per year to stabilize and help recover monarch butterflies. Today's letter, led by Reps. Jimmy Panetta (D-Calif.) and Salud Carbajal (D-Calif.), notes that the monarch population has plummeted more than 80% in the past two decades.
(2021-05-05). OPINION: Machismo in Puerto Rico Kills. latinorebels.com Such an ignorant mentality has now led to a deadly epidemic on the island.