mintpressnews--2020-02-14--Yemen: UN Medical Air Bridge Little More Than Saudi PR Stunt Say Desperate Patients

AbdulKhaliq Abbas was overjoyed when he heard the much-hyped news that the Saudi-led coalition was finally going to allow humanitarian flights to take off from Yemen ’ s Sana ’ a Airport .
Finally , he hoped , his five-year-old daughter Rua ’ a could travel aboard a long-promised UN flight to get medical care abroad .
Today , Abbas is back to square one , frustrated that the long-awaited flights have not proceeded as promised .
Last week , the United Nations announced that an air bridge would finally begin to evacuate Yemenis to Jorden for medical treatment following @ @ @ @ @ @ @ government in Sana ’ a and Saudi-led Coalition .
So far , Just two flights have taken place , the first on February 3 and the second on February 8 .
The UN promises that more operations will take place in the coming days , transporting patients to either Egypt or Jordan for specialized care .
Lise Grande , United Nations Humanitarian Coordinator in Yemen described the move as a very important step “ It ’ s a day of hope .
It shows that everyone wants the people who need help to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , adding , “ The key is to have many flights , bigger planes so that the people who need aid can get to the places where they will receive it.
” However , the humanitarian non-profit the Norwegian Refugee Council ( NRC ) said that move comes too late .
The NRC confirmed that thousands of Yemenis had been handed down a death sentence when the Saudi-led military coalition waging a war on Yemen closed down the Sana ’ a International Airport in 2016 .
“ Today ’ s move comes too @ @ @ @ @ @ @ waiting to leave the country for urgent life-saving care , ” NRC ’ s Yemen Country Director , Mohammed Abdi said , adding , “ Many more are still waiting to get the healthcare they need.
” Director-General of Sana ’ a International Airport , Khalid al-Shaif said two flights that have taken place were not part of a medical air bridge but were cherry-picked cases that flew out on the UN special envoy ’ s own plane .
“ In fact , there is no air bridge in the country as the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Just cases evacuated by the special envoy ’ s plane .
There are no medical aircraft that have taken off or landed at Sana ’ a airport so far .
Patients have also not been scheduled [ for flights ] by the United Nations , ” al-Shaif said .
Every day , the blockade on Sana ’ a International Airport , imposed by the Saudi-led coalition and supported by the United States , has killed dozens of times as many people as the much-hyped coronavirus .
In 2016 , the Coalition — which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ only UN-chartered planes to take off from the facility .
The blockade has prevented thousands of sick Yemenis from leaving the country for medical urgent care and stopped medicine and equipment from getting in .
This on top of the fact that the Coalition , supported by the United States , has severely damaged health care systems in Yemen , disrupting people ’ s ability to treat both chronic and communicable diseases and leaving 19.7 million people in need of basic health care , according to the UN .
AbdulKhaliq ’ s daughter @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the liver and needs to be evacuated according to her doctor .
Along with 6,000 other Yemeni children , Rua ’ a ’ s condition can not be treated in Yemen and her doctor says she needs treatment abroad as soon as possible.
” Doctors here don ’ t have the capabilities to treat her .
Her health became worse and worse , ” Rua ’ a ’ s father told us with frustration as his voice breaks mid-sentence .
“ We do not know when we ’ ll get a chance @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ten days after the UN first announced the “ medical air bridge , ” which was supposed to be a rare glimpse of hope in the world ’ s worst humanitarian crisis , flights have not proceeded as planned causing patients and their families to lose their last hope of keeping their loved ones alive .
On the first civilian flight , only seven children were evacuated to Jordan to treatment on the special envoy ’ s plane , a diplomatic aircraft with no medical equipment available inside .
Only 25 of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that need medical treatment abroad have reached Jordan as of Friday , February 8 .
According to the Medical Committee which coordinates with the UN to evacuate the most urgent cases , the flights were scheduled to start on the third of February for 30 patients along with their loved ones as agreed , but recent changes have distributed this number across four trips .
“ The first fight was scheduled to start on the third of February , for 30 patients with their companions as agreed , but the changes distributed this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ministry of Public Health in Sana ’ a said in a statement .
“ This to contrary to the requirements for medical evacuations and the Ministry was surprised by the World Health Organization speech that included changes in medical bridge arrangements and patient transfer mechanisms.
” Too little , too late At the sprawling Khozeimah Cemetery in Sana ’ a , a 10-years old read Quran on his young mother ’ s grave and then places fresh flowers on the dull , gray stone .
His mother had kidney failure and needed a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ she died , just one week after the second UN flight to Jordan .
For two years , she had been waiting for a UN flight .
The UN ’ s air bridge led to growing disappointment among Yemeni patients .
Many Yemeni described it as little more than a public relations move aimed at improving Saudi Arabia ’ s image in the world .
If it proceeds at its current rate , transferring 28 patients a month , it would take 15 years to evacuate all 32,000 patients currently in urgent need @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a health official in Sana ’ a , at least 250 patients have died since February 3 , when the first air bridge flight took place .
Moreover , the number of patients who need to evacuate abroad has rapidly increased , meaning the gesture is little more than that , and can not hope to address the deteriorating health situation in the country , according to Yemen ’ s medical officials .
Frustrated patients , activists and doctors describe the air bridge , accompanied by all of its media hype , as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ other than to exacerbate the suffering of patients who travel from far-flung districts and die waiting for a chance to board one of the UN flights .
Since 2015 , when the war began , more than 220,000 medical patients had been prevented from traveling abroad for treatment due to Saudi Arabia ’ s closure of the Sana ’ a airport .
Now , at least 300,000 are suffering from conditions that can not be treated inside the war-battered Arab country , and need to evacuate abroad to save-life try .
Feature photo @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as he waits in the departure lounge at Sana ’ a International airport , Yemen , Feb. 3 , 2020 , for a United Nations medical relief flight carrying patients from Yemen to Jordan .
Hani Mohammed | AP Ahmed AbdulKareem is a Yemeni journalist .
He covers the war in Yemen for MintPress News as well as local Yemeni media .

AbdulKhaliq Abbas was overjoyed when he heard the much-hyped news that the Saudi-led coalition was finally going to allow humanitarian flights to take off from Yemen’s Sana’a Airport. Finally, he hoped, his five-year-old daughter Rua’a could travel aboard a long-promised UN flight to get medical care abroad. Today, Abbas is back to square one, frustrated that the long-awaited flights have not proceeded as promised.
Last week, the United Nations announced that an air bridge would finally begin to evacuate Yemenis to Jorden for medical treatment following two years of negotiations between the Houthi government in Sana’a and Saudi-led Coalition. So far, Just two flights have taken place, the first on February 3 and the second on February 8. The UN promises that more operations will take place in the coming days, transporting patients to either Egypt or Jordan for specialized care.
Lise Grande, United Nations Humanitarian Coordinator in Yemen described the move as a very important step “It’s a day of hope. It shows that everyone wants the people who need help to get that help,” Grande said, adding, “The key is to have many flights, bigger planes so that the people who need aid can get to the places where they will receive it.”
However, the humanitarian non-profit the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) said that move comes too late. The NRC confirmed that thousands of Yemenis had been handed down a death sentence when the Saudi-led military coalition waging a war on Yemen closed down the Sana’a International Airport in 2016. “Today’s move comes too late for thousands of Yemenis who died waiting to leave the country for urgent life-saving care,” NRC’s Yemen Country Director, Mohammed Abdi said, adding, “Many more are still waiting to get the healthcare they need.”
Director-General of Sana’a International Airport, Khalid al-Shaif said two flights that have taken place were not part of a medical air bridge but were cherry-picked cases that flew out on the UN special envoy’s own plane. “In fact, there is no air bridge in the country as the United Nations and coalitions countries claim. Just cases evacuated by the special envoy’s plane. There are no medical aircraft that have taken off or landed at Sana’a airport so far. Patients have also not been scheduled [for flights] by the United Nations,” al-Shaif said.
Every day, the blockade on Sana’a International Airport, imposed by the Saudi-led coalition and supported by the United States, has killed dozens of times as many people as the much-hyped coronavirus. In 2016, the Coalition — which controls all Yemeni airspace — began allowing only UN-chartered planes to take off from the facility. The blockade has prevented thousands of sick Yemenis from leaving the country for medical urgent care and stopped medicine and equipment from getting in. This on top of the fact that the Coalition, supported by the United States, has severely damaged health care systems in Yemen, disrupting people’s ability to treat both chronic and communicable diseases and leaving 19.7 million people in need of basic health care, according to the UN.
Broken promises
AbdulKhaliq’s daughter, Rua’a, has cirrhosis of the liver and needs to be evacuated according to her doctor. Along with 6,000 other Yemeni children, Rua’a’s condition cannot be treated in Yemen and her doctor says she needs treatment abroad as soon as possible.”Doctors here don’t have the capabilities to treat her. Her health became worse and worse,” Rua’a’s father told us with frustration as his voice breaks mid-sentence. “We do not know when we’ll get a chance to get onto a UN flight.”
Ten days after the UN first announced the “medical air bridge,” which was supposed to be a rare glimpse of hope in the world’s worst humanitarian crisis, flights have not proceeded as planned causing patients and their families to lose their last hope of keeping their loved ones alive. On the first civilian flight, only seven children were evacuated to Jordan to treatment on the special envoy’s plane, a diplomatic aircraft with no medical equipment available inside. Only 25 of the tens of thousands of critically ill Yemenis that need medical treatment abroad have reached Jordan as of Friday, February 8.
According to the Medical Committee which coordinates with the UN to evacuate the most urgent cases, the flights were scheduled to start on the third of February for 30 patients along with their loved ones as agreed, but recent changes have distributed this number across four trips.
“The first fight was scheduled to start on the third of February, for 30 patients with their companions as agreed, but the changes distributed this number on four trips,” the Ministry of Public Health in Sana’a said in a statement. “This to contrary to the requirements for medical evacuations and the Ministry was surprised by the World Health Organization speech that included changes in medical bridge arrangements and patient transfer mechanisms.”
Too little, too late
At the sprawling Khozeimah Cemetery in Sana’a, a 10-years old read Quran on his young mother’s grave and then places fresh flowers on the dull, gray stone. His mother had kidney failure and needed a kidney transplant abroad. On Wednesday, she died, just one week after the second UN flight to Jordan. For two years, she had been waiting for a UN flight.
The UN’s air bridge led to growing disappointment among Yemeni patients. Many Yemeni described it as little more than a public relations move aimed at improving Saudi Arabia’s image in the world. If it proceeds at its current rate, transferring 28 patients a month, it would take 15 years to evacuate all 32,000 patients currently in urgent need of medical treatment abroad.
According to a health official in Sana’a, at least 250 patients have died since February 3, when the first air bridge flight took place. Moreover, the number of patients who need to evacuate abroad has rapidly increased, meaning the gesture is little more than that, and cannot hope to address the deteriorating health situation in the country, according to Yemen’s medical officials.
Frustrated patients, activists and doctors describe the air bridge, accompanied by all of its media hype, as a big lie that has no purpose other than to exacerbate the suffering of patients who travel from far-flung districts and die waiting for a chance to board one of the UN flights.
Since 2015, when the war began, more than 220,000 medical patients had been prevented from traveling abroad for treatment due to Saudi Arabia’s closure of the Sana’a airport. Now, at least 300,000 are suffering from conditions that cannot be treated inside the war-battered Arab country, and need to evacuate abroad to save-life try.
Feature photo | A Yemeni man holds his passport as he waits in the departure lounge at Sana’a International airport, Yemen, Feb. 3, 2020, for a United Nations medical relief flight carrying patients from Yemen to Jordan. Hani Mohammed | AP
Ahmed AbdulKareem is a Yemeni journalist. He covers the war in Yemen for MintPress News as well as local Yemeni media.


mintpressnews--2020-02-19--Michael Bloomberg Is Trying To take Down Bernie Sanders, Not Trump

Billionaire New York businessman Michael Bloomberg was a late arrival to the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination race , but he has certainly already made an impact .
Spending $ 327 million on TV advertising alone , the former mayor has jumped into second place in some national polls , running on a promise to “ unite America , defeat Donald Trump , and start getting big things done.
” Yet the fact that the world ’ s ninth richest person – someone with his own media empire – can so easily bypass the traditional democratic rules and compete nationally raises @ @ @ @ @ @ @ politics .
MintPress News spoke to political commentator Margaret Kimberley , editor of the Black Agenda Report and author of the new book Prejudential : Black America and the Presidents .
She stated that if the 2020 race comes down to a choice between two billionaires – Trump and Bloomberg – “ It says that we don ’ t have a democracy .
The facade is off and rich people are unafraid to show they are in control.
” But she also cautioned the public from underestimating him , claiming Bloomberg could easily @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the popular vote and Bloomberg is unlikely to make the same mistakes that Hillary Clinton did in neglecting a get out the vote effort.
” However , in order to face Trump , he would have to win the Democratic nomination , defeating front runner Bernie Sanders in the process .
And in recent days it is becoming increasingly unclear whom Bloomberg sees as his primary enemy : Trump or Sanders .
Today his campaign called on the other “ moderate ” candidates , such as Amy Klobuchar , Joe Biden and Pete @ @ @ @ @ @ @ behind him as the only force that can stop Bernie Sanders , who , he warns , will soon have an insurmountable lead in delegates .
“ I don ’ t think many people understand the dire circumstances here , ” said his campaign manager Kevin Sheekey .
Kimberley was unequivocal in her assessment of the situation and the billionaire ’ s motives : Bloomberg has been training his guns on the Vermont senator recently .
Earlier this week he released an advertisement video condemning Sanders ’ supporters for their supposed intolerance online @ @ @ @ @ @ @ making fun of him .
And today Sheekey condemned Bernie ’ s “ lies ” about Bloomberg ’ s health .
Sanders had claimed Bloomberg had suffered a heart attack , but Sheekey responded that it was an “ absolute lie , ” countering that Bloomberg ’ s 2000 double coronary stent operation was unrelated ( the difference between the two claims might be lost on most observers ) .
Sanders himself has been strongly critical of Bloomberg and what he sees as his attempt to “ buy this election , ” and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” racist policies while mayor of New York .
The number of controversial Stop and Frisk searches rose from 97,296 to 685,724 under Bloomberg ’ s watch , the practice having been almost completely repudiated by his successor Bill de Blasio .
According to the New York Civil Liberties Union , only 12 percent of those stopped were white .
Yet Bloomberg complained that far too many whites and not enough black or Latinos were being stopped .
“ 95 percent of your murders , murderers and murder victims , fit one M.O @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Xerox it and pass it out to all the cops .
They are male minorities , aged 16 to 25 , ” he said in a speech .
For Kimberley , Bloomberg ’ s racially insensitive history made it impossible for him to win over minorities .
“ The endorsements of ‘ leaders ’ will not give Bloomberg an in with black voters .
They will not countenance a candidate who has already carried out racist policies , ” she told MintPress .
It is unlikely that Sanders and Bloomberg are attempting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ base , given their strong ideological differences .
While Sanders has championed Medicare for All , Bloomberg has called for substantial cuts to healthcare .
“ We can not continue to say we ’ ve got to cut , but we can ’ t touch Medicare and Medicaid , Social Security , defense .
That ’ s virtually 90 percent of all of our spending , ” he said , having also stated that he wants the elderly to “ think twice before they use ” health services .
He has also advocated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Service .
While today ’ s nationwide Emerson poll shows that Trump ’ s approval rating stands at just 4 percent among Sanders supporters , Bloomberg himself was a good friend of the president until recently , only registering as a Democrat in October 2018 .
“ I think he ’ s a fantastic person .
He ’ s somebody that I know and respect .
He ’ s been a wonderful mayor of this city ; he ’ s done a great job , ” Trump said of Bloomberg in 2007 , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ took to be elected .
The former mayor of New York has unquestionably spent big , creating a slick and impressive operation targeting people through both traditional and social media and building up an impressive base of support .
But whether his real intention is to become President of the United States or simply stop Sanders doing the same thing remains an open question .

Billionaire New York businessman Michael Bloomberg was a late arrival to the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination race, but he has certainly already made an impact. Spending $327 million on TV advertising alone, the former mayor has jumped into second place in some national polls, running on a promise to “unite America, defeat Donald Trump, and start getting big things done.”
Yet the fact that the world’s ninth richest person – someone with his own media empire – can so easily bypass the traditional democratic rules and compete nationally raises serious questions about the state of American politics. MintPress News spoke to political commentator Margaret Kimberley, editor of the Black Agenda Report and author of the new book Prejudential: Black America and the Presidents. She stated that if the 2020 race comes down to a choice between two billionaires – Trump and Bloomberg – “It says that we don’t have a democracy. The facade is off and rich people are unafraid to show they are in control.” But she also cautioned the public from underestimating him, claiming Bloomberg could easily win in November: “Trump lost the popular vote and Bloomberg is unlikely to make the same mistakes that Hillary Clinton did in neglecting a get out the vote effort.”
However, in order to face Trump, he would have to win the Democratic nomination, defeating front runner Bernie Sanders in the process. And in recent days it is becoming increasingly unclear whom Bloomberg sees as his primary enemy: Trump or Sanders. Today his campaign called on the other “moderate” candidates, such as Amy Klobuchar, Joe Biden and Pete Buttigieg, to step down and unite behind him as the only force that can stop Bernie Sanders, who, he warns, will soon have an insurmountable lead in delegates. “I don’t think many people understand the dire circumstances here,” said his campaign manager Kevin Sheekey.
Kimberley was unequivocal in her assessment of the situation and the billionaire’s motives:
He is running to stop Sanders. It isn’t clear to me if he wants to be the nominee or kingmaker for a neoliberal candidate. No one who is acceptable to Bloomberg looks strong and [so] he has chosen to dispense with the middleman and run himself.
Bloomberg has been training his guns on the Vermont senator recently. Earlier this week he released an advertisement video condemning Sanders’ supporters for their supposed intolerance online, showing pictures of Twitter users creatively making fun of him. And today Sheekey condemned Bernie’s “lies” about Bloomberg’s health. Sanders had claimed Bloomberg had suffered a heart attack, but Sheekey responded that it was an “absolute lie,” countering that Bloomberg’s 2000 double coronary stent operation was unrelated (the difference between the two claims might be lost on most observers).
We pride ourselves on being the longest standing democracy in the world. To me that means one person, one vote. Mr. Bloomberg has every right to run for president. I don’t think he has the right to buy this election. pic.twitter.com/QTmxTG0gBu — Bernie Sanders (@BernieSanders) February 19, 2020
Sanders himself has been strongly critical of Bloomberg and what he sees as his attempt to “buy this election,” and his history of “humiliating and offensive” racist policies while mayor of New York. The number of controversial Stop and Frisk searches rose from 97,296 to 685,724 under Bloomberg’s watch, the practice having been almost completely repudiated by his successor Bill de Blasio.
According to the New York Civil Liberties Union, only 12 percent of those stopped were white. Yet Bloomberg complained that far too many whites and not enough black or Latinos were being stopped. “95 percent of your murders, murderers and murder victims, fit one M.O. You can just take the description, Xerox it and pass it out to all the cops. They are male minorities, aged 16 to 25,” he said in a speech.
Audio of @MikeBloomberg’s 2015 @AspenInstitute speech where he explains that “you can just Xerox (copy)” the description of male, minorities 16-25 and hand to cops. Bloomberg had video of speech blocked. Perhaps because of the problematic explanation he gives for #StopAndFrisk pic.twitter.com/Fm0YCi4ZRy — Benjamin Dixon (@BenjaminPDixon) February 10, 2020
For Kimberley, Bloomberg’s racially insensitive history made it impossible for him to win over minorities. “The endorsements of ‘leaders’ will not give Bloomberg an in with black voters. They will not countenance a candidate who has already carried out racist policies,” she told MintPress.
It is unlikely that Sanders and Bloomberg are attempting to win over much of the same base, given their strong ideological differences. While Sanders has championed Medicare for All, Bloomberg has called for substantial cuts to healthcare. “We cannot continue to say we’ve got to cut, but we can’t touch Medicare and Medicaid, Social Security, defense. That’s virtually 90 percent of all of our spending,” he said, having also stated that he wants the elderly to “think twice before they use” health services. He has also advocated the defunding of the United States Postal Service.
While today’s nationwide Emerson poll shows that Trump’s approval rating stands at just 4 percent among Sanders supporters, Bloomberg himself was a good friend of the president until recently, only registering as a Democrat in October 2018. “I think he’s a fantastic person. He’s somebody that I know and respect. He’s been a wonderful mayor of this city; he’s done a great job,” Trump said of Bloomberg in 2007, adding that he had the cash it took to be elected.
Mike Bloomberg is fooling no one. Bloomberg in 2011: “We cannot continue to say we’ve got to cut, but we can’t touch Medicare and Medicaid, Social Security, defense. That’s virtually 90 percent of all of our spending.” https://t.co/O6LmPs5pBC pic.twitter.com/PNUKZDWlQD — Zach Parkinson (@AZachParkinson) February 16, 2020
The former mayor of New York has unquestionably spent big, creating a slick and impressive operation targeting people through both traditional and social media and building up an impressive base of support. But whether his real intention is to become President of the United States or simply stop Sanders doing the same thing remains an open question.


mintpressnews--2020-02-19--Netanyahu “Optimistic” Israel Can Use Political Pressure To Shut Down ICC War Crimes Probe

TEL AVIV — Since the International Criminal Court ( ICC ) announced it would investigate war crimes committed by Israel in the Gaza Strip and occupied West Bank last December , Israel ’ s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been attempting to rally Israel ’ s allies in a multilateral effort to stop the ICC ’ s probe .
Those efforts have now left Netanyahu “ optimistic , ” with the embattled Prime Minister reportedly telling members of his cabinet that Israel ’ s efforts to lobby other countries against the ICC case is paying off , according to a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ We are struggling against this [ proceeding ] and , at our side , I must say , are many friends around the world [ which ] joined the U.S. in a steadfast stand alongside Israel , ” Reuters quoted Netanyahu as saying .
Those other friendly countries aside from the United States include Brazil , Hungary , Austria , Germany , the Czech Republic , and Australia , all of which have applied to file legal opinions with the ICC over its decision to investigate Israeli war crimes in occupied Palestine as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ICC probe from proceeding as planned .
These legal opinions are likely to echo claims already made by both the U.S. and Israel that the court has no jurisdiction over Gaza or the West Bank due to the absence of a sovereign Palestinian state , as Palestine is currently subjected to Israeli military law in the West Bank and a crippling blockade in the case of the Gaza Strip .
Neither Israel nor the U.S. are ICC member states while Palestine became a member state in 2015 .
This legal argument has been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Cooperation ( OIC ) , which is comprised of 57 Muslim-majority countries and has argued that Palestinians do have sovereignty over the West Bank and Gaza Strip .
Another likely ally of Israel in opposing and sabotaging the ICC probe is the United Kingdom , as the recently-elected Conservative government has moved to strengthen the country ’ s ties to Israel even more by promoting anti-boycott laws targeting Palestinian rights activists , among other measures .
One U.K. pro-Israel lobby group , the Conservative Friends of Israel ( CFI ) , has close @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has openly called for U.K. leadership to oppose the ICC investigation into Israel ’ s war crimes .
Netanyahu ’ s frenzied yet behind-the-scenes lobbying efforts to halt the ICC probe suggests that the probe greatly worries Israel at a time when Netanyahu has linked his reelection bid to the annexation of the vast majority of Palestine ’ s West Bank , an act that would be flagrantly illegal under international law .
In fact , the move would be so illegal under international law that Israel ’ s Attorney General ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be “ indefensible ” in front of the ICC and would open up top Israeli officials to prosecution .
Since the probe was announced in December , Netanyahu has not only heavily lobbied allied countries to oppose the ICC ’ s efforts , but he has also used a stream of attacks against both the ICC and its chief prosecutor , Fatou Bensouda , in an effort to discredit the probe by means of character assassination .
For instance , Netanyahu claimed in late December that “ new edicts are being cast against @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the International Criminal Court telling us that we , the Jews standing here next to this wall … in this city [ Jerusalem ] , in this country , have no right to live here and that by doing so , we are committing a war crime ( emphasis added ) .
” However , what Netanyahu failed to note is that the ICC investigation is not related to Zionism or Israel ’ s “ right to exist , ” but instead its use of military force in Palestine in ways that violate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ presence of Israeli settlements in the West Bank , themselves illegal under international law .
Fatou Bensouda responded to Netanyahu ’ s charges of anti-Semitism as “ particularly regrettable ” and “ without merit ” in a subsequent interview with The Times of Israel .
Netanyahu ’ s concern over the probe could also be found within the recent “ Deal of the Century ” that was created by the Trump administration in conjunction with Israel ’ s Netanyahu-led government , as that deal would require Palestinians to “ dismiss all pending actions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to Israel .
Surprisingly , that aspect of the so-called “ peace deal ” went largely unreported after the deal was revealed late last month .
The creation of the plan was largely overseen by President Trump ’ s son-in-law , Jared Kushner , who also boasts close personal ties to Netanyahu .
Kushner told Palestinians to “ take a cold shower ” and accept the plan so they don ’ t “ screw up , ” he said , like with “ every other opportunity that they ’ ve ever had in @ @ @ @

TEL AVIV — Since the International Criminal Court (ICC) announced it would investigate war crimes committed by Israel in the Gaza Strip and occupied West Bank last December, Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been attempting to rally Israel’s allies in a multilateral effort to stop the ICC’s probe.
Those efforts have now left Netanyahu “optimistic,” with the embattled Prime Minister reportedly telling members of his cabinet that Israel’s efforts to lobby other countries against the ICC case is paying off, according to a recent report published by Reuters. “We are struggling against this [proceeding] and, at our side, I must say, are many friends around the world [which] joined the U.S. in a steadfast stand alongside Israel,” Reuters quoted Netanyahu as saying.
Those other friendly countries aside from the United States include Brazil, Hungary, Austria, Germany, the Czech Republic, and Australia, all of which have applied to file legal opinions with the ICC over its decision to investigate Israeli war crimes in occupied Palestine as part of an effort to prevent the ICC probe from proceeding as planned.
These legal opinions are likely to echo claims already made by both the U.S. and Israel that the court has no jurisdiction over Gaza or the West Bank due to the absence of a sovereign Palestinian state, as Palestine is currently subjected to Israeli military law in the West Bank and a crippling blockade in the case of the Gaza Strip. Neither Israel nor the U.S. are ICC member states while Palestine became a member state in 2015.
This legal argument has been directly disputed by the Organization for Islamic Cooperation (OIC), which is comprised of 57 Muslim-majority countries and has argued that Palestinians do have sovereignty over the West Bank and Gaza Strip.
Another likely ally of Israel in opposing and sabotaging the ICC probe is the United Kingdom, as the recently-elected Conservative government has moved to strengthen the country’s ties to Israel even more by promoting anti-boycott laws targeting Palestinian rights activists, among other measures. One U.K. pro-Israel lobby group, the Conservative Friends of Israel (CFI), has close ties to the current U.K. government and has openly called for U.K. leadership to oppose the ICC investigation into Israel’s war crimes.
Weaponizing Antisemitism
Netanyahu’s frenzied yet behind-the-scenes lobbying efforts to halt the ICC probe suggests that the probe greatly worries Israel at a time when Netanyahu has linked his reelection bid to the annexation of the vast majority of Palestine’s West Bank, an act that would be flagrantly illegal under international law. In fact, the move would be so illegal under international law that Israel’s Attorney General’s office warned Netanyahu that doing so would be “indefensible” in front of the ICC and would open up top Israeli officials to prosecution.
Since the probe was announced in December, Netanyahu has not only heavily lobbied allied countries to oppose the ICC’s efforts, but he has also used a stream of attacks against both the ICC and its chief prosecutor, Fatou Bensouda, in an effort to discredit the probe by means of character assassination.
For instance, Netanyahu claimed in late December that “new edicts are being cast against the Jewish people – anti-Semitic edicts by the International Criminal Court telling us that we, the Jews standing here next to this wall … in this city [Jerusalem], in this country, have no right to live here and that by doing so, we are committing a war crime (emphasis added).”
However, what Netanyahu failed to note is that the ICC investigation is not related to Zionism or Israel’s “right to exist,” but instead its use of military force in Palestine in ways that violate international law as well as the growing presence of Israeli settlements in the West Bank, themselves illegal under international law. Fatou Bensouda responded to Netanyahu’s charges of anti-Semitism as “particularly regrettable” and “without merit” in a subsequent interview with The Times of Israel.
Netanyahu’s concern over the probe could also be found within the recent “Deal of the Century” that was created by the Trump administration in conjunction with Israel’s Netanyahu-led government, as that deal would require Palestinians to “dismiss all pending actions” before the ICC that are related to Israel. Surprisingly, that aspect of the so-called “peace deal” went largely unreported after the deal was revealed late last month.
The creation of the plan was largely overseen by President Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, who also boasts close personal ties to Netanyahu. Kushner told Palestinians to “take a cold shower” and accept the plan so they don’t “screw up,” he said, like with “every other opportunity that they’ve ever had in their existence.”


mintpressnews--2020-02-20--Study: Medicare for All Would Save 68,000 lives, Half a Trillion Dollars Per year

A new study published in the prestigious medical journal The Lancet has calculated that a switch to a Medicare for All healthcare system would save the United States over 68,000 lives and over 450 billion dollars annually .
The report ’ s team , headed by Dr. Alison P. Galvani of Yale University , concluded that , “ the shift to single-payer health care would provide the greatest relief to lower-income households ” and reduce overall health spending by 13 percent .
Entitled “ Improving the prognosis of health care in the USA , ” the report makes a number @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that show the difference in costs between private healthcare and the Medicare system in place for those aged 65 or over .
It finds that there are huge cost savings that can be made by switching to socialized healthcare .
For example , the authors note that administrative costs in the private healthcare industry account for 12.4 percent of all spending , compared with just 2.2 percent under Medicare .
A great deal of onerous paperwork – a major source of physician burnout and a distraction from patient care – would be eliminated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to charge and collect fees from every patient .
The study also estimates that a unified system of billing and administration would greatly streamline the process , saving $ 219 billion every year .
One area where there would be unexpected savings would be in the reduction of fraud .
When Taiwan transitioned to a single payer system in the 1990s , there was an 8 percent reduction in overall national healthcare expenditure attributed to the reduction in false claims .
The authors claim that a unified , standardized system makes irregularities far @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the government is barred from negotiating prices with drug companies , leading to a situation where American-made HIV medication sells for $ 8 in Australia and up to $ 2,000 domestically .
Meanwhile , the cost of insulin tripled during the 2010s , to the point it is now ten times as expensive as in Canada .
The state of Utah pays some of its employees to travel to Mexico for lower prescription medication , as airplane tickets are cheaper than drugs .
The exception to the law is the Department of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ all drugs were bought for the same price the V.A .
pays , the United States would save more than $ 180 billion annually .
This is hardly an unreasonable price ; indeed , it is likely that the greatly increased purchasing power would lead to even larger savings .
But this is not taken into account in the study .
Nor does it consider the possible enormous savings that could be made by the government buying patents and producing drugs themselves , as Vermont senator Bernie Sanders has advocated .
In December @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Baker , who argues for a publicly financed pharmaceutical research network , where the taxpayer pays for medical research upfront and all inventions or drugs that come out of it are publicly available .
“ Drugs are almost invariably cheap to manufacture .
They end up being expensive because of patents and related monopolies , ” he explained .
More than 78 million Americans lack adequate health insurance and millions more are at risk of losing what they have .
Even accounting for the increased costs of the expansion of care , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ billion on hospital care , $ 23 billion on physician and clinical services , $ 177 billion on prescription drugs and $ 217 billion on other overheads .
As a result , annual healthcare spending per capita would drop from $ 10,739 to $ 9,330 .
Perhaps more importantly , however , the study also calculated the impact Medicare for All would have on the American mortality rate .
It found that universal coverage would save over 68,500 lives and 1.73 million life-years annually compared with the status quo .
And compared with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Act , which the Trump administration has tried to repeal , that figure would jump to 107,000 lives every year .
These are predominantly adults aged under 35 , both too young to be covered by Medicare and too poor to afford decent private coverage .
The U.S. spends between two to three times as much on health as other high-income nations , with the worst results among them .
For example , the cost of giving birth is $ 2,333 in Spain compared with $ 14,910 in the United States , yet @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that of Spain .
The crisis in the nation ’ s health has become an increasingly salient issue , with much of the Democratic presidential candidacy race revolving around the hopefuls ’ position on health .
An increasing number of people see Medicare for All as a silver bullet to the problem .
A September 2018 poll from Reuters found that nearly three-quarters of the country backed a single-payer system , including a majority of Republican voters .
Even when costs are emphasized in questioning , over 50 percent of Americans continue to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of physicians in the private healthcare industry back nationalization of the sector .
Last week freshman congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez suggested that she and Sanders would , if necessary , compromise on healthcare and settle for a public option when in the White House .
However , at a town hall with CNN last night , Sanders rejected the notion , claiming that Medicare for All is already a compromise in itself , and he would go no further .
Healthcare continues to be Americans ’ top priority in this election cycle .
This @ @ @ @ @ @ @ calling for radical change .
While the economic case has been made , the battle to elect legislators to push it through into law remains to be won .

A new study published in the prestigious medical journal The Lancet has calculated that a switch to a Medicare for All healthcare system would save the United States over 68,000 lives and over 450 billion dollars annually. The report’s team, headed by Dr. Alison P. Galvani of Yale University, concluded that, “the shift to single-payer health care would provide the greatest relief to lower-income households” and reduce overall health spending by 13 percent.
Entitled “Improving the prognosis of health care in the USA,” the report makes a number of basic calculations based on existing figures that show the difference in costs between private healthcare and the Medicare system in place for those aged 65 or over. It finds that there are huge cost savings that can be made by switching to socialized healthcare. For example, the authors note that administrative costs in the private healthcare industry account for 12.4 percent of all spending, compared with just 2.2 percent under Medicare.
A great deal of onerous paperwork – a major source of physician burnout and a distraction from patient care – would be eliminated under a system that did not have to charge and collect fees from every patient.
The study also estimates that a unified system of billing and administration would greatly streamline the process, saving $219 billion every year. One area where there would be unexpected savings would be in the reduction of fraud. When Taiwan transitioned to a single payer system in the 1990s, there was an 8 percent reduction in overall national healthcare expenditure attributed to the reduction in false claims. The authors claim that a unified, standardized system makes irregularities far easier to detect.
Under U.S. law, the government is barred from negotiating prices with drug companies, leading to a situation where American-made HIV medication sells for $8 in Australia and up to $2,000 domestically. Meanwhile, the cost of insulin tripled during the 2010s, to the point it is now ten times as expensive as in Canada. The state of Utah pays some of its employees to travel to Mexico for lower prescription medication, as airplane tickets are cheaper than drugs.
The exception to the law is the Department of Veterans Affairs (V.A.). If all drugs were bought for the same price the V.A. pays, the United States would save more than $180 billion annually. This is hardly an unreasonable price; indeed, it is likely that the greatly increased purchasing power would lead to even larger savings. But this is not taken into account in the study. Nor does it consider the possible enormous savings that could be made by the government buying patents and producing drugs themselves, as Vermont senator Bernie Sanders has advocated.
In December, MintPress News spoke to economist Dean Baker, who argues for a publicly financed pharmaceutical research network, where the taxpayer pays for medical research upfront and all inventions or drugs that come out of it are publicly available. “Drugs are almost invariably cheap to manufacture. They end up being expensive because of patents and related monopolies,” he explained.
More than 78 million Americans lack adequate health insurance and millions more are at risk of losing what they have. Even accounting for the increased costs of the expansion of care, the authors calculate yearly savings of $59 billion on hospital care, $23 billion on physician and clinical services, $177 billion on prescription drugs and $217 billion on other overheads. As a result, annual healthcare spending per capita would drop from $10,739 to $9,330.
Perhaps more importantly, however, the study also calculated the impact Medicare for All would have on the American mortality rate. It found that universal coverage would save over 68,500 lives and 1.73 million life-years annually compared with the status quo. And compared with the healthcare situation before the Affordable Care Act, which the Trump administration has tried to repeal, that figure would jump to 107,000 lives every year. These are predominantly adults aged under 35, both too young to be covered by Medicare and too poor to afford decent private coverage.
The U.S. spends between two to three times as much on health as other high-income nations, with the worst results among them. For example, the cost of giving birth is $2,333 in Spain compared with $14,910 in the United States, yet maternal mortality in the U.S. is double that of Spain. The crisis in the nation’s health has become an increasingly salient issue, with much of the Democratic presidential candidacy race revolving around the hopefuls’ position on health. An increasing number of people see Medicare for All as a silver bullet to the problem. A September 2018 poll from Reuters found that nearly three-quarters of the country backed a single-payer system, including a majority of Republican voters. Even when costs are emphasized in questioning, over 50 percent of Americans continue to support the idea. Even a majority of physicians in the private healthcare industry back nationalization of the sector.
Last week freshman congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez suggested that she and Sanders would, if necessary, compromise on healthcare and settle for a public option when in the White House. However, at a town hall with CNN last night, Sanders rejected the notion, claiming that Medicare for All is already a compromise in itself, and he would go no further.
Healthcare continues to be Americans’ top priority in this election cycle. This latest Lancet study adds weight to those calling for radical change. While the economic case has been made, the battle to elect legislators to push it through into law remains to be won.


mintpressnews--2020-02-21--Venezuelan Embassy in Washington Reopens Under Watch of Anti-Maduro Thugs

After evicting the Embassy Protectors , the Venezuelan embassy in Washington D.C. reopened yesterday under new ownership , as new “ Ambassador ” Carlos Vecchio and other allies of U.S.-supported anti-president Juan Guaidó moved into the building .
Yet despite the façade of normalcy , there were a number of problems with the situation in the plush Georgetown district of the capital .
Firstly , the “ ambassador ” was neither appointed nor even recognized by the government of Venezuela , only by the United States , who attempted to overthrow democratically elected President Nicolas Maduro at least four times @ @ @ @ @ @ @ than the last ) .
Secondly , the embassy is not able to carry out any normal functions , such as granting visas .
Thirdly , the entrance was surrounded by antiwar activists , protesting its reopening as a farce .
Even the police officer guarding the property could see the bizarre nature of the situation , telling journalist Anya Parampil on camera “ it ’ s not an actual working embassy .
Even as Vecchio and his Washington-funded team were settling in , activists from the feminist anti-war group CODEPINK arrived to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , as the U.S. government had done to them last year .
“ The Embassy Protection Collective is giving you a thirty-day notice to vacate , ” they said , as they found Vecchio guilty of the following offenses : • Being a shill for Big Oil in its attempts to control Venezuela .
• Defrauding US taxpayers by being paid by USAID to lobby US politicians .
• Being complicit in the wrongful death of at least 40,000 Venezuelans who have died as a result of the illegal , unethical and unilateral @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that you have advocated for .
• Illegally occupying a space meant to represent the Venezuelan people when in Venezuela the people have clearly rejected you and your policies .
• Advocating for military threats and actions against Venezuela .
CODEPINK claimed that under normal circumstances Vecchio could appeal the ruling , but “ given that there are no other fake ambassadors in the world ” they would simply have to go back to Venezuela , warning them that if they damaged the building they were illegally occupying they would be made to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ U.S. Capitol as punishment .
Virtually unheard of in Venezuela until last January , right-wing opposition figure Juan Guaidó shot to fame when he publicly declared himself president of the country , despite never having run for the office .
Through a series of tactics , including inciting public demonstrations and calling on the military to rebel , Guaidó attempted a number of coup attempts throughout 2019 , but to no avail .
Opinion polls show his public approval hovers at around 10 percent .
After widespread allegations of embezzlement of tens of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Guaidó was dropped even by his own political party , who expelled him last month .
While deeply unpopular inside Venezuela , he has retained the unflinching support of both party establishments in Washington , and of corporate media .
The Venezuelan was a guest of honor at Trump ’ s recent State of the Union speech where he described him as a “ very brave man who carries with him the hopes dreams and aspirations of all Venezuelans.
” Both Democrats and Republicans rose as one to give him a standing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was met with jeers and pelted with food by enraged crowds upon his return to Venezuela , chased away amid cries of “ traitor ” and “ fascist.
” This incident was described as “ being greeted by a throng of cheering supporters ” in the Western press .
As part of its support for his bid for power , the Trump administration forced all Venezuelan diplomats to leave the country , recognizing Guaidó ’ s associate Carlos Vecchio as the true ambassador .
Before they left , however , the Venezuelans invited @ @ @ @ @ @ @ defend their D.C. embassy from Vecchio .
At its height over 70 stayed around the clock .
They were subjected to attacks from the police and the government , who cut off the electricity and water to the building , bombarding them with light and sound cannons .
After a long standoff , police arrested the last remaining activists in May last year .
Last week the Embassy Protectors were put on trial and faced a year in prison and a six-figure fine each and were effectively prohibited from defending themselves .
Nevertheless @ @ @ @ @ @ @ through a guilty verdict and the case ended in a mistrial .
The new embassy is a microcosm of Guaidó ’ s attempted premiership ; backed by the U.S. but existing only in theory , with the Maduro government still holding office , supported by Western elitists but rejected by Venezuelans and constantly upstaged by activists .
Feature photo | Carlos Vecchio , the ambassador to Washington representing Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido , accompanied by Organization of American States ( OAS ) Permanent Representative Ambassador of Venezuela , Gustavo Tarre , left @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Jose Luis Silva speaks to supporters outside of the Venezuelan Embassy in Washington , May 16 , 2019 .
Jose Luis Magana | AP Alan MacLeod is a Staff Writer for MintPress News .
After completing his PhD in 2017 he published two books : Bad News From Venezuela : Twenty Years of Fake News and Misreporting and Propaganda in the Information Age : Still Manufacturing Consent .
He has also contributed to Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting , The Guardian , Salon , The Grayzone , Jacobin Magazine , Common Dreams the @ @ @ @ @ @ @

After evicting the Embassy Protectors, the Venezuelan embassy in Washington D.C. reopened yesterday under new ownership, as new “Ambassador” Carlos Vecchio and other allies of U.S.-supported anti-president Juan Guaidó moved into the building. Yet despite the façade of normalcy, there were a number of problems with the situation in the plush Georgetown district of the capital.
Firstly, the “ambassador” was neither appointed nor even recognized by the government of Venezuela, only by the United States, who attempted to overthrow democratically elected President Nicolas Maduro at least four times in 2019 (each with less success than the last).
Secondly, the embassy is not able to carry out any normal functions, such as granting visas. Thirdly, the entrance was surrounded by antiwar activists, protesting its reopening as a farce. Even the police officer guarding the property could see the bizarre nature of the situation, telling journalist Anya Parampil on camera “it’s not an actual working embassy.
https://twitter.com/anyaparampil/status/1230590704151388160
Even as Vecchio and his Washington-funded team were settling in, activists from the feminist anti-war group CODEPINK arrived to theatrically read them their own eviction notice, as the U.S. government had done to them last year.
“The Embassy Protection Collective is giving you a thirty-day notice to vacate,” they said, as they found Vecchio guilty of the following offenses:
Impersonating an ambassador. Being a shill for Big Oil in its attempts to control Venezuela. Defrauding US taxpayers by being paid by USAID to lobby US politicians. Attempting to foment a coup. Being complicit in the wrongful death of at least 40,000 Venezuelans who have died as a result of the illegal, unethical and unilateral coercive measures, also known as sanctions that you have advocated for. Illegally occupying a space meant to represent the Venezuelan people when in Venezuela the people have clearly rejected you and your policies. Advocating for military threats and actions against Venezuela.
CODEPINK claimed that under normal circumstances Vecchio could appeal the ruling, but “given that there are no other fake ambassadors in the world” they would simply have to go back to Venezuela, warning them that if they damaged the building they were illegally occupying they would be made to chant socialist slogans in front of the U.S. Capitol as punishment.
Virtually unheard of in Venezuela until last January, right-wing opposition figure Juan Guaidó shot to fame when he publicly declared himself president of the country, despite never having run for the office.
Through a series of tactics, including inciting public demonstrations and calling on the military to rebel, Guaidó attempted a number of coup attempts throughout 2019, but to no avail. Opinion polls show his public approval hovers at around 10 percent. After widespread allegations of embezzlement of tens of millions of dollars of U.S. taxpayer money, Guaidó was dropped even by his own political party, who expelled him last month.
While deeply unpopular inside Venezuela, he has retained the unflinching support of both party establishments in Washington, and of corporate media. The Venezuelan was a guest of honor at Trump’s recent State of the Union speech where he described him as a “very brave man who carries with him the hopes dreams and aspirations of all Venezuelans.” Both Democrats and Republicans rose as one to give him a standing ovation. But in contrast, Guaidó was met with jeers and pelted with food by enraged crowds upon his return to Venezuela, chased away amid cries of “traitor” and “fascist.” This incident was described as “being greeted by a throng of cheering supporters” in the Western press.
As part of its support for his bid for power, the Trump administration forced all Venezuelan diplomats to leave the country, recognizing Guaidó’s associate Carlos Vecchio as the true ambassador. Before they left, however, the Venezuelans invited dozens of anti-war activists to occupy and defend their D.C. embassy from Vecchio. At its height over 70 stayed around the clock.
They were subjected to attacks from the police and the government, who cut off the electricity and water to the building, bombarding them with light and sound cannons. After a long standoff, police arrested the last remaining activists in May last year. Last week the Embassy Protectors were put on trial and faced a year in prison and a six-figure fine each and were effectively prohibited from defending themselves. Nevertheless, the prosecution was unable to force through a guilty verdict and the case ended in a mistrial.
The new embassy is a microcosm of Guaidó’s attempted premiership; backed by the U.S. but existing only in theory, with the Maduro government still holding office, supported by Western elitists but rejected by Venezuelans and constantly upstaged by activists.
Feature photo | Carlos Vecchio, the ambassador to Washington representing Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido, accompanied by Organization of American States (OAS) Permanent Representative Ambassador of Venezuela, Gustavo Tarre, left, and Venezuela’s Defense Attache Jose Luis Silva speaks to supporters outside of the Venezuelan Embassy in Washington, May 16, 2019. Jose Luis Magana | AP
Alan MacLeod is a Staff Writer for MintPress News. After completing his PhD in 2017 he published two books: Bad News From Venezuela: Twenty Years of Fake News and Misreporting and Propaganda in the Information Age: Still Manufacturing Consent. He has also contributed to Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting, The Guardian, Salon, The Grayzone, Jacobin Magazine, Common Dreams the American Herald Tribune and The Canary.


mintpressnews--2020-02-21--As Media Amplifies Unrest in Venezuela and Beyond, Millions Are Quietly Revolting in Colombia

Many of the massive anti-neoliberal protest movements that exploded across the globe last year have pressed on into 2020 , especially those that rose up throughout Latin America .
Many of those demonstrations — clearly newsworthy due to their enormous size , composition , and motives — were and continue to be ignored by prominent English language news outlets , essentially creating a media blackout of these movements .
This trend has been particularly magnified in Latin American countries whose current governments are closely allied with the United States , with Colombia , in particular , standing out .
Despite @ @ @ @ @ @ @ thousands of people fueled by anger over state corruption , proposed neoliberal reforms and a spike in murders of social leaders , the unrest in Colombia has garnered remarkably little international media attention .
In contrast , U.S.-supported right-wing movements attempting to topple socialist governments like those in Venezuela and Bolivia have received a great deal of coverage and open support from both the media and the political class .
It is certainly telling that international media outlets largely ignored the protests of Colombia ’ s teachers , who were motivated to act @ @ @ @ @ @ @ violence targeting them incited by the government itself , leading to several murders and hundreds of death threats in the span of just a few months .
Colombia ’ s President Iván Duque ’ s political mentor Álvaro Uribe , himself president between 2002 and 2010 , accused the country ’ s teachers of brainwashing the youth : “ Teachers only teach them to yell and to insult , not how to debate , warping their minds , ” he said .
That story was overlooked in the media , likely due to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s conservative government and the United States .
Colombia remains the continent ’ s top recipient of American military aid , despite the fact that the U.S. government itself has disclosed ties between Colombia ’ s military , former President Uribe and the illegal drug trade .
Of the recent protests that have taken place in Colombia , the strikes led by Colombian teachers and one of the main teachers ’ unions in the country — the Colombian Federation of Education Workers ( Fecode ) — have received almost no coverage in English-language @ @ @ @ @ @ @ around demands for better wages or increased funding for public education but around the slew of death threats and recent murders that have targeted Colombia ’ s education workers .
“ Our teachers continue to be threatened and attacked , ” said Fecode head Nelson Alcaron , “ This government is indolent .
It isn ’ t taking measures to protect their lives , ” he added , noting that 240 have been threatened this year alone .
“ We live in a country that kills children , that kills social leaders , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is why we have to change something .
We can not continue to live like this , ” another protester said .
Though the fact that Colombian teachers are protesting in defense of their very lives is clearly newsworthy , adding to the importance of the demonstrations is the fact that these murders and death threats are closely tied to Colombia ’ s current government led by President Iván Duque .
Duque and his political allies have incited violence against the country ’ s teachers , and those affiliated with Fecode in particular @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the Democratic Center , have stepped up their rhetoric towards education workers , asserting that teachers ’ unions , namely Fecode , “ must disappear ” while some Democratic Center politicians have moved to criminalize teacher protests and strikes and fire any teachers who make political statements deemed non-essential to the subject they teach .
As these verbal attacks have grown , teachers in Colombia have been increasingly targeted , especially after Fecode-led strikes and demonstrations took place during the latter half of last year denouncing a new wave of threats towards @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Duque ’ s political base .
One demonstration in August was partially spurred by the brutal murder of school principal Orlando Gómez , who was abducted from the school where he worked and then murdered after having received numerous death threats for his educational work in the violence-plagued Cauca region .
As noted by Fecode during a 24-hour teacher strike “ in defense of the lives of teachers ” that took place last September , 10 teachers were murdered and another 700 received death threats during Duque ’ s first year in office @ @ @ @ @ @ @ threats were directly related to “ a systematic social media campaign of harassment and outright lies against educators and their students ” led by Democratic Center activists and leaders .
Yet , since 2020 began , the wave in violence against teachers has continued to grow .
In the first two weeks of February alone , one teacher was murdered , a regional coordinator of Fecode survived an assassination attempt , an entire school was forced to close down due to death threats made against teachers , and 15 Fecode-linked teachers were forced @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and worked .
Last week , death threats were sent to an additional 25 teachers ahead of their school ’ s plan to commemorate a massacre committed by a paramilitary group 25 years ago .
In response to the wave of violence and threats , Fecode announced another strike to take place in coming weeks to both highlight and denounce the dangerous situation faced by Colombian teachers .
One reason for the jump in violence targeting Fecode and Colombian teachers may be due to the fact that their demonstrations helped to spur much @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and groups in Colombian society in their opposition to various right-wing policies of the Colombian government .
Following the Fecode-led demonstrations in August and September of last year , a massive national strike and anti-government protests saw hundreds of thousands take to the streets last November amid a backdrop of anti-government demonstrations in several other Latin American countries , including Chile and Ecuador .
Today , seven million Colombian students have been left without teachers amid a massive strike .
The national strike was joined , not just by Fecode , but by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ student groups , indigenous and Afro-Colombian communities and farmers , among others .
It was the largest national strike to take place in Colombia since the late 1970s and was met by the Duque government with curfews , border closures , rubber bullets and teargas , with at least one person killed by a police projectile .
Since November , however , the national strikes and general anti-government sentiment have continued , with national strikes and related demonstrations taking place in December and January .
Another strike is planned for Friday and a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in March .
Protest organizers asserted last month that these actions will continue “ until something changes , ” with the high rate of murders targeting social leaders remaining one of the main complaints of those demonstrating .
While the protests have gripped Colombia , they have barely been reported in the Western press , with coverage of the monthslong rebellion garnering barely a few , disinterested mentions .
CNN , for example , appears not to have discussed the events for over two months .
When mentioned at all , the idea @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of “ foreign meddling ” ( CNN ) from Venezuela or “ Russian trolls ” ( New York Times ) is often floated .
In comparison , there was widespread coverage of and immediate support for the right-wing protests and coup attempt that brought down Bolivia ’ s socialist president Evo Morales in November , with media falsely claiming he had resigned ( CBS News ) due to election fraud ( New York Times ) .
Collectively , corporate media welcomed the fall of a supposed “ full-blown dictatorship ” ( Miami Herald @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” ( The Economist ) .
One reason for the lack of media coverage likely owes to the decades-long U.S.-Colombia alliance .
In order to cover the popular movements against Duque ’ s government , the media would have to acknowledge the gravity of Colombia ’ s current situation , which would then increase international pressure on Duque and his administration to address the issues that motivate the protests , something the U.S. government does not support .
Duque was elected president in May 2018 to much fanfare from the Western press .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ state of terror , his leftist challenger Gustavo Petro narrowly escaping an assassination attempt , while many of his supporters were less lucky .
This was the first election in which the left felt they had a chance of gaining power since the assassination of President Jorge Gaitan in 1947 , an event that sparked decades of civil war .
Right-wing paramilitary death squads linked to the government issued public death threats , promising to kill those who voted for Petro .
In addition to the intimidation tactics , there was also widespread @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Daniel Kovalik , an election observer , was mistaken for a voter and offered money to vote for Duque .
There were over 1,000 official electoral fraud complaints .
Despite this , corporate media heralded the flawed election as a victory for democracy , downplaying or flatly ignoring its failings .
For example , CNN stressed that “ though there have been isolated incidents of violence related to the election , they have been minimal , ” suggesting that the only fear voters had was that Petro would swing the country “ dangerously @ @ @ @ @ @ @ creatively told its readers that there was a “ taboo ” against voting for leftists in Colombia .
After his victory , Donald Trump invited Duque to the White House where he said that it was “ a great honor ” to be “ working very closely ” with him , especially on regime change in Venezuela .
In comparison , the Venezuelan election taking place at the same time , overseen and praised by 150 international observers was written off as a “ heavily rigged ” ( New York Times ) “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ) and the “ coronation of a dictator ” ( The Independent ) , despite the lack of evidence of fraud .
Duque , as previously mentioned , is the protege of Álvaro Uribe , a man once ranked by the U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency “ on a list of 104 important narco-traffickers contracted by the Colombian narcotics cartels ” and who was alleged to have served as the “ head of Colombia ’ s paramilitary groups ” by former paramilitary members prior to and during his time as president .
Under Uribe @ @ @ @ @ @ @ series of extrajudicial murders and massacres that resulted in over 10,000 deaths .
Dubbed the “ False Positives Scandal , ” Colombian forces would murder anyone they wished , later claiming their victims were members of the leftist revolutionary army the FARC .
Through this practice , the military could impose its rule across the country through terror and by disappearing those who opposed it .
One member of Duque ’ s Democratic Center party , Senator Carlos Meisel , recently called for this Uribe-era program to be reinstated .
This policy was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ United States to control the country through force .
Thousands of soldiers and other security forces have been trained at the notorious School of the Americas in Fort Benning , GA ( now rebranded as the Western Hemisphere Institute for Security ) .
There , recruits are taught that communist subversion is a cancer that must be immediately eradicated through force to ensure freedom across the Americas .
They are instructed on torture techniques based off Gestapo manuals .
Signs of communism , leaked instruction books show , include criticizing the judiciary or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ groups , striking , questioning the government , circulating petitions and refusing to pay rents and taxes .
Indeed , as historian Doug Stokes found , one manual entitled Revolutionary War , Guerrillas and Communist Ideology noted that participation in the democratic process was a dangerous sign of subversion , as communists can “ resort to subverting the government by means of elections in which the insurgents cause the replacement of an unfriendly government ofﬁcial to one favourable to their cause.
” The forces trained by the School of the Americas took the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ far and away the most dangerous country in the world to be an activist .
According to the United Nations , a minimum of 107 human rights defenders were killed in 2019 , with the number of those killed in 2020 already hitting double digits , something the U.N. High Commissioner on Human Rights describes as a “ staggering , ” “ vicious and endemic cycle of violence and impunity.
” More trade unionists are killed in Colombia than all other countries combined , with over 2,000 killed between 1991 and 2006 , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , 52 journalists have been killed since 1992 , compared to just five in Venezuela ( none of whom were killed by the government ) .
Uribe and other presidents partnered closely with the U.S. in its “ Plan Colombia ” program , a campaign ostensibly aimed at reducing drug production but whose real target was the local population and leftist militias such as FARC .
Colombia has some of the most fertile , unspoiled land on the planet , and underneath lies a mountain of oil and valuable minerals .
Under the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ U.S. and its local partners have forced millions of people off their ancestral land , impoverishing them in the process .
And if they refuse to leave , they are often killed and labeled as FARC terrorists afterward .
As a consequence of near-constant violence , Colombia has the largest internally displaced population in the world .
16 percent of the country — some 7.7 million people — have been forced from their homes in a massively underreported genocide , a disproportionate amount of them from black or indigenous backgrounds .
For context @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 6.2 million .
Yet because Colombia has for decades been a close ally of the United States and Europe , the country continues to be referred to as a “ democracy.
” This has led to academics coming up with new phrases to explain the apparent paradox , including “ low-intensity democracies , ” “ undemocratic democracies ” and even “ genocidal democracies.
” The fact that so many groups — students , unionists , victims of violence , farmers and teachers — are on the streets in such numbers protesting today is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the long history of violence meted out by the government and its death squads .
But like in Chile , young and the disadvantaged are beginning to break the spell and lose their fear .
While the outcome is far from certain , the conviction of those protesting is not in doubt .
Feature photo | Police detain a protester in Bogota , Colombia , Jan. 21 , 2020 .
Student and labor groups called for new protests as they hope to reignite demonstrations against President Ivan Duque that brought thousands to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ range of grievances with his conservative government .
Ivan Valencia | AP Whitney Webb is a MintPress News journalist based in Chile .
She has contributed to several independent media outlets including Global Research , EcoWatch , the Ron Paul Institute and 21st Century Wire , among others .
She has made several radio and television appearances and is the 2019 winner of the Serena Shim Award for Uncompromised Integrity in Journalism .
Alan MacLeod is a Staff Writer for MintPress News .
After completing his PhD in 2017 he published two books @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Years of Fake News and Misreporting and Propaganda in the Information Age : Still Manufacturing Consent .
He has also contributed to Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting , The Guardian , Salon , The Grayzone , Jacobin Magazine , Common Dreams the American Herald Tribune and The Canary .

Many of the massive anti-neoliberal protest movements that exploded across the globe last year have pressed on into 2020, especially those that rose up throughout Latin America. Many of those demonstrations — clearly newsworthy due to their enormous size, composition, and motives — were and continue to be ignored by prominent English language news outlets, essentially creating a media blackout of these movements.
This trend has been particularly magnified in Latin American countries whose current governments are closely allied with the United States, with Colombia, in particular, standing out. Despite being faced with protests from hundreds of thousands of people fueled by anger over state corruption, proposed neoliberal reforms and a spike in murders of social leaders, the unrest in Colombia has garnered remarkably little international media attention.
In contrast, U.S.-supported right-wing movements attempting to topple socialist governments like those in Venezuela and Bolivia have received a great deal of coverage and open support from both the media and the political class.
It is certainly telling that international media outlets largely ignored the protests of Colombia’s teachers, who were motivated to act largely due to a dangerous wave of violence targeting them incited by the government itself, leading to several murders and hundreds of death threats in the span of just a few months. Colombia’s President Iván Duque’s political mentor Álvaro Uribe, himself president between 2002 and 2010, accused the country’s teachers of brainwashing the youth: “Teachers only teach them to yell and to insult, not how to debate, warping their minds,” he said.
That story was overlooked in the media, likely due to the close ties between the country’s conservative government and the United States. Colombia remains the continent’s top recipient of American military aid, despite the fact that the U.S. government itself has disclosed ties between Colombia’s military, former President Uribe and the illegal drug trade.
Colombian teachers protest to defend their lives
Of the recent protests that have taken place in Colombia, the strikes led by Colombian teachers and one of the main teachers’ unions in the country — the Colombian Federation of Education Workers (Fecode) — have received almost no coverage in English-language media. The Fecode-led strikes revolve not around demands for better wages or increased funding for public education but around the slew of death threats and recent murders that have targeted Colombia’s education workers.
“Our teachers continue to be threatened and attacked,” said Fecode head Nelson Alcaron, “This government is indolent. It isn’t taking measures to protect their lives,” he added, noting that 240 have been threatened this year alone. “We live in a country that kills children, that kills social leaders, with a government that is against peace…That is why we have to change something. We cannot continue to live like this,” another protester said.
Though the fact that Colombian teachers are protesting in defense of their very lives is clearly newsworthy, adding to the importance of the demonstrations is the fact that these murders and death threats are closely tied to Colombia’s current government led by President Iván Duque. Duque and his political allies have incited violence against the country’s teachers, and those affiliated with Fecode in particular. The president’s political party, the Democratic Center, have stepped up their rhetoric towards education workers, asserting that teachers’ unions, namely Fecode, “must disappear” while some Democratic Center politicians have moved to criminalize teacher protests and strikes and fire any teachers who make political statements deemed non-essential to the subject they teach.
As these verbal attacks have grown, teachers in Colombia have been increasingly targeted, especially after Fecode-led strikes and demonstrations took place during the latter half of last year denouncing a new wave of threats towards teachers which they assert are linked to Duque’s political base. One demonstration in August was partially spurred by the brutal murder of school principal Orlando Gómez, who was abducted from the school where he worked and then murdered after having received numerous death threats for his educational work in the violence-plagued Cauca region.
As noted by Fecode during a 24-hour teacher strike “in defense of the lives of teachers” that took place last September, 10 teachers were murdered and another 700 received death threats during Duque’s first year in office. Fecode claimed the murders and death threats were directly related to “a systematic social media campaign of harassment and outright lies against educators and their students” led by Democratic Center activists and leaders.
Yet, since 2020 began, the wave in violence against teachers has continued to grow. In the first two weeks of February alone, one teacher was murdered, a regional coordinator of Fecode survived an assassination attempt, an entire school was forced to close down due to death threats made against teachers, and 15 Fecode-linked teachers were forced to flee the town where they lived and worked. Last week, death threats were sent to an additional 25 teachers ahead of their school’s plan to commemorate a massacre committed by a paramilitary group 25 years ago. In response to the wave of violence and threats, Fecode announced another strike to take place in coming weeks to both highlight and denounce the dangerous situation faced by Colombian teachers.
Western media ignore largest strike in over 40 years
One reason for the jump in violence targeting Fecode and Colombian teachers may be due to the fact that their demonstrations helped to spur much larger protests that have united diverse factions and groups in Colombian society in their opposition to various right-wing policies of the Colombian government. Following the Fecode-led demonstrations in August and September of last year, a massive national strike and anti-government protests saw hundreds of thousands take to the streets last November amid a backdrop of anti-government demonstrations in several other Latin American countries, including Chile and Ecuador. Today, seven million Colombian students have been left without teachers amid a massive strike.
The national strike was joined, not just by Fecode, but by the country’s labor unions, student groups, indigenous and Afro-Colombian communities and farmers, among others. It was the largest national strike to take place in Colombia since the late 1970s and was met by the Duque government with curfews, border closures, rubber bullets and teargas, with at least one person killed by a police projectile.
Since November, however, the national strikes and general anti-government sentiment have continued, with national strikes and related demonstrations taking place in December and January. Another strike is planned for Friday and a separate strike is scheduled to take place in March. Protest organizers asserted last month that these actions will continue “until something changes,” with the high rate of murders targeting social leaders remaining one of the main complaints of those demonstrating.
While the protests have gripped Colombia, they have barely been reported in the Western press, with coverage of the monthslong rebellion garnering barely a few, disinterested mentions. CNN, for example, appears not to have discussed the events for over two months. When mentioned at all, the idea that the protests are largely the result of “foreign meddling” (CNN) from Venezuela or “Russian trolls” (New York Times) is often floated.
In comparison, there was widespread coverage of and immediate support for the right-wing protests and coup attempt that brought down Bolivia’s socialist president Evo Morales in November, with media falsely claiming he had resigned (CBS News) due to election fraud (New York Times). Collectively, corporate media welcomed the fall of a supposed “full-blown dictatorship” (Miami Herald) and the “restoration of democracy” (The Economist).
State-backed terror and “low-intensity democracy” in Colombia
One reason for the lack of media coverage likely owes to the decades-long U.S.-Colombia alliance. In order to cover the popular movements against Duque’s government, the media would have to acknowledge the gravity of Colombia’s current situation, which would then increase international pressure on Duque and his administration to address the issues that motivate the protests, something the U.S. government does not support.
Duque was elected president in May 2018 to much fanfare from the Western press. The election took place under a generalized state of terror, his leftist challenger Gustavo Petro narrowly escaping an assassination attempt, while many of his supporters were less lucky. This was the first election in which the left felt they had a chance of gaining power since the assassination of President Jorge Gaitan in 1947, an event that sparked decades of civil war. Right-wing paramilitary death squads linked to the government issued public death threats, promising to kill those who voted for Petro. In addition to the intimidation tactics, there was also widespread vote buying; American human rights lawyer Daniel Kovalik, an election observer, was mistaken for a voter and offered money to vote for Duque. There were over 1,000 official electoral fraud complaints.
Despite this, corporate media heralded the flawed election as a victory for democracy, downplaying or flatly ignoring its failings. For example, CNN stressed that “though there have been isolated incidents of violence related to the election, they have been minimal,” suggesting that the only fear voters had was that Petro would swing the country “dangerously to the left.” Meanwhile, Al-Jazeera creatively told its readers that there was a “taboo” against voting for leftists in Colombia. After his victory, Donald Trump invited Duque to the White House where he said that it was “a great honor” to be “working very closely” with him, especially on regime change in Venezuela. In comparison, the Venezuelan election taking place at the same time, overseen and praised by 150 international observers was written off as a “heavily rigged” (New York Times) “farce cementing autocracy” (Huffington Post) and the “coronation of a dictator” (The Independent), despite the lack of evidence of fraud.
Duque, as previously mentioned, is the protege of Álvaro Uribe, a man once ranked by the U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency “on a list of 104 important narco-traffickers contracted by the Colombian narcotics cartels” and who was alleged to have served as the “head of Colombia’s paramilitary groups” by former paramilitary members prior to and during his time as president.
Under Uribe, the government carried out a years-long series of extrajudicial murders and massacres that resulted in over 10,000 deaths. Dubbed the “False Positives Scandal,” Colombian forces would murder anyone they wished, later claiming their victims were members of the leftist revolutionary army the FARC. Through this practice, the military could impose its rule across the country through terror and by disappearing those who opposed it. One member of Duque’s Democratic Center party, Senator Carlos Meisel, recently called for this Uribe-era program to be reinstated.
This policy was part of a longstanding partnership with the United States to control the country through force. Thousands of soldiers and other security forces have been trained at the notorious School of the Americas in Fort Benning, GA (now rebranded as the Western Hemisphere Institute for Security). There, recruits are taught that communist subversion is a cancer that must be immediately eradicated through force to ensure freedom across the Americas. They are instructed on torture techniques based off Gestapo manuals. Signs of communism, leaked instruction books show, include criticizing the judiciary or police, unrest among labor or student groups, striking, questioning the government, circulating petitions and refusing to pay rents and taxes. Indeed, as historian Doug Stokes found, one manual entitled Revolutionary War, Guerrillas and Communist Ideology noted that participation in the democratic process was a dangerous sign of subversion, as communists can “resort to subverting the government by means of elections in which the insurgents cause the replacement of an unfriendly government ofﬁcial to one favourable to their cause.”
The forces trained by the School of the Americas took the message to heart and made Colombia by far and away the most dangerous country in the world to be an activist. According to the United Nations, a minimum of 107 human rights defenders were killed in 2019, with the number of those killed in 2020 already hitting double digits, something the U.N. High Commissioner on Human Rights describes as a “staggering,” “vicious and endemic cycle of violence and impunity.” More trade unionists are killed in Colombia than all other countries combined, with over 2,000 killed between 1991 and 2006, alone according to Amnesty International. Meanwhile, 52 journalists have been killed since 1992, compared to just five in Venezuela (none of whom were killed by the government).
Uribe and other presidents partnered closely with the U.S. in its “Plan Colombia” program, a campaign ostensibly aimed at reducing drug production but whose real target was the local population and leftist militias such as FARC. Colombia has some of the most fertile, unspoiled land on the planet, and underneath lies a mountain of oil and valuable minerals. Under the guise of eradicating coca production, the U.S. and its local partners have forced millions of people off their ancestral land, impoverishing them in the process. And if they refuse to leave, they are often killed and labeled as FARC terrorists afterward.
As a consequence of near-constant violence, Colombia has the largest internally displaced population in the world. 16 percent of the country — some 7.7 million people — have been forced from their homes in a massively underreported genocide, a disproportionate amount of them from black or indigenous backgrounds. For context, Syria’s displaced population numbers 6.2 million.
Yet because Colombia has for decades been a close ally of the United States and Europe, the country continues to be referred to as a “democracy.” This has led to academics coming up with new phrases to explain the apparent paradox, including “low-intensity democracies,” “undemocratic democracies” and even “genocidal democracies.”
The fact that so many groups — students, unionists, victims of violence, farmers and teachers — are on the streets in such numbers protesting today is a testament to their fortitude, given the long history of violence meted out by the government and its death squads. But like in Chile, young and the disadvantaged are beginning to break the spell and lose their fear. While the outcome is far from certain, the conviction of those protesting is not in doubt.
Feature photo | Police detain a protester in Bogota, Colombia, Jan. 21, 2020. Student and labor groups called for new protests as they hope to reignite demonstrations against President Ivan Duque that brought thousands to the streets late last year with a wide range of grievances with his conservative government. Ivan Valencia | AP
Whitney Webb is a MintPress News journalist based in Chile. She has contributed to several independent media outlets including Global Research, EcoWatch, the Ron Paul Institute and 21st Century Wire, among others. She has made several radio and television appearances and is the 2019 winner of the Serena Shim Award for Uncompromised Integrity in Journalism.
Alan MacLeod is a Staff Writer for MintPress News. After completing his PhD in 2017 he published two books: Bad News From Venezuela: Twenty Years of Fake News and Misreporting and Propaganda in the Information Age: Still Manufacturing Consent. He has also contributed to Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting, The Guardian, Salon, The Grayzone, Jacobin Magazine, Common Dreams the American Herald Tribune and The Canary.