Venezuela-ALBA Weekly 12.20.2019 Interviews with Evo Morales, US Authorizes over $400 million against Venezuela, Cuba Speeches

Manitos Children’s Fund: AFGJ launches Humanitarian Program for Venezuela
Manitos Children’s Fund raises money in North America (US and Canada) to buy food from Nicaraguan cooperatives to donate for children’s nutrition in Venezuela. The reason Venezuelan children need to have their nutrition supplemented is because the US government is trying to overthrow their government, and the weapon of choice is unilateral coercive measures – sanctions – that are explicitly forbidden in the Charter of the Organization of American States (OAS).

The Manitos Children’s Fund  hopes to ship our first 18 ton container of beans to Venezuela by the end of January. We need approximately $20,000 to purchase and ship the beans. The final price will depend on how good the current bean harvest is. I hope you can make a tax-deductible contribution online at: https://manitoschildrensfund.org/donate/. Or mail a check made out to AFGJ/Manitos Children’s Fund to 225 E 26th St., Ste. 1, Tucson, AZ 85713. https://manitoschildrensfund.org/

Bolivia
Alan Macleod and The Intercept.com: Glenn Greenwald’s interview with Evo Morales
The role of the US and lithium in the coup, the events during the coup and how he escaped. On Bush, Obama, Trump, Evo said :”I doubt that there are differences between them. Maybe in their form, but at the end of the day, there are no differences between them. They all speak of peace, but none speak of social justice or the independence of states, the dignity or identity of the people…so, as far as I see, democracy in America deceives its people into voting but neither the people nor the government rule, it is the transnational corporations who govern, whether it’s the Democrats or Republicans.”

Redfish interview with Evo Morales  “The unity of the people will always be the defeat of the empire. Ousted and exiled president Evo Morales speaking on the coup, the role of capitalism and imperialism in Latin America and the future of the struggle.

Orinoco Tribune: US and Almagro Defeated in the OAS After the Approval of a Caricom Resolution on Bolivia The OAS Secretary General Luis Almagro, and representation of the United States before the multilateral body suffered a resounding defeat in the Permanent Council when the Community of Caribbean States (Caricom) achieved the approval of a resolution that condemns the violence of the de facto government in Bolivia.

Venezuela
La Pupila Insomne: Time Magazine Won’t Say it, but Maduro is the Man of the Year A good summary of Venezuela’s accomplishments  combating the US war on their country. It is important to add that for the third year in a row the Chavista government has stood up to and pushed back Washington’s regime change goal, setting an example for all other countries in the world. However, the article exaggerates when it claims Venezuela has overcome shortages and hyperinflation.

Nino Pagliccia  The US Approves Bill That May Legislate Hybrid Warfare On Venezuela
The bill states “not less than $30 million shall be made available for democracy programs for Venezuela.” It is not possible to know if this is above the previously reported $52 million announced by USAID last September. Aside from the $30 million, the VERDAD Act authorises a whopping $400 million for fiscal year 2020 to carry out “humanitarian relief” activities such as humanitarian assistance to individuals and communities in Venezuela and humanitarian aid to Venezuelans and hosting communities in neighboring countries.

Moreover, the VERDAD Act calls for a “new presidential election in Venezuela that complies with international standards” (read, accepted by the US), with international observers like the OAS (read, the organization that contributed to the military coup in Bolivia), and boosting “independent media outlets” (read, corporate media). To carry out this activity, the bill grants an extra $17.5 million to the office of the Secretary of State.

Orinoco Tribune: Venezuela Repudiates US Law on Venezuela – Deepens Aggression Against Venezuelans (Communique) “this law only seeks the restoration of neoliberal Venezuela and the plundering of its resources, for which it openly raises an alleged regime of legal guardianship over Venezuela, in which even the political puppet allies in the Venezuelan opposition would be tied to the opinions and “recommendations” of the US government..In the face of this new aggression, the People and the Government of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela remain firmly within the path of legality, peace and heroic effort to build social justice, always ready to defend, in any scenario and in any modality, its Constitution and its participatory and protagonist democracy of illegal coercive measures and acts of war and destabilization.”

Eva Bartlett: Western leaders, screw your ‘Sanctions Target the Regime’ blather: Sanctions KILL PEOPLE Venezuela’s Foreign Minister, Jorge Arreaza:“We told Mr Elliott Abrams, ‘the coup has failed, so now what are you going to do?’ He kind-of nodded and said, ‘Well, this is going to be a long-term action, then, and we are looking forward to the collapse of your economy.’” Indeed, that collapse would come about precisely due to the immoral US sanctions against the Venezuelan people.

Sputnik News: Russia Delivers 200,000 Packages of Insulin Drugs to Venezuela. 5 million more planned  With the first shipment of insulin, Russia becomes the only supplier to Venezuela.Insulin is a crucial hormone for people suffering from type 1 diabetes mellitus and who cannot survive without its administration. US sanctions against Venezuela have closed the door to access to traditional suppliers causing incredible pain to the Venezuelan population. According to the Minister of Industry and Commerce of Russia, Denís Mánturov, the implementation of this project will be an important step in the development of cooperation between Russia and Venezuela in the humanitarian field, as well as an important step in the expansion of non-energy exports.

Nicaragua
World Economic Forum: Nicaragua among the 10 countries are closest to achieving gender equality In fifth place is Nicaragua, after Iceland, Norway, Finland, Sweden.The United States is 53rd in the ranking.

Cuba
Miguel Diaz-Canel: The Cuban economy has advanced in spite of worsening Blockade and without neoliberal prescriptions

“There is a lot of talent and capacity to develop on the island, he said. We must make the economy participative and supportive – that is how we have acted in these complex times. The empire’s threats have not achieved their purpose of destroying the Revolution and it has all been thanks to our people,” he said.

Of the main accomplishments of 2019, the first of these is surpassing projections in the Housing Plan. Among other achievements, Cuba has maintained its recognized status as a preferred, safe destination, even though the number of visitors we would have liked was not reached.The computerization of society is also advancing. We already have 3g and 4g telephone technology.

Neoliberalism, he said, exists thanks to imperialism and capitalism. The battle is against capitalism, the system that generates neoliberal politics.

Speech by Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel, at ALBA Conference, summarizing the Year’s Struggle against US domination of Our America In this inspiring speech he presents the year of heroic struggle throughout the Americas against US control. “The government of the United States and its allies launched, and insist on continuing, a ferocious, unscrupulous destabilization campaign in the region. They are doing so by resuming the brutal application of the Monroe Doctrine, to which the current administration in Washington has openly and arrogantly committed itself… While eight hundred and twenty million people are threatened with death by hunger, twenty trillion dollars are stashed in tax havens…Neoliberalism is based on competition, socialism on solidarity. Neoliberalism in the private accumulation of wealth; socialism in the sharing of wealth. Neoliberalism in defending the interests of capital; socialism, human rights and those of nature.”They do not forgive us not only for choosing to assert independence, freedom, sovereignty over our resources and self-determination, but also for demonstrating that we are capable of defending this choice.

Latin America Year in Review
COHA: Roger Harris – 2019  Latin America in Review: Year of the Revolt of the 

Dispossessed It has not been a bullish year for US imperialism, notwithstanding the hard turns to the right in Brazil, Bolivia, and Ecuador.  Powerful winds against neoliberalism are gusting in Brazil, Ecuador, Chile, Peru, Argentina, Haiti, Honduras, Guatemala, and even in the US “Commonwealth” of Puerto Rico. Regime-change operations failed in Venezuela, Cuba, and Nicaragua. US-preferred candidates suffered losses in Mexico, Colombia, and Bolivia (later reversed by a coup). And the hegemon is challenged in its own “backyard” by the increased influence of Russia and especially China, now the second largest trading partner with Latin America and the Caribbean.

Events
Vancouver, December 31 New Year’s Eve: Celebrate 61 years of Cuban Revolution!
Join the International Days of Action against Sanctions and Economic War March 13-15, 2020
2nd National Conference for the Normalization of US-Cuba Relations New York City March 21-22, 2020

Delegations: Nicaragua, Venezuela, Cuba
Sandino Vive! Delegation to Nicaragua February 13-23, 2020
Food sovereignty delegation to Venezuela  January 3-12, 2020
Organic Growers Association Cuba Agroecology Tour, January 7-16
Tour of Worker Cooperatives in Cuba, January 11-20
Cuba: The People, Government and US Policy Feb 28- March 8  Witness for Peace

Sites to Follow Venezuela, Bolivia:
Friends of Evo’s Bolivia
Stand with Venezuela
Orinoco Tribune
Venezuela Solidarity New York
End Venezuela Sanctions

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