Daily Archives: December 27, 2020

2020-12-27: News Headlines

Ben Norton (2020-12-27). Washington's favorite Venezuelan opposition leader exposes links to Colombian paramilitary and narco networks. thegrayzone.com While the US government and media glorify Leopoldo López as a new MLK, the Venezuelan opposition leader collaborates with Colombia's narco-affiliated, death squad-sponsoring former President àÅlvaro Uribe and his protegé Iván Duque. According to Western corporate media outlets and human rights groups, Venezuela's far-right opposition leader Leopoldo López is a hallowed saint. The New York Times glorified López as the would-be "savior" of Venezuela, akin to none other than Martin Luther King Jr., while Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International …

Arnold August (2020-12-27). Elections in Venezuela: The Trump-Guaidó "Pyrrhic Victory" and Its Achilles Heel. globalresearch.ca On December 14, a live webinar was broadcast on the topic of "The National and Regional Impact of Parliamentary Elections in Venezuela." It was organized by the Washington DC-based

yenisafak (2020-12-27). Turkey 'neutralizes' 15 PKK terrorists in Syria. yenisafak.com The commandos dealt a heavy blow to the PKK/YPG terrorist organization, it said in a statement.Turkish authorities use the word "neutralized" to imply the terrorists in question surrendered or were killed or captured.Since 2016, Turkey has launched a trio of successful anti-terror operations in northern Syria to prevent the formation of a terror corridor, and enable the peaceful settlement of residents: Euphrates Shield (2016), Olive Branch (2018), and Peace Spring (2019).In its more than 30-year terror campaign against Turkey, the PKK — listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the US, and the EU [mdas…

Online News Editor (2020-12-27). Ghani agrees to hold 2nd round of Afghan peace talks in Doha. laprensalatina.com Kabul, Dec 27 (efe-epa).- President Ashraf Ghani on Sunday agreed for the second round of the intra-Afghan peace negotiations to take place in the Qatari capital of Doha, although emphasized that future stages of the process should be held in Afghanistan. "Based on the request of the leadership of the negotiation team and the High …

Brett Wilkins, staff writer (2020-12-27). Relatives, Activists, and Attorneys Demand Justice for Andre' Hill, Unarmed Black Man Killed by Columbus Police. commondreams.org "Until we get justice for Andre' Hill, there won't be no peace in Columbus, there won't be no peace in Ohio, there won't be no peace in America," vowed civil rights attorney Benjamin Crump at a Saturday vigil. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/hill_1.jpg

news.un (2020-12-26). UN chief condemns attacks against peacekeepers in the Central African Republic. news.un.org The United Nations Secretary-General has strongly condemned Friday's attacks that killed three Burundian peacekeepers in the Central African Republic (CAR) and left another two wounded.

RT (2020-12-25). The real Gerasimov Doctrine: Russian Army chief says Moscow won't be drawn into arms race as Kremlin looks to cut defense costs. rt.com The head of Russia's General Staff has told foreign military attaches that Moscow has no intention of joining an arms race, and is much more interested in stabilizing the world and developing its defensive capabilities in peace. | "Next year, the Russian Ministry of Defense will continue to work to create conditions for the progressive and balanced development of the army and navy to ensure peaceful socio-economic development of the country without being drawn into a costly arms race," Valery Gerasimov said on Thursday. | The general also noted that Russia is capable of protecting the interests of the country…

MEE and agencies (2020-12-25). Libya's Khalifa Haftar urges his forces to 'drive out' Turkish soldiers. middleeasteye.net Libya's Khalifa Haftar urges his forces to 'drive out' Turkish soldiers | Eastern commander called Ankara a 'coloniser' and said there would be no peace until Turkish troops leave the country | Fri, 12/25/2020 – 17: 45 | Haftar's forces have been backed by the United Arab Emirates and Egypt (AFP/File photo) | Libya's eastern commander Khalifa Haftar has called on his fighters to "drive out…

_____ (2020-12-25). 2020 Latin America And The Caribbean In Review: The Pink Tide May Rise Again. popularresistance.org The balance between the US drive to dominate Latin America and the Caribbean and its counterpart, the Bolivarian cause of regional independence and integration, tipped portside by year end 2020 with major popular victories, including reversal of the coup in Bolivia and the constitutional referendum in Chile. Central has been the persistence of Venezuela's Bolivarian Revolution against the asphyxiating US blockade, along with the defiance by Cuba and Nicaragua of US regime-change measures. | The grand struggle played out against the backdrop of the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic, impacting countries differently depen…

Ralph Nader (2020-12-25). Recidivist Criminal and Constitutional Outlaw Trump Rushes to Pardon Criminal Lawbreakers. commondreams.org Trump and future presidents cannot be allowed to brazenly dishonor justice and undermine the rule of law. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/roger_stone_0_1.jpg

teleSUR (2020-12-25). Bolivia: President Arce Calls for Peace, Unity Among the People. telesurenglish.net Bolivia's President Luis Arce Friday called for peace and unity two months after the country took back its democracy from the coup-born regime led by Jeanine Añez (2019-2020). | RELATED: | "Unity is more important than ever now that we are rebuilding the country after the coup and the COVID-19 pandemic," he said on the occasion of Christmas and New Year's celebrations. | Arce highlighted the people's role in restorin…

Bob Topper (2020-12-25). Minority Rule in America? counterpunch.org On October 7, 2020, Republican Senator Mike Lee of Utah tweeted, "Democracy isn't the objective; liberty, peace, and prospefity are. We want the human condition to flourish. Rank democracy can thwart that." Rank? Lee is saying that if all eligible voters are allowed to do so, they will thwart "prospefity"? Who knew? For an American politician

Vijay Prashad (2020-12-24). All the Cannons Will Silently Rust. dissidentvoice.org Chittaprosad (India), Peace, undated. Our year has been eclipsed by the pandemic, the rush of a virus paralysing societies across the world. Some governments offered smarter, more scientific, and humane approaches to the pandemic; many (but not all) of these have been governments with a socialist orientation. Amongst them is the Indian state of Kerala, …

Eds. (2020-12-24). Indian women revive non-violent civil disobedience movements against the extinguishment of citizenship rights. mronline.org On 11 December 2019 one of the largest peaceful Civil Disobedience Movements in India after Indian Independence in defence of the Constitution and Constitutional rights, began under the leadership of Indian Muslim women in Delhi.

Cira Pascual Marquina (2020-12-24). Hugo Chávez and Maoism: A Conversation with Chris Gilbert. counterpunch.org Professor of political science at Venezuela's Bolivarian University, Chris Gilbert is creator and co-host of Escuela de Cuadros, a Marxist educational program broadcast in Venezuelan public television and a participant in the Barcelona-based project Seminari Taifa. Gilbert's articles have appeared in Rebelión, LaHaine, Monthly Review, and CounterPunch, and he has coauthored the recently-published book Venezuela,

Roger D. Harris (2020-12-24). 2020 Latin America and the Caribbean in Review: The Pink Tide May Rise Again. dissidentvoice.org The balance between the US drive to dominate Latin America and the Caribbean and its counterpart, the Bolivarian cause of regional independence and integration, tipped portside by year end 2020 with major popular victories, including reversal of the coup in Bolivia and the constitutional referendum in Chile. Central has been the persistence of Venezuela's Bolivarian …

Margaret Flowers (2020-12-24). US Airports Are Portals for Disease Spread. Venezuela Shows Another Way. zcomm.org People in the United States do have a lot to learn from Venezuelans and from people in many other countries that are handling the pandemic well…

WSWS (2020-12-24). Shut down the auto industry to save lives until a vaccine is available to all! Full compensation for all workers! wsws.org Just as no soldier wants to be the last one shot before a peace treaty, there is no justification for any further deaths to build Jeeps or F-150s while millions of people wait to be vaccinated.

Elsa Rassbach, Nick Mottern (2020-12-24). Activists and Parliamentarians Join Together to Prevent Armed Drones in Germany. commondreams.org "People are saying they cannot think of any peace movement struggle in recent years that has won such a striking victory. This brings hope to the whole peace movement." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/ban_drones_germany.jpg

John Kendall Hawkins (2020-12-23). Ralph Nader: He's a Cookbook! counterpunch.org "We can all sit down and have a few beers together while we wait." — Duke Mantee (Humphrey Bogart), The Petrified Forest (1936) Call before, you dig? — Utility notification for unmarked Internet cables from hippy who finally got a job The other day, minding my own business, and getting lots of unwanted help doing

Staff (2020-12-23). US Airports Are Portals for Disease Spread. Venezuela Shows Another Way. truthout.org I recently traveled to Venezuela to be an observer for its National Assembly election and was struck by a stark difference between the ways Venezuela and the United States are handling the COVID-19 pandemic. | My experience at the airport in Caracas, Venezuela, gave me a taste of what a coordinated public health approach looks like in practice, compared to the disjointed politicized approach in the United States. Airports in the United States are currently serving as uncontrolled portals of disease…

Martha Stilson (2020-12-23). Joy Is Possible Despite 2020 Mutating Coronavirus. indybay.org Peace starts with you. Peace starts with me. Share the peace and joy of the season despite Coronavirus. (Please be safe while doing so.)…