Nicaragua Solidarity Coalition: Sign on to civil organization letter in Support of South Africa’s Genocide Convention Case The Nicaragua Solidarity Coalition, with a growing membership across the Americas, Europe, and beyond, is pleased to sign on to the “Letter Calling on States to Support South Africa’s Genocide Convention Case Against Israel at the International Court of Justice (ICJ),” and invites other organizations to do so here. The Nica Coalition firmly supports this effort to stop the US-Israeli genocide against the people of Gaza, as the international community has been demanding for over three months.
Venezuela
Venezuela’s Attorney General: Dozens Arrested for Terrorism & Destabilization Plots (María Corina Machado Named) Several individuals, who were involved in plans to sow terror and destabilization in Venezuela, with conspiracies aimed at assassinating President Nicolás Maduro, are under arrest. The far-right opposition politician María Corina Machado was named by one of the individuals arrested. The attorney general reported that the conspiracies were underway since May 2023, with the last one scheduled to be carried out between the last days of December and the first days of January.
Orinoco Tribune: Venezuela’s Defense Ministry: US DEA & CIA Linked to 5 Terrorist Plots Venezuelan Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino: “Throughout 2023 and the beginning of 2024, we have seen with indignation that the Venezuelan far-right, with the shameless support of the [US] Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) and Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), has taken up the worn-out script of coups, interference, and interventionism in Venezuela. As part of such actions, they have unfortunately managed to recruit professionals from the Bolivarian National Armed Force [FANB], some active and others in active reserve, who in an openly mercenary manner have lent themselves to vileness and betrayal. Fortunately, the institution has antibodies in its members, and counterintelligence organizations have detected, in the last year alone, five conspiracies, which have been duly neutralized, highlighting that they have contemplated the assassination of the president of the republic.”
Infancia Under Siege [Children Under Siege]: Chapter 3: Unilateral Coercive and non-Compensational Measures Venezuela has been subject to a permanent aggression that has intensified since the military coup d’état against President Hugo Chávez in 2002, including the sabotage of the oil industry in 2002-2003, and later actions such as the call for guarimbas in 2014, 2015, 2016 and 2017, unilateral coercive measures, economic war, media war, psychological operations, exchange rate manipulation, hoarding of basic necessities, international blockade, sabotage of public services, incursion of mercenaries into the territory, frustrated assassination attempts against President Nicolás Maduro and the political and military high command, formation of an interim and parallel government, retention and dismantling of the Venezuela’s assets and goods. All this took place as an unconventional war promoted and financed by the U.S. government, with the purpose of destabilizing the internal national order and weakening civilian-military unity.
Orinoco Tribune: Venezuela Responds to US Denial of Involvement in Recent Coup Plots Venezuela refuted a US Department of State’s statement regarding the terrorist operations that were recently uncovered and deactivated in Venezuela. These plots aimed to incite violence and terrorism and assassinate high-level Venezuelan politicians, including the president. “The government of the United States of America has lost its moral compass. On the one hand, it seeks to condemn Venezuela for taking actions within the framework of the Constitution and the laws to preserve peace, while on the other it arrests truly peaceful protesters against the genocide in Gaza and seeks to curtail their freedom of expression. With such a lack of coherence, it is not surprising that Washington advocates in favor of the architects of the frustrated terrorist operations in Venezuela and even gives them its complicit showcasing. Defending these destabilizing actions encourages violence and threatens the normal development of the 2024 electoral process.”
Cuba
National Network on Cuba: Listing of Resolutions opposing the US Blockade and Cuba on the US State Sponsor of Terrorism List These are all the resolutions passed by City Councils. State Legislatures, County Boards and Labor Unions.
Nicaragua
NicaNotes: We must stop new sanctions on Nicaragua from advancing in Congress Senate Bill 1881 was filed by Senators Marco Rubio (R-FL) and Tim Kaine (D-VA) in June 2023. It will likely be discussed in the Senate Foreign Relations Committee before mid-February. Its companion, House Bill, H.R.6954, was filed on January 11th and has been referred to the House Committee on Foreign Affairs. Ever increasing sanctions on Nicaragua could lead to situations such as that of Venezuela, with 40,000 excess deaths in just one year due to the US blockade of its oil sector. In Cuba, the people are suffering the worst humanitarian crisis in their history from the ever tightening 60-year blockade. The NICA Act, imposed in 2018, already caused Nicaragua to lose over $1.4 billion between 2018 and 2021, amounting to 90% of its funding from the World Bank, the Inter-American Development Bank, and the International Monitory Fund. This has impacted development of the Caribbean coast, school lunch programs for vulnerable children, child development programs, access to safe drinking water in rural areas and much more.
Bolivia
Prensa Latina: Bolivian President rules out the weakening of the Plurinational State “There is no weakening of our model, much less can it be affirmed that it is in its terminal phase. That is a media construction that contrasts with reality”, he assured in a message on the occasion of the 15th anniversary of the proclamation of the Plurinational State. He mentioned that in the second quarter of 2023 Bolivia grew by 2.21% and the perspective in the 2024 General State Budget is an increase in gross domestic product of 3.71% with exchange rate stability, inflation of 3.6 units out of 100 and public investment of $4.274 billion. “Our answer to the difficulties, produced by internal and external reasons, is not the neoliberal recipe, but the deepening of our model in the current conditions.
Trips to Nicaragua, Venezuela, Cuba
Nicaragua: Casa Ben Linder 2024 delegations:
March 2-10: Sindicatos & Solidaridad: Labor Movements in Nicaragua. Meet with unions and labor activists in all sectors from teachers to motorcycle taxis; Tour new hospitals & maternal wait homes with health care workers unions; Visit unionized street vendors at work; a free trade zone factory & meet with unionized workers; low-income housing projects; a women’s coffee co-op; a women’s police station.
June 6-16: Global Health Intensive
July 9-21: Solidarity in Action: Celebrating 45 Years of Revolution in Nicaragua
November 8-17: Salud & Solidaridad: Hands-On Healthcare in Nicaragua
AFGJ Venezuela Delegation April 9-19: Celebrating Popular Sovereignty and Power Cost: $1,390/person. Includes most in-country costs: meals, hotels, translation and entrance fees. Round-trip airfare is separate.To apply: [email protected]
Cuba Delegations
April 25- May 4/ or May 8: Celebrating Labor and May Day in Cuba. Sponsored by BuildingRelationswithCuba.org
US-Cuba May Day Labor Delegation join-the-us-cuba-may-day-labor-delegation-2024-1Download
Cuba April 27 – May 11 Che Guevara Work Brigade
Other delegations to Cuba: IFCO/Pastors for Peace 32nd Friendshipment Brigade; Venceremos Brigade; International May Day Brigade
Friendly Planet trips to Cuba
June 14-23 Witness for Peace: Cuba Art and Revolution
Events
February 4: 25 Years of the Bolivarian Revolution
May 4-5: 8th International Seminar for Peace and the Abolition of Foreign Military Bases, Guantanamo, Cuba sponsored by The Cuban Institute of Friendship with the Peoples (ICAP), and the World Peace Council
Donate:
Remember the Children of Gaza Let’s help them have at least food, clean water and medical care.
Global Health Partners: Donate to Support Medical and Health Programs in Cuba and Nicaragua
The Hatuey Project: Campaign To Provide Medicines For Cuban Children With Leukemia And Lymphoma
Latin American School of Medicine Scholarships deadline is February 15
If you have events to publicize or find helpful articles for readers on the ALBA countries, please send them to [email protected], or you can post them on Facebook here: Venezuela; Nicaragua; Bolivia; Latin America in general (here or here) Or send them to [email protected]
