Bolivia
Resumen: Elitist Coop Attempt in Santa Cruz The ultra right-wing governor of the department of Santa Cruz, Luis Fernando Camacho, and his separatist clique have been maintaining an elitist and bosses’ strike against the government of Bolivia since October 21, which has already cost one life and economic losses of tens of millions of dollars. The MAS called a Great People’s Council on October 23, which was attended by hundreds of thousands of Santa Cruz inhabitants, who rejected the bosses strike.

TeleSur: Bolivians Workers Reject Right-Wing Stoppage in Santa Cruz Bolivia’s labor union (COB) and the organizations belonging to the Pact of Unity (PU) announced that they will carry out a national mobilization against the stoppage promoted by the right-wing opposition in the department of Santa Cruz. They demanded that there be no impunity in the case of Julio Taborga, a worker who opposed stoppage and was beaten to death by far-right extremists in Puerto Quijarro municipality. “We will carry out a national mobilization against these coup plotters because we can no longer allow one more death. Our brothers from Santa Cruz are not alone,” COB and PU said, asking President Luis Arce to find and punish those responsible for Taborga’s death.

TeleSur: Bolivian Far-Right Groups Threaten Farmer Leader in Santa Cruz The “stoppage” called by the Santa Cruz elites affects and threatens the most humble people, the female farmer warned. Felipa Montenegro, the leader of the Bartolina Sosa Movement, which represents the rights of rural Indigenous women, denounced that she and her family received death threats from far-right groups that operate in the department of Santa Cruz. “We are being bullied. It is time to take to the streets to demonstrate against those who believe they own Santa Cruz. We are tired of being intimidated,” Santa Cruz Farmers Federation leader Franklin Vargas said at the press conference.

 

Political Prisoner Alex Saab
Orinoco Tribune (Laila Tajeldine): Strong Evidence in Favor of Venezuelan Diplomat Alex Saab Leaves US at a Dead End The background of the case, as well as having to recognize and accept Alex Saab’s diplomatic status, implies that the United States has a lot to lose. On December 12, one year and two months after Alex Saab’s illegal transfer to US territory, a hearing is scheduled in Miami in which the judge handling the case, Robert Scola, will examine the facts related to Saab’s diplomatic status and immunity.

Ken Livingstone: Free Alex Saab Livingstone, former mayor of London, writes of the case of the illegally detained Venezuelan diplomat now facing a possible 20-year jail sentence in the US.

Code Pink petition to Free Alex Saab

 

Cuba
Resumen: Cuba: USAID Versus the Culture of Internationalism The USAID donates $2 million to Cuba for hurricane relief, through International Red Cross. A review of USAID operations in Cuba. The fundamental difference between the culture of assistance to which the United States responds to and the culture of internationalism that is part of Cuba’s revolutionary character.

Granma:The most revolutionary thing today is to be anti-capitalist The fundamental risk that we face, together with the other peoples of our region, is the advance of capitalism with giant steps. It puts at risk our sovereignty and survival. With the granting of unrestricted freedom to the market, characteristic of the neoliberal model, a new type of colonialism operates, through the mechanisms of coercion exercised by international financial organizations, such as the IMF, on national economies, demanding the imposition of structural reforms that facilitate transnational corporations the unlimited exploitation of the natural resources of our territories (here in the South) and of the labor force, in almost slave-like conditions…represent now the greatest danger to the sovereignty of the former colonies.

 

Nicaragua
Morning Star: Activists Slammed The Latest Round Of US Sanctions Aimed At Destabilising Nicaragua The Biden administration said on Monday that it would ban US citizens from doing business with Nicaragua’s gold industry. This is the first time that Washington has identified a specific sector of the Nicaraguan economy as off-limits. The executive order paves the way for the US to restrict investment and trade with Nicaragua, a move recalling the punishing US embargo imposed in the 1980s during Ortega’s first term as president. The White House also claimed that Nicaragua was a threat to the national security of the US.

NicaNotes: Witnessing the Sandinista Revolution Nicaragua is a revolutionary nation with the people empowered and where the people see progress. The meaning of the “Sandinista Popular Revolution” is evident; popular mobilizations and support are seen everywhere. Poverty reduction, investment in public projects and economic power to the people are the characteristics I witnessed. My advice to people who are weary of what they hear in the media is go to Nicaragua and see for themselves what is going on because what I saw differs greatly from what I would call media propaganda. Nicaragua is part of a nationalist, progressive, socialist and anti-imperialist bloc in Latin America.

 

Venezuela
Venezuelanalysis: US Senators, Venezuelan Opposition Pressure Biden Not to Lift Oil Sanctions The Republican representatives demanded that “at no point” should Biden give Caracas access to frozen bank accounts ($6 billion), nor remove sanctions against Venezuela’s Central Bank and the Venezuelan Economic and Social Development Bank and subsidiaries or even allow transactions involving new debt. Senators Rubio and Cruz’s letter rejecting a sanctions waiver for Chevron came on the heels of a Washington meeting between US State Department officials and the hardline Venezuelan opposition led by self-proclaimed “Interim President” Juan Guaidó.

Orinoco Tribune: Bitter Ending for Guaidó: Venezuela Opposition Wants to End His ‘Interim Presidency’ The Venezuelan opposition, more divided than ever and internationally isolated, wants to end the “interim government” of Juan Guaidó and remove him from leadership position. Three of the four main parties of the opposition alliance Unitary Platform expressed their support for ending the “interim presidency” and stop recognizing Guaidó as Venezuela’s “president in-charge.”

 

Events and Delegations
Donate to help Cuba recover from Hurricane Ian
Donate to help Nicaragua recover from Hurricane Julia
Wednesdays: WTF is Going on in Latin America & The Caribbean with Teri Mattson
Ben Linder Solidarity School  August 27-October 1 and October 8-29
October 2, 9, 16, 23, 30: Cuban Women of the African Diaspora (videos)
October 29: March and Rally to End the Blockade of Cuba, in New York and other cities, October 28-November 4
November 1: Event with Venezuelan Chavista Dozthor Zurlent
October 30: Nicaragua webinar: This Is What Democracy Looks Like? A Cross-National Comparison

Travel to Cuba with Witness for Peace
Travel to Nicaragua with Casa Ben Linder Tours: Women in Nicaragua

 

If you have events to publicize or find helpful articles for readers on the ALBA countries you can post them on Facebook here: Venezuela; Nicaragua; Bolivia; Latin America in general (here or here) Or send them to  [email protected]