Venezuela & ALBA News#360, 7.9.2021: Biden Backs Guaido; DSA Meets with President Maduro; Response to Recent Criticisms of Nicaragua

Free Alex Saab Rally July 5 at visit of Cape Verde Prime Minister Ulisses Correia e Silva

Venezuela

WION: Biden reaffirms support for Venezuela opposition leader Guaido'Under your leadership and in coalition with civil society leaders you are preserving those ideals of freedom, democracy and sovereignty,' Biden wrote to Guaido. Biden said that Guaido is guiding his country 'through a peaceful democratic transition of power.' This is almost as disconnected from reality as his saying the US does not interfere in other countries' elections.

Orinoco Tribune: DSA Delegation Meets with President Maduro-Uproar Already in US

President Maduro, received a delegation of representatives from the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) at the Miraflores palace in Caracas, where they held a cordial meeting in which political and geopolitical issues were discussed along with history, on the occasion of the 200-year anniversary of the Battle of Carabobo that consolidated Venezuela's independence from the Spanish empire. The DSA delegation arrived in Venezuela on June 20, to participate in the Bicentennial Congress of the Peoples of the World and fulfill an agenda that allowed them to visit various states of the Caribbean nation.

Orinoco Tribune: 'They Make Unsubstantiated Accusations': Venezuela Calls Out Report by Michelle Bachelet's Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights

This report is the result of a Resolution promoted by a small group of governments with serious domestic human rights violations, that conspired to satisfy the policy of 'regime'-change promoted by the US against Venezuela. Based on a handful of alleged complaints of human rights violations, unverified accusations are made against the Venezuelan institutions, further manipulating the false narrative constructed to artificially supplement the file currently before the International Criminal Court, with the political objective of destabilizing the democratic institutions of Venezuela.

Mision Verdad: The Real Role of NGOs in VenezuelaThese operate as instruments of US foreign policy: Foro Penal Venezolano, Asociación Civil Control Ciudadano, Provea, Sumate.

Breakthrough News: (short video) US Sanctions Decimate Venezuelan Education Programand (short video)Sanctions Are a Crime Against Humanity

Orinoco Tribune: Venezuelan Oil Exports Skyrocket in JuneVenezuela's oil exports increased by 66% in comparison to last year's figures. About 631,900 barrels per day (bpd) of crude and refined products were shipped in at least 23 shipments in June, increasing oil exports by 6.5% since May and by 66% compared to the same month last year.

Peoples Dispatch: Venezuela immunizes its population against COVID-19 with Cuban vaccineVenezuela signed an agreement with Cuba for the purchase of 12 million doses of Abdala. Abdala, one of Cuba's five anti-COVID-19 vaccine candidates, showed 92.28% efficacy, which is the fourth highest efficacy in vaccines developed worldwide so far. The vaccine also showed efficacy against the mutant strains of the coronavirus that are spreading across the Latin American and Caribbean region. In February, the Bolivarian government purchased 10 million doses of the Sputnik V vaccine. On June 1, it launched a mass vaccination campaign for the rest of the population with Sputnik V vaccines and 100,000 doses of Sinopharm vaccines received in donation from China.The government also bought 11 million doses of vaccine through the WHO's COVAX initiative. However, the delivery of those vaccines was blocked due to the commercial, economic and financial blockade imposed by the United States against Venezuela.

Political Prisoner Alex Saab

Mision Verdad: US Bribes Cape Verde $440 Million in Exchange for Alex Saab's ExtraditionThe US announced an investment of $439 million to build a new US embassy facility. $100 million will go directly into the Cape Verdean economy. The disproportionately high figure for the construction of the building is striking, since it is equivalent to more than half of Cape Verde's Gross Domestic Product (GDP) forecast for the current year. The news outlet Justiciafuser pointed to the obvious connection between the 'investment' and the case of diplomat Alex Saab, who is illegally imprisoned by the government of Cape Verde due to US political influence: 'Local observers… have questioned the timing of this announcement coming as it does only days before the Cape Verde Constitutional Court is expected to decide on Alex Saab's appeal against his extradition to the United States.'

Workers World: International campaign grows to free Alex SaabThe visit of Prime Minister Ulisses Correia e Silva of Cabo Verde - a small, isolated island nation off the West coast of Africa - to the Cabo Verdean community in the Boston area brought out members of that community, along with Venezuelan solidarity activists, union members and antiwar activists from many organizations, to press for Saab's release. The arrest of a diplomat for any reason is unprecedented and completely illegal under international law. When Saab was abducted, Venezuela immediately pressed for his release to the African Union.

Orinoco Tribune: Biden Administration with 'Solid Case' Expects Cape Verde to Decide Soon on Alex Saab's Illegal DetentionGonzález, of Biden's National Security Council, was certain that the US administration is on solid legal ground in its actions against Saab, despite the countless elements of illegalities in his arrest and detention in Cape Verde that have made numerous legal experts label his case as abduction. González stated, regarding Alex Saab, 'we have a fairly strong case and he should be extradited,' disregarding the fact that the Swiss prosecutor office in charge of opening an investigation against him under US request, dismissed the case a few months ago for lack of evidence. The United Nations Human Rights Committee maintains its decision, originally issued at the beginning of June, that the Cape Verdean authorities must guarantee necessary medical attention to Saab and should refrain from extraditing him to the United States.

Nicaragua

Tortilla con Sal (Jorge Capelan): Nicaragua - Letter to a former Swedish solidarity brigadistaAn excellent reply to the open letter by many former brigadistas.

AFGJ: Your Organization is Invited to Sign On: As elections approach in Nicaragua, we call on the United States to stop interferingOpen letter opposing US Intervention.

Cuba

Danny Glover: Biden's Failure to End Trump's War on Cuba Is Threatening LivesImagine a country developing and producing its own Covid-19 vaccines, enough to cover its entire population, but being unable to inoculate everyone because of a syringe shortage. This absurd situation is real, and one that Cuba will soon face. Cuba has already vaccinated about 2 million of its 11 million people, and hopes to have 70 percent of the population vaccinated by August. Yet, because of the 60-year US embargo, which punishes civilians during a pandemic, the country is facing a shortage of millions of syringes.

Donate to send syringes to Cuba

Webinars

Webinar video: Economic & Social Advancements in Nicaragua

Webinar video: Sanctions deny the right of Venezuelans to food - A crime against humanityJoao Pedro Stedile, National Coordinator of Brazil's Landless Movement (MST) // Carlos Ron, President of the Simon Bolivar Institute, Venezuela // Maria Rodriguez, CLAP (Committees for Supply & Production) Representative, Francisco Dominguez, VSC Secretary.

July 15: Dan Kovalik reports on the Bicentennial Congress of the Peoples of the World in Caracas and the Activities of the US Delegation

July 17: What difference has 14 years of Sandinista government made?

July 25 Welcome Rally Cuban-American 'Miami-DC walkers'

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