Daily Archives: December 9, 2020

2020-12-09: News Headlines

Lyn Neeley (2020-12-09). Venezuelan court convicts the CITGO Six. workers.org Venezuela's Supreme Court sentenced six top CITGO oil executives to prison for corruption, embezzlement, money laundering and conspiracy on Nov. 26. The former executives went behind the back of the Venezuelan state and signed an agreement with two U.S. based-international financial companies — for which they were detained in Nov. . . . |

A Guest Author (2020-12-09). Embassy Protection Collective help monitor Venezuelan elections. workers.org By Jose Szepara On Dec. 6, Venezuelans will turn out to vote in the country's National Assembly elections, and the world waits with bated breath as observers from all over the world wait for the final results. Election monitoring groups have made their way to Venezuela to act as impartial . . . |

Eds. (2020-12-09). Venezuela's PSUV retakes control of National Assembly despite low turnout. mronline.org With 99 percent of the votes counted, the PSUV has won 68 percent with a 30.5 percent participation rate.

Peoples Dispatch (2020-12-09). U.S. companies sold more than 60% of all arms in the international market in 2019. peoplesworld.org In the run up to its annual yearbook next year, Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) released its first set of data on the international arms sales by the top 25 companies in the world on Monday, December 7. According to the report, U.S. companies dominated the rising international trade with a share of over …

_____ (2020-12-09). Elections And The Path To Socialism In Venezuela. popularresistance.org On December 6, Venezuelans elected a new National Assembly with a left political majority. This election, which was well-run and legitimate despite what the imperialist media and countries say, reconstitutes the Venezuelan parliamentary body with participation from both the ruling and opposition parties. It marks the end of an era during which the National Assembly was a tool of the right wing agenda and US regime change efforts. To facilitate understanding of the current election and political climate in Venezuela, Vijay Prashad of Tricontinental: Institute for Social Research and Paul Dobson of Venezulanalysis…

Fight Back (2020-12-09). Big win for Venezuela's PSUV, assurance for President Maduro. fightbacknews.org In a compelling victory, the United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV) and its allies won 68% of the vote for the Venezuelan National Assembly on December 6. This strengthens the position of President Nicolas Maduro and buries any hope the U.S. had of installing a right-wing pretender in office. | The PSUV and its allies will now take 189 of 277 seats in the National Assembly. Rightist opposition parties won only 28% of the vote and lost control of the body, which functions like a senate. Despite U.S. corporate media claiming the right-wing opposition boycotted the election, there was very public campaigning by…

Mehr News Agency (2020-12-09). Terrorists' presence in Azerbaijan, threat to region security. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Dec. 09 (MNA) — Iranian Parliament Speaker said that the presence of terrorists and movements of the Zionist regime in the Republic of Azerbaijan is a threat to regional peace and security.

teleSUR (2020-12-09). Venezuela: New Parliament Needs To Solve a Way Out To Sanctions. telesurenglish.net Over 6 million 200 thousand voters headed to the polls in Venezuela's parliamentary elections that took place under a climate of normality and total transparency as reported by international observers on December 6. | RELATED: | With 98.63 percent of the electoral records transmitted by the National Electoral Council (CNE) on Monday, the Great Patriotic Pole (GPP) coalition secured a majority in the new Parliame…

Ralph Nader (2020-12-08). Action for Change Starts in Congress. counterpunch.org We know their names! We've given immense power to Five Hundred and Thirty-Five People to do good or bad. One Hundred Senators and Four Hundred and Thirty-Five Representatives. Unfortunately, some 1500 corporations control most Members of Congress. Think about all the dreams for a better world that could come to be realized if our elected officials

Media Lens (2020-12-08). Stuck in a Lift with John Pilger: News and How to Use It by Alan Rusbridger. dissidentvoice.org Noticing the way journalists seemed unable to resist commenting on our work, even if it was just to slag us off, Glenn Greenwald tweeted us in 2012: 'You are really deeper in the heads of the British establishment-serving commentariat than anyone else — congrats.' ((Greenwald, Twitter, 12 September 2012.)) If that was true then, our relationship …

Elijah Magnier (2020-12-08). Venezuela, a population difficult to defeat: Lessons for the Middle East. thealtworld.com At the "Escuela Técnica Comercial Manuel Palacio Fajardo De Caracas Venezuela" in an area called 23 Enero, the Venezuelan Foreign Minister Jorge Arreaza came to vote. The people of the neighbourhood stood in line waiting their turn after being disinfected by the sanitary officers. A few guards were in the background, not interfering with the self-organisation of the population. The Minister Arreaza was later joined by the daughter of Comandante Hugo Chavez, Maria Gabriel, who also came to vote at the same school where the late Chavez used to vote. | It is indeed a normal scene here to see people from all walks of…

Patrick Cockburn (2020-12-08). Gangsterism as Foreign Policy: Assassinations are Becoming the New Norm. counterpunch.org I was in Israel on 4 November 1995 when a student named Yigal Amir assassinated the Israeli prime minister Yitzhak Rabin as he left a peace rally in Tel Aviv. A video shows Amir loitering by an exit to the square for 40 minutes before Rabin appears, when his killer takes out a pistol and

Margaret Flowers (2020-12-08). Venezuela Votes to End Neocolonialism, Create Its Own Path. dissidentvoice.org On December 2, the Embassy Protection Collective (EPC) members, who were arrested in May 2019 when the United States illegally invaded the Venezuelan embassy in Washington, DC, completed their probation, ending the risk of the 30 days in prison that was being held over their heads. I am one of the four who were arrested. …

Mike Hastie (2020-12-08). Keeping the Horrible Alive. counterpunch.org You do not bring the enemy to the peace table by just killing military combatants. You ultimately bring the enemy to the peace table by murdering innocent civilians, because they are military targets. The primary goal of the aggressor nation is to break the will of the people in their ability to defend their homeland.

Stephen Lendman (2020-12-08). Bolivarian Social Democracy Triumphs in Venezuelan National Assembly Elections. globalresearch.ca On Sunday, Venezuelans voted to elect 277 National Assembly members for five-year terms from January 5, 2021 to January 5, 2026. | An unprecedented total of 14,400 candidates from 107 political parties ran for office. | Two Bolivarian blocs were heavy favorites …

Zoe PC (2020-12-08). Venezuelan elections: What lies ahead? peoplesdispatch.org The legislative elections in Venezuela saw the ruling Great Patriotic Pole emerge victorious. The new Assembly has a number of challenges with far right-wing sections under Juan Guaidó continuing to foment discontent, and the country facing an economic crisis…

CFJPIME (2020-12-08). Canadian Organizations Urge Canada to Vote for a Shared Jerusalem at the United Nations. globalresearch.ca Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East (CJPME) and the Coalition of Canadian Palestinian Organizations (CCPO) are urging the Canadian government to vote in support of an upcoming

David Edwards (2020-12-07). Stuck In A Lift With John Pilger — 'News And How To Use It' by Alan Rusbridger. zcomm.org Pilger tells the unfiltered, uncompromised truth about the foundations of power. His focus is on speaking up for the victims of power, not on serving power…

Alan Macleod (2020-12-07). US Media, Pols Rage After Venezuelans Defy US Empire to Re-elect Socialists. mintpressnews.com Despite the fact that the election was overseen by over 4,500 international observers, US pols and media pundits alike labeled it a sham before it even took place.

THHSHLM (2020-12-07). Earth to Portland: Dispatch from the nation's problem child. nationofchange.org It's time for us to show the world that Portland is a town of peace warriors. Let's practice activism that everyone can participate in, including our children.

2020-12-09: Social Media Postees

Please be social by posting these 'POSTEES' on social media! (Copy the text of the postee below, then paste it on social media and the story images will also appear.)

Elections And The Path To Socialism In Venezuela
_____ | popularresistance.org | 2020-12-09
On December 6, Venezuelans elected a new National Assembly with a left political majority. This election, which was well-run and legitimate despite what the imperialist media and countries say, reconstitutes the Venezuelan parliamentary body with participation from both the ruling and opposition parties. It marks the end of an era during which the National Assembly was a tool of the right wing agenda and US regime change efforts. To facilitate understanding of the current election and political climate in Venezuela, Vijay Prashad of Tricontinental: Institute for Social Research and Paul Dobson of Venezulanalysis…
popularresistance.org/elections-and-the-path-to-socialism-in-venezuela/

Big win for Venezuela's PSUV, assurance for President Maduro
Fight Back | fightbacknews.org | 2020-12-09
In a compelling victory, the United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV) and its allies won 68% of the vote for the Venezuelan National Assembly on December 6. This strengthens the position of President Nicolas Maduro and buries any hope the U.S. had of installing a right-wing pretender in office. | The PSUV and its allies will now take 189 of 277 seats in the National Assembly. Rightist opposition parties won only 28% of the vote and lost control of the body, which functions like a senate. Despite U.S. corporate media claiming the right-wing opposition boycotted the election, there was very public campaigning by…
www.fightbacknews.org/2020/12/9/big-win-venezuela-s-psuv-assurance-president-maduro

Venezuelan court convicts the CITGO Six
Lyn Neeley | workers.org | 2020-12-09
Venezuela's Supreme Court sentenced six top CITGO oil executives to prison for corruption, embezzlement, money laundering and conspiracy on Nov. 26. The former executives went behind the back of the Venezuelan state and signed an agreement with two U.S. based-international financial companies — for which they were detained in Nov. . . . | Continue reading Venezuelan court convicts the CITGO Six at Workers.org
workers.org/2020/12/53118/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=venezuelan-court-convicts-the-citgo-six

Embassy Protection Collective help monitor Venezuelan elections
| workers.org | 2020-12-09
By Jose Szepara On Dec. 6, Venezuelans will turn out to vote in the country's National Assembly elections, and the world waits with bated breath as observers from all over the world wait for the final results. Election monitoring groups have made their way to Venezuela to act as impartial . . . | Continue reading Embassy Protection Collective help monitor Venezuelan elections at Workers.org
workers.org/2020/12/53114/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=embassy-protection-collective-will-help-monitor-venezuelan-elections

Venezuela's PSUV retakes control of National Assembly despite low turnout
Eds. | mronline.org | 2020-12-09
With 99 percent of the votes counted, the PSUV has won 68 percent with a 30.5 percent participation rate.
mronline.org/2020/12/09/venezuelas-psuv-retakes-control-of-national-assembly-despite-low-turnout/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=venezuelas-psuv-retakes-control-of-national-assembly-despite-low-turnout

U.S. companies sold more than 60% of all arms in the international market in 2019
Peoples Dispatch | peoplesworld.org | 2020-12-09
In the run up to its annual yearbook next year, Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) released its first set of data on the international arms sales by the top 25 companies in the world on Monday, December 7. According to the report, U.S. companies dominated the rising international trade with a share of over …
peoplesworld.org/article/u-s-companies-sold-more-than-60-of-all-arms-in-the-international-market-in-2019/

Embassy Protection Collective will help monitor Venezuelan elections
| workers.org | 2020-12-09
By Jose Szepara On Dec. 6, Venezuelans will turn out to vote in the country's National Assembly elections, and the world waits with bated breath as observers from all over the world wait for the final results. Election monitoring groups have made their way to Venezuela to act as impartial . . . | Continue reading Embassy Protection Collective will help monitor Venezuelan elections. at Workers.org
workers.org/2020/12/53114/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=embassy-protection-collective-will-help-monitor-venezuelan-elections

Venezuela: New Parliament Needs To Solve a Way Out To Sanctions
telesurenglish.net | 2020-12-09
Over 6 million 200 thousand voters headed to the polls in Venezuela's parliamentary elections that took place under a climate of normality and total transparency as reported by international observers on December 6. | RELATED: | Venezuela: Constituent Assembly Will Cease Functions This Month | With 98.63 percent of the electoral records transmitted by the National Electoral Council (CNE) on Monday, the Great Patriotic Pole (GPP) coalition secured a majority in the new Parliame…
telesurenglish.net/news/Venezuela-New-Parliament-Needs-To-Solve-a-Way-Out-To-Sanctions-20201209-0002.html

At least eight people killed in anti-government protests in Iraq's Kurdistan region
Peoples Dispatch | peoplesdispatch.org | 2020-12-09
At least eight people have been killed by security forces in violence against the protestors in Iraqi Kurdistan which continued on Tuesday, December 8. On Monday, six people were killed when security forces and some cadres of the ruling parties opened fire on the protesters demanding timely disbursal of their salaries and more employment. Two more people died in similar incidents on Tuesday. | The peaceful protests in different districts of Iraq's Kurdistan region started on December 3 when thousands of teachers and other government employees demonstrated against the delay in their salaries accusing the regional…
peoplesdispatch.org/2020/12/09/at-least-eight-people-killed-in-anti-government-protests-in-iraqs-kurdistan-region/

Terrorists' presence in Azerbaijan, threat to region security
Mehr News Agency | en.mehrnews.com | 2020-12-09
TEHRAN, Dec. 09 (MNA) — Iranian Parliament Speaker said that the presence of terrorists and movements of the Zionist regime in the Republic of Azerbaijan is a threat to regional peace and security.
en.mehrnews.com/news/166989/Terrorists-presence-in-Azerbaijan-threat-to-region-security

10 Iranian ships are on their way to Venezuela with fuel
Peoples Dispatch | peoplesdispatch.org | 2020-12-09
According to reports, a fleet of 10 Iranian ships is carrying millions of barrels to help Venezuela deal with shortages in the domestic market. The ships will carry Venezuelan crude during their return journey…
peoplesdispatch.org/2020/12/09/10-iranian-ships-are-on-their-way-to-venezuela-with-fuel/

Venezuela Votes to End Neocolonialism, Create Its Own Path
Margaret Flowers | dissidentvoice.org | 2020-12-08
On December 2, the Embassy Protection Collective (EPC) members, who were arrested in May 2019 when the United States illegally invaded the Venezuelan embassy in Washington, DC, completed their probation, ending the risk of the 30 days in prison that was being held over their heads. I am one of the four who were arrested. …
dissidentvoice.org/2020/12/venezuela-votes-to-end-neocolonialism-create-its-own-path/

Action for Change Starts in Congress
Ralph Nader | counterpunch.org | 2020-12-08