Venezuela-ALBA Weekly 5.15.2020 While 2030 Cuban doctors and nurses fight pandemic overseas, US declares Cuba “state sponsor of terrorism”

China’s Solidarity Aid to the World During the Corona Pandemic Over 50 years ago the United States would have been leading the international battle to fight the pandemic, as it had done with polio. Today, there is a vacuum that China – and Cuba – are filling. (Cuba has 2,030 medical personnel  in other countries combating COVID-19).

Cuba

Xinhua Net: Cuba’s Henry Reeve International Medical Brigade contributes to fighting COVID-19 worldwide Currently, 2,030 Cuban health professionals from the Henry Reeve medical contingent are working in 22 Latin American and Caribbean nations as well as in Africa and Europe to help fight the coronavirus. The island country has called on the international community to beef up cooperation rather than isolation against the pandemic. Earlier this month, Cuba criticized the United States for “threatening governments that request Cuba’s medical assistance.”

CubaSi: US Lawmakers Support Cuba in the Purchase of Medical Supplies At least 25 U.S. lawmakers Tuesday signed a letter requesting President Donald Trump’s administration to allow Cuba access to medical supplies to fight COVID-19. Senator Patrick Leahy and Representative Jim McGovern are leading the initiative through a letter sent to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin.

Resumen Latinoamericano: Trump’s Anti-Cuba Delusions Just one day after Cuba urged a terrorism probe over gunfire that hit its embassy in Washintgton,  the US put Cuba on the state sponsor of terrorism list! The U.S. government has not made mention of the attack. At the time of the attack there were ten Cuban officials in the building. In the course of 2019 alone, 86 measures were adopted against Cuba; among them, the total activation of the extraterritorial Helms-Burton Act and the punitive actions against the companies involved in the transportation of vital fuel to Cuba. The purpose is the same as always: to make the people, suffocated by shortages, rise up against the government.

RT: Covid-19: Cuba’s people-before-profit approach pays off as capitalism proves a bitter pill for the US Despite a high percentage of people over the age of 60 and a high number of visitors to the country, Cuba has kept Covid-19 cases to just under 1,830 as of May 14, with just 79 deaths. This is largely due to Cuba having the highest ratio of doctors to population in the world, and a free, universal health system based on proactive, community response. Now for the first time, Cuban doctors have been received with open arms in European countries like Italy and Andorra, and they have even been welcomed back by some of the very same US-allied governments in Latin America that kicked them out just months ago.

To be fair, even if it had the will, the US government is not in a position to lend much support to anyone at the moment.The weaknesses of America’s health system, which paradoxically has the highest per capita funding in the world by far, were laid bare even before the pandemic, yet more than 70 million lack adequate health care..

Venezuela

Grayzone (Alan Macleod): Guaidó’s mercenary hit contract on Venezuela’s Maduro mirrors official US bounty, authorizes death squad killings  The leaked contract between Juan Guaidó and the Silvercorp USA mercenary firm closely resembles a DEA bounty placed on the head of President Nicolas Maduro and members of his inner circle this March. The deal tacitly authorizes the elimination of working class Venezuelans in proposed death squad activities.

DN: Joe Biden Supports Unelected Juan Guaidó in Venezuela, Says U.S. Should Keep Sanctions Against Cuba Joe Biden said last month that as president he would engage with Cuba, but that U.S. sanctions over its support for the government of Nicolás Maduro in Venezuela could remain in place. Joe Biden also recently expressed support for Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaidó and his “efforts to restore democracy.”

Green Party’s Howie Hawkins: Fight COVID-19, Not Venezuela This US aggression comes at a time when Trump is inept and Biden is invisible in mounting an effective response to the COVID-19 pandemic and economic depression. When the US needs federal health care, income, job, housing, and small business protections, Trump is pitting the 50 states against each other and the nations of the world against each other in a mad scramble for medical supplies and virus testing.

MintPressNews (Leonardo Flores): The Botched Infiltration of Venezuela Leaves Guaidó Tainted Beyond Repair Page 11 of the contract’s attachment B authorizes the “on scene commander” of an operation to lethally target certain civil servants of institutions – including the Foreign Ministry, Planning Ministry and Youth Ministry – even in cases that could result in high collateral damage. The message is clear; anyone close to a chavista can be considered expendable.

In the U.S., Democrats have been almost entirely silent on the matter, with the exception of a letter by Senators Chris Murphy, Tom Udall and Tim Kaine that questions the Trump administration’s tactics, but not its strategy or objectives.

Sputnik News: Maduro: Guaido Hammered Out Venezuela Coup at the White House in February

“It was at the White House on 4 February of this year, 2020, where Juan Guaido met with Jordan Goudreau, head of [private security firm] Silvercorp, by order of Donald Trump to articulate the plan of attack,” Maduro said.

Nicaragua

NicaNotes Opinion: Are You Asking Me about Nicaragua? The World Food Program estimates that in addition to the 820 million people already going hungry in the world, there are135 million more because of the health crisis. The main victims are women, infants, and children. This has major repercussions on health, nutrition, and humanitarian aid, causing larger flows of forced migration, displacement, violence, and social conflict.In Latin America  there are already 19 million more people suffering from hunger and 37.71 million unemployed. But this is not Nicaragua’ case.

Webinar Videos

Sanctions Kill Coalition Webinar Saturday May 9th 2020  with: Venezuela — Carlos J. Ron Martinez, Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs; Syria — Dr. Bashar Ja’afari, Syrian Ambassador to the United Nations; Nicaragua — Francisco O Campbell, Nicaraguan Ambassador to the US;

Cuba — Ana Silvia Rodriguez Abascal, Charge des Affaires of the Cuban Mission to the UN;

Zimbabwe — Dr. Frank Guni, Secretary for Administration, ZANU-PF North America; Iran — Majid Takht-Ravanchi, Iranian Ambassador to the United Nations

Six months since Bolivia coup – no to violent repression & austerity Speakers: Ollie Vargas, Bolivia-based journalist;Manuel Bueno, Bolivian Trade Unionist, Chair; Christine Blower, Labour Peer

Upcoming Webinars and Campaigns

Canadian Network on Cuba:  Campaign to Support Cuba’s Contribution to World Fight Against COVID-19 Cuba has more than 800 medical personnel serving humanity in the trenches of 16 countries against the dreaded coronavirus.To contribute to the Campaign to Support Cuba’s Contribution to World Fight Against COVID-19: cheques should be made out to the “CNC,” with “COVID-19” written in the memo, and then mailed ($1.20 from US) to: c/o Sharon Skup, 56 Riverwood Terrace, Bolton ON L7E 1S4

May 17: The Weaponization of the Global Financial System A talk by Sharat G. Lin

San José Peace and Justice Center, 10:30 am – 12:30 pm PDT  *Zoom Meeting ID: 873 3950 1810 Password: 795705

May 19: Cuba, Africa, Caribbean: Paying Humanity’s Debt

May 19, 10:30 am ET:  Regime Change and Resistance in Venezuela with Dan Kovalik, Ricardo Vaz, Ana Felicien, Rachel Boothroyd

Sites to Follow Venezuela, Bolivia, Nicaragua:

Stand with Venezuela

Orinoco Tribune

Venezuela Solidarity New York

End Venezuela Sanctions

Friends of Sandinista Nicaragua

Friends of Evo’s Bolivia

Friends of Ecuador – North America

Back issues of Venezuela-ALBA Weekly in 2018-2020 are here

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