A New World Is Possible: Combating COVID-19
COVID deaths per million
12/
Cuba 12 13 38
Venezuela 32 36 57
Nicaragua 24 25 27
Country with highest rate in all the Americas:
US 852 1044 1704
Progressive International: End the War on Human Life The US used the pandemic to hold the lives of people hostage — in Iran, in Cuba, in Venezuela, or indeed, any of the other 30 countries in the global south that face US sanctions — “relent or die” was the mandate. US sanctions regimes obstructed most shipments and financial channels, delaying early control of the pandemic. It is undeniable that sanctions are an act of war — wielded by rich and powerful countries, that leverage human life elsewhere as a bargaining chip for political gains at home. And they do so with complete impunity.
Venezuela
The Analysis: Steve Ellner, Greg Wilpert: Biden’s Venezuela Policy: Continuity with Trump Ellner asserts the US will drop support for Guaido; the state of the sanctions and oil exports today; the US effort to imprison Alex Saab; the horrendous effect of cutting off diesel because it is used for transportation and the electricity plants of hospitals; the Communist Party and the Anti-Blockade Law.
Venezuelanalysis: Venezuela and Russia Ramp up Economic Ties with 10-Year Plan The agreements centered around “joint investment projects in the development of Venezuela’s hydrocarbon reserves,” vowing that trade between the two nations will continue to grow.
The Russian envoy highlighted that bilateral relations “have shown capacity to counteract sanctions” imposed against Venezuela by the US, the European Union and their allies.
Venezuelanalysis: US Blockade Now Creates Severe Diesel Shortages The recent diesel shortages force us to sound the alarm amongst those who stand in solidarity across the world.
Diesel is the main fuel used for transporting food, medicine, passengers, and other goods in Venezuela. With no rail freight network, trucking depends on it. Venezuela’s Cattle Ranchers Federation (FEDENAGA) has added that “the lack of diesel makes it impossible to produce and distribute food such as meat, milk and cheese.”
TeleSur: Venezuela Sues the US at the WTO for Coercive Measures In an attempt to avoid criticism from a multilateral institution, the US prevented Venezuela from requesting the formation of a WTO panel whose objective would be to determine whether the unilateral sanctions imposed between 2018 and 2019 violate global trade rules. The U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) acknowledged that the punitive actions taken by its country contributed significantly to the decline in Venezuela’s production, exports, and revenues since 2015.
Venezuelanalysis: Venezuela Points Finger at US for Continued Skirmishes on Colombian Border Venezuela’s Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino López has accused the US’ Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) and Colombian authorities of promoting on-going skirmishes on the Colombo-Venezuelan border. The unspecified Colombian groups are involved in “drug running, extortion, kidnapping, human trafficking, sexual child exploitation, smuggling, illegal mining and the use of antipersonnel mines.”
Venezuelanalysis: The of Alex Saab: US Government Seeks to Extradite and Imprison Venezuelan Official for Securing Imports in “Violation” of US Sanctions The Cape Verde Supreme Court has approved a request to extradite Venezuelan government envoy Alex Saab to the US. The businessman was detained on an Interpol warrant in June 2020 during a stopover in the African archipelago. He was reportedly on his way to Iran to negotiate trade agreements on behalf of the Nicolás Maduro government.
Orinoco Tribune: Facebook Suspends President Maduro’s Account for A Month (Bolsonaro’s Account is Intact, Thank You) The communications conglomerate informed the international press that the suspension was due to “repeated violations” of its policy on disinformation related to COVID-19. The Venezuelan government announced the development of Carvativir, a new therapeutic drug based on the molecule DR-10 which, after scientific trials, is currently being distributed to public and private healthcare centers in Venezuela as well as to public and private pharmacy chains. It has not been announced as a cure for COVID-19 but as an antiviral that will work with other drugs to ease the terrible effects of the disease which is presently affecting Venezuela very hard due to the arrival of the Brazilian strain.
Nicaragua
Margaret Flowers: Building the Good Life (Buen Vivir) through Popular Revolution
Social transformation (revolution) requires both political power and participation by the people.
Nicaraguans have both and they are making great progress in building a new society or as it is often referred to in Latin America, ‘Buen Vivir.’ They are demonstrating what we mean when we say “transforming society to put people and the planet over profits.” This is one of the reasons why the United States is targeting Nicaragua through hybrid warfare including a misinformation campaign, direct interference in the politics of the country and economic attacks.
NicaNotes: Violence against Women: Lessons from Nicaragua According to the World Economic Forum, Nicaragua is the world’s fifth most gender equal country, the highest non-Nordic country and the only country in the Western Hemisphere in the top 10.The Nicaraguan government continues its drive for full gender equity across all sectors, with the liberation of women a fundamental pillar of Sandinismo.
Bolivia
Peoples Dispatch (Vijay Prashad): Despite US dirty tricks, Bolivia is finding a way to stay independent Bolivia has decided to act against the coup makers. The US government is now using that action to delegitimize the government of President Arce. Platforms such as this group might turn out to be essential as a conduit for Bolivia to tell its story and not be suffocated by Washington’s information war, a vital part of the regime change strategy.
RT: Washington demands Bolivia release former ‘interim’ President Anez and other officials accused of orchestrating a coup US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has demanded La Paz release a group of former Bolivian government officials, including ex-President Jeanine Anez, detained on sedition charges as he calls their arrests “anti-democratic.” “The Bolivian government should release detained former officials,” Blinken said in a Twitter post on Saturday, demanding an “independent and transparent inquiry” into the human rights and due process issues related to the former interim president’s case. Ben Norton replied: When US imperial overlord Antony Blinken arrogantly demands that Bolivia “release detained former officials,” he means “Let the coup-plotting US puppets who massacred Bolivians flee to Florida with impunity” Fortunately Bolivia is no longer a colony; it has a sovereign gov’t now
Ecuador
Resumen: Ecuador: Lenin Moreno and the CIA against Andres Arauz Recently, a secret meeting took place in the Galapagos Islands between the Ecuadorian and US governments. On the Ecuadorian side, President Lenin Moreno, Vice President María Alejandra Muñoz, and the Secretary-General of the Cabinet of the Presidency Jorge Wated took part; on the US side, its Ambassador Michael Fitzpatrick and senior US military commanders. Meetings also continue to be held via Zoom to analyze the situation in the country. Lenin Moreno, US Senators Marco Rubio, and Robert “Bob” Menendez, and State Department official Martha Constanza Youth are taking part. Lenin Moreno analyzed with the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) and the National Police how to link aerial and maritime drug trafficking activities, recently detected on Ecuador’s borders with Colombia, with Arauz’s campaign. This with the aim of challenging the elections and preventing the April 11 election to take place.
Cuba
Black Agenda Report: Cuban Socialist Internationalist Medicine Puts Capitalist Countries to Shame Cuba “is helping control this global pandemic in ways that none of the capitalist countries attempt to do,” said Brown-Vincent.
Upcoming Webinars
April 2: Runoff Election in Ecuador: The Fight for Democracy Monica Palacios (National Assembly Representative, Unión por la Esperanza), Ramón Mendes Rivas (Acción Revolución Collective Unión por la Esperanza), David Adler (Progressive International Election Observer Delegation).
April 6: The Human Cost of Sanctions on Venezuela UN Special Rapporteur, Alena Douhan, who found sanctions against Venezuela had an “enormous impact over all categories of human rights, including the rights to life, to food, to health and to development”, and urged the countries to end sanctions. Also Don Davies, Member of Canadian Parliament.
April 7: Sanctions Kill – Nicaragua in the era of US Sanctions with Nicaragua ambassador to UN Jaime Herida Castillo
April 11: Why there are no George Floyds in Cuba
April 13: Venezuela-US Relations, with Carlos Ron, Maria Paez Victor
April 19: Bolivia – People Power, Hope & Solidarity Ollie Vargas, Jeremy Corbyn, Miriam Colque (Bolivian activist in London), Alex Main
April 22: Confronting Covid-19 Cuba’s Approach to Healthcare to All Helen Yaffe and Valia Rodriguez, producers of the film “Cuba and COVID-19,” for a transnational conversation on how Cuba is defeating this deadly coronavirus. Cuba spends only 4% of the dollars per patient as the US health system. Yet the Covid-19 case rate is 50+ times higher in the U.S. than in Cuba, and the death rate is 85+ times higher. What lessons can we in the U.S. learn from Cuba’s remarkable system of health care for all?
To follow Venezuela, Nicaragua, Bolivia, Ecuador daily:
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