democracynow--2020-04-21--NYC Immigrant Communities Fight Hunger, Exploitation & Invisibility Through Mutual Aid

This is a rush transcript .
Copy may not be in its final form .
AMY GOODMAN : This is Democracy Now !
, democracynow.org , The Quarantine Report .
I ’ m Amy Goodman , with Juan Gonzalez , as we look at how the coronavirus pandemic is impacting undocumented people here in New York City , where the coronavirus has hit immigrant communities the hardest , even as the numbers of daily deaths statewide has declined in recent days .
In Queens , often hailed as the most diverse borough in the world , the neighborhoods of Corona @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Heights have been overrun with COVID-19 cases .
And even those who aren ’ t sick are reporting fears of hunger , with record-high unemployment , no federal assistance for undocumented immigrants .
Many are considered essential workers , continue to go to work every day , without protective equipment or health insurance .
Last week , hundreds of people lined up outside a church in Corona for a free bag of groceries and supplies .
The line stretched 22 blocks , if it wasn ’ t well over a thousand .
This @ @ @ @ @ @ @ AMY GOODMAN : Last week , California Governor Gavin Newsom announced a $ 125 million relief fund for undocumented immigrants in the state left jobless by the pandemic .
That ’ s California .
But when asked last Thursday about similar support in New York , Governor Andrew Cuomo refused to commit .
AMY GOODMAN : Governor Cuomo is meeting with President Trump at the White House today .
This comes as New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio has announced a $ 20 million initiative , sponsored by George Soros ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ payments to up to 20,000 undocumented immigrants throughout the city .
Individuals will receive $ 400 ; families will receive $ 1,000 .
As reports of widespread poverty and hunger continue in the immigrant communities , people are also organizing and helping each other through mutual aid , despite extraordinarily difficult circumstances in the epicenter of the epicenter .
For more , we ’ re joined by two guests .
Juan Carlos Ruiz is a Lutheran pastor at Good Shepherd Church in Brooklyn , co-founder of the national New Sanctuary Movement and the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ City .
And Cinthya Santos Briones is a Mexican photographer , anthropologist , community organizer based here in New York City .
Her recent piece in The Nation is headlined “ Immigrants Are Bearing the Brunt of the Coronavirus Crisis , ” and it ’ s part of a weekly series called “ The Invisible Front Line ” by The Nation and the Magnum Foundation .
Juan Carlos and Cinthya , thank you so much for joining us .
You both are married , so thank you for joining us together on one @ @ @ @ @ @ @ home in Brooklyn .
We welcome you both to Democracy Now !
Juan Carlos , why don ’ t you start off by talking about the scope of the problem , what people are not seeing ?
You know , the lines of people just in Queens alone far outnumber the protesters in different states calling for reopening the states , but you don ’ t see these images , Juan Carlos .
Describe them to us .
JUAN CARLOS RUIZ : So , basically , you know , it ’ s the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
This is a battleground .
The bodies are piling up .
As you know , the official number of bodies here in the city that died , the people that die at home wasn ’ t even part of the official count .
We have families living with infected people .
We have families who haven ’ t worked for over a month .
And also you have the other reality that many of our immigrant families , they have been in the frontlines .
They have become the essential workers — @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
But they ’ ve been going out to work without any protection .
You know , from the federal government , there is this confusion , mixed messages , disinformation , coming down the pipe .
Also , you know , there in New York in the last year or so , given that we have , as immigrants , become a target , a national target , by the federal government , we have become rather visible , but as a way of scapegoating us , as a way of practically @ @ @ @ @ @ @ You know , we have become the threat , or the public threat , for national security .
So , on the ground , the picture is bleak .
Our families are calling , not only the dead ones who are piling up in their homes , but they are hungry .
And they don ’ t know where to turn .
They don ’ t know where to go .
Our rapid response solidarity networks in the city , you know , all the way from Washington Heights , in Westchester , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , we ’ ve been responding — those rapid responses teams that have been doing a lot of the monitoring of the NYPD , how the NYPD locally has been in cahoots , working with ICE , despite the denial of de Blasio and Cuomo .
They keep working .
They ’ ve been complicit with this perfect storm .
You know , they keep denying that the local police has been working with ICE , but the last year or so , we have had many families who have been persecuted , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ police .
And this has created the perfect storm , because now the people , even any kind of a governmental institution , even when they need to go to the hospital , they have this deep distrust in these institutions , because we have been deceived over and over .
They are doing deceptive practices by our own local government in terms of being complicit with federal immigration .
So , the situation is dire .
And many , many of our families at this point not only do not have the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they don ’ t have the food that is necessary for their survival .
So — JUAN GONZÁLEZ : Yeah , I wanted to bring in Cinthya Santos Briones .
Cinthya , could you talk about the mutual aid ?
I mentioned some of the mutual aid we were doing here in New Brunswick in the Mexican community , immigrant community here .
But could you talk about what ’ s going on in New York City with immigrant communities ?
And also , there ’ s probably much more of a tradition @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in many Latin American communities because people come from countries where government support or the safety net is not as great .
CINTHYA SANTOS BRIONES : Yeah .
Thank you so much for bringing this out .
I think that I see a solidarity not only through the religious groups and organization , pro-immigrant organization , also through restaurants .
For example , in the Bronx , La Morada is feeding not just immigrants , also homeless .
I was speaking with one of the owners , and they were telling me like @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 400 meals .
And also , a lot of restaurants are in solidarity also , and people from the community .
The mutual aid , it ’ s not only from organization , it ’ s from people from their own immigrant communities .
You know , we have in Mexico and different Latin American communities , in indigenous community , in rural communities , these forms of traditional mutual aid .
You have community mutual aid that is right now in the transnational territory .
And that kind of form of mutual @ @ @ @ @ @ @ example , Myrna Lazcano , that is an activist from Mexico , her home , her small apartment , become the epicenter of help in Harlem .
And she is providing not only food to her community , also she is receiving calls and accompanying people who have their family sick in their own homes .
So , this mutual aid is coming also from the community for civilians .
And this is important to say , no ?
Of course , the organization of leaders , of faith leaders , are helping @ @ @ @ @ @ @ migrant communities are helping their neighbors , their families , their compadres and their comadres , in this crisis .
AMY GOODMAN : Cinthya , if you could talk about the media coverage of undocumented communities ?
What ’ s being missed ?
And the importance of the personal testimonies that you ’ ve been capturing in photos and you ’ ve been talking to people ?
CINTHYA SANTOS BRIONES : Yeah , of course .
After the government declared quarantine , I reached out through WhatsApp to some close friends from the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ how were they doing during this pandemic .
And as we were continuing to sharing , they were sending me photos and videos about their new life in this pandemic .
And I want to say something that some of my friends had been telling me .
They have been in front of this pandemic , but they have been always in front of any kind of disaster or pandemic .
This is not the first time that the body of the migrant has been facing a crisis .
They are always there @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at our homes as a babysitter , as a nanny .
So , I was reaching out , through Magnum Foundation and the national magazine , national Nation magazine .
So , we were talking about to do a piece .
And I proposed to show the photos and the videos that these people that is in the frontline are making .
As their role as citizen journalists , they are documenting through their own perspective , that we usually don ’ t see in the media , and at some point discolonize @ @ @ @ @ @ @ journalists and show the migrant vision of how they are feeling and seeing and living this crisis .
And we see , through these photos , how are the condition in their homes , you know , small apartments and a family living — one family of five members living in a one-bedroom apartment .
We are looking at , you know , people making tortillas .
Also , one of the photos that wasn ’ t published in this piece , but one of my friends sent me , Victoria , when @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Bergen County Jail , and her husband was there .
So , I think that it ’ s a lot of value when we see the importance in how migrants are documenting this crisis .
JUAN GONZÁLEZ : And I wanted to ask Juan Carlos Ruiz about the hospital situation , and especially with the undocumented .
Clearly , in the anti-immigrant atmosphere we ’ ve had in the country now for years , against undocumented specifically , many migrants may be afraid to go to the hospitals .
But now we hear @ @ @ @ @ @ @ saying that he ’ s going to try to shut down all immigration into the country , even legal immigration , for the future — this constant use of scapegoating of immigrants in the country under this administration .
JUAN CARLOS RUIZ : And as you know , Juan , I mean , we are fleeing these institutions from our home countries , you know , corrupt institutions , institutions that do not have the welfare of our communities .
So , we are not new to that .
But when we come @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you know , we expect something else , but it plays out differently when you have — you know , from the high echelons of power , when you have these kinds of attack against our community .
I mean , the rhetoric , the xenophobic rhetoric , the racism that has been fed , that continues to really have practical consequences , negative consequences , against — not only socially and culturally , but also economically , against our people .
You know , this virus has evidence , this whole infrastructure @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or resources into our communities , into the most vulnerable populations of our society .
So , basically , the virus has unmasked this machinery of death that feeds on the blood , you know ?
As Scott Stringer said , you know , we have a lot of blood on our hands .
And basically , even if we wash our hands day and night , it ’ s still bloody .
And the government has really , really caused this perfect storm by the bunch of lies , by continuing to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ victimize and scapegoat the immigrants and our black and brown communities .
AMY GOODMAN : Father Juan Carlos Ruiz , we want to thank you so much for being with us .
And again , we can not emphasize enough , for people to understand , 200 to 300 people a day , as confirmed by the mayor himself , are dying in their homes .
How many of them were afraid to go to the hospital , afraid they could be picked up by ICE ?
Father Juan Carlos Ruiz , co-founder @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you for being with us .
And , Cinthya Santos Briones , a Mexican photographer , anthropologist , community organizer based here in New York , we ’ re going to link to your piece in The Nation headlined “ Immigrants Are Bearing the Brunt of the Coronavirus Crisis ” and your remarkable photographs .
This is Democracy Now !
When we come back , who ’ s getting bailed out , and who isn ’ t ?
And then we go to Otay Mesa in California , where women immigrants have been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ COVID-19 .
Stay with us .
AMY GOODMAN : That ’ s Dr. Colleen Farrell performing “ Amazing Grace ” at Bellevue Hospital with accompaniment , as the staff held a service for their beloved nurse , Filipino nurse Ernesto DeLeon , who died from COVID-19 .

This is a rush transcript. Copy may not be in its final form.
AMY GOODMAN: This is Democracy Now!, democracynow.org, The Quarantine Report. I’m Amy Goodman, with Juan Gonzalez, as we look at how the coronavirus pandemic is impacting undocumented people here in New York City, where the coronavirus has hit immigrant communities the hardest, even as the numbers of daily deaths statewide has declined in recent days. In Queens, often hailed as the most diverse borough in the world, the neighborhoods of Corona, Elmhurst, East Elmhurst, Jackson Heights have been overrun with COVID-19 cases. And even those who aren’t sick are reporting fears of hunger, with record-high unemployment, no federal assistance for undocumented immigrants. Many are considered essential workers, continue to go to work every day, without protective equipment or health insurance. Last week, hundreds of people lined up outside a church in Corona for a free bag of groceries and supplies. The line stretched 22 blocks, if it wasn’t well over a thousand. This is Rosi Sutelo speaking to Univision.
ROSI SUTELO: [translated] We can’t afford rent. We can’t afford food. That’s why we’re hoping we’ll get more help for everyone. That’s why we’re here.
AMY GOODMAN: Last week, California Governor Gavin Newsom announced a $125 million relief fund for undocumented immigrants in the state left jobless by the pandemic. That’s California. But when asked last Thursday about similar support in New York, Governor Andrew Cuomo refused to commit.
GOV. ANDREW CUOMO: When you are broke, it would be irresponsible to do these things. I do hope and believe the federal government should have a more inclusive policy. All right, let’s do one —
JOSEFA VELÁSQUEZ: For example, that undocumented immigrants, that there’s no shot —
GOV. ANDREW CUOMO: Well, we’re looking at it, but we have real financial problems right now.
AMY GOODMAN: Governor Cuomo is meeting with President Trump at the White House today. This comes as New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio has announced a $20 million initiative, sponsored by George Soros’s Open Society Foundation, to send one-time payments to up to 20,000 undocumented immigrants throughout the city. Individuals will receive $400; families will receive $1,000. As reports of widespread poverty and hunger continue in the immigrant communities, people are also organizing and helping each other through mutual aid, despite extraordinarily difficult circumstances in the epicenter of the epicenter.
For more, we’re joined by two guests. Juan Carlos Ruiz is a Lutheran pastor at Good Shepherd Church in Brooklyn, co-founder of the national New Sanctuary Movement and the New Sanctuary Coalition here in New York City. And Cinthya Santos Briones is a Mexican photographer, anthropologist, community organizer based here in New York City. Her recent piece in The Nation is headlined “Immigrants Are Bearing the Brunt of the Coronavirus Crisis,” and it’s part of a weekly series called “The Invisible Front Line” by The Nation and the Magnum Foundation.
Juan Carlos and Cinthya, thank you so much for joining us. You both are married, so thank you for joining us together on one Skype as you join us from your home in Brooklyn. We welcome you both to Democracy Now! Juan Carlos, why don’t you start off by talking about the scope of the problem, what people are not seeing? You know, the lines of people just in Queens alone far outnumber the protesters in different states calling for reopening the states, but you don’t see these images, Juan Carlos. Describe them to us.
JUAN CARLOS RUIZ: So, basically, you know, it’s the despair that we seen on the ground. This is a battleground. The bodies are piling up. As you know, the official number of bodies here in the city that died, the people that die at home wasn’t even part of the official count. We have families living with infected people. We have families who haven’t worked for over a month. And also you have the other reality that many of our immigrant families, they have been in the frontlines. They have become the essential workers — and still invisible, very much invisible. But they’ve been going out to work without any protection.
You know, from the federal government, there is this confusion, mixed messages, disinformation, coming down the pipe. Also, you know, there in New York in the last year or so, given that we have, as immigrants, become a target, a national target, by the federal government, we have become rather visible, but as a way of scapegoating us, as a way of practically persecuting us under the Homeland Security. You know, we have become the threat, or the public threat, for national security.
So, on the ground, the picture is bleak. Our families are calling, not only the dead ones who are piling up in their homes, but they are hungry. And they don’t know where to turn. They don’t know where to go.
Our rapid response solidarity networks in the city, you know, all the way from Washington Heights, in Westchester, here in Sunset Park and Bay Ridge, we’ve been responding — those rapid responses teams that have been doing a lot of the monitoring of the NYPD, how the NYPD locally has been in cahoots, working with ICE, despite the denial of de Blasio and Cuomo. They keep working. They’ve been complicit with this perfect storm. You know, they keep denying that the local police has been working with ICE, but the last year or so, we have had many families who have been persecuted, raided with the help of New York police. And this has created the perfect storm, because now the people, even any kind of a governmental institution, even when they need to go to the hospital, they have this deep distrust in these institutions, because we have been deceived over and over. They are doing deceptive practices by our own local government in terms of being complicit with federal immigration.
So, the situation is dire. And many, many of our families at this point not only do not have the means to pay the rent, but they don’t have the food that is necessary for their survival. So —
JUAN GONZÁLEZ: Yeah, I wanted to bring in Cinthya Santos Briones. Cinthya, could you talk about the mutual aid? I mentioned some of the mutual aid we were doing here in New Brunswick in the Mexican community, immigrant community here. But could you talk about what’s going on in New York City with immigrant communities? And also, there’s probably much more of a tradition of mutual aid at the community level in many Latin American communities because people come from countries where government support or the safety net is not as great.
CINTHYA SANTOS BRIONES: Yeah. Thank you so much for bringing this out. I think that I see a solidarity not only through the religious groups and organization, pro-immigrant organization, also through restaurants. For example, in the Bronx, La Morada is feeding not just immigrants, also homeless. I was speaking with one of the owners, and they were telling me like they are providing per day 500 or 400 meals. And also, a lot of restaurants are in solidarity also, and people from the community.
The mutual aid, it’s not only from organization, it’s from people from their own immigrant communities. You know, we have in Mexico and different Latin American communities, in indigenous community, in rural communities, these forms of traditional mutual aid. You have community mutual aid that is right now in the transnational territory. And that kind of form of mutual aid is here. And, for example, Myrna Lazcano, that is an activist from Mexico, her home, her small apartment, become the epicenter of help in Harlem. And she is providing not only food to her community, also she is receiving calls and accompanying people who have their family sick in their own homes. So, this mutual aid is coming also from the community for civilians. And this is important to say, no? Of course, the organization of leaders, of faith leaders, are helping a lot the community, but also migrant communities are helping their neighbors, their families, their compadres and their comadres, in this crisis.
AMY GOODMAN: Cinthya, if you could talk about the media coverage of undocumented communities? What’s being missed? And the importance of the personal testimonies that you’ve been capturing in photos and you’ve been talking to people?
CINTHYA SANTOS BRIONES: Yeah, of course. After the government declared quarantine, I reached out through WhatsApp to some close friends from the migrant and Guatemalan communities to check on how were they doing during this pandemic. And as we were continuing to sharing, they were sending me photos and videos about their new life in this pandemic.
And I want to say something that some of my friends had been telling me. They have been in front of this pandemic, but they have been always in front of any kind of disaster or pandemic. This is not the first time that the body of the migrant has been facing a crisis. They are always there for us, feeding us, working at our homes as a babysitter, as a nanny.
So, I was reaching out, through Magnum Foundation and the national magazine, national Nation magazine. So, we were talking about to do a piece. And I proposed to show the photos and the videos that these people that is in the frontline are making. As their role as citizen journalists, they are documenting through their own perspective, that we usually don’t see in the media, and at some point discolonize, you know, the perspective of journalists and show the migrant vision of how they are feeling and seeing and living this crisis. And we see, through these photos, how are the condition in their homes, you know, small apartments and a family living — one family of five members living in a one-bedroom apartment. We are looking at, you know, people making tortillas. Also, one of the photos that wasn’t published in this piece, but one of my friends sent me, Victoria, when she was in a protest outside of Bergen County Jail, and her husband was there. So, I think that it’s a lot of value when we see the importance in how migrants are documenting this crisis.
JUAN GONZÁLEZ: And I wanted to ask Juan Carlos Ruiz about the hospital situation, and especially with the undocumented. Clearly, in the anti-immigrant atmosphere we’ve had in the country now for years, against undocumented specifically, many migrants may be afraid to go to the hospitals. But now we hear, just last night, President Trump saying that he’s going to try to shut down all immigration into the country, even legal immigration, for the future — this constant use of scapegoating of immigrants in the country under this administration.
JUAN CARLOS RUIZ: And as you know, Juan, I mean, we are fleeing these institutions from our home countries, you know, corrupt institutions, institutions that do not have the welfare of our communities. So, we are not new to that. But when we come to this land of the free, you know, we expect something else, but it plays out differently when you have — you know, from the high echelons of power, when you have these kinds of attack against our community. I mean, the rhetoric, the xenophobic rhetoric, the racism that has been fed, that continues to really have practical consequences, negative consequences, against — not only socially and culturally, but also economically, against our people.
You know, this virus has evidence, this whole infrastructure of terror, this misallocation of funds or resources into our communities, into the most vulnerable populations of our society. So, basically, the virus has unmasked this machinery of death that feeds on the blood, you know? As Scott Stringer said, you know, we have a lot of blood on our hands. And basically, even if we wash our hands day and night, it’s still bloody. And the government has really, really caused this perfect storm by the bunch of lies, by continuing to attack the most vulnerable and continually to victimize and scapegoat the immigrants and our black and brown communities.
AMY GOODMAN: Father Juan Carlos Ruiz, we want to thank you so much for being with us. And again, we cannot emphasize enough, for people to understand, 200 to 300 people a day, as confirmed by the mayor himself, are dying in their homes. How many of them were afraid to go to the hospital, afraid they could be picked up by ICE? Father Juan Carlos Ruiz, co-founder of the New Sanctuary Movement, thank you for being with us. And, Cinthya Santos Briones, a Mexican photographer, anthropologist, community organizer based here in New York, we’re going to link to your piece in The Nation headlined “Immigrants Are Bearing the Brunt of the Coronavirus Crisis” and your remarkable photographs.
This is Democracy Now! When we come back, who’s getting bailed out, and who isn’t? And then we go to Otay Mesa in California, where women immigrants have been pepper-sprayed by guards as they deal with COVID-19. Stay with us.
[break]
AMY GOODMAN: That’s Dr. Colleen Farrell performing “Amazing Grace” at Bellevue Hospital with accompaniment, as the staff held a service for their beloved nurse, Filipino nurse Ernesto DeLeon, who died from COVID-19.


democracynow--2020-04-21--Juan González: "Make No Mistake: This Country Is Edging Closer to Neo-Fascist Authoritarianism"

This is a rush transcript .
Copy may not be in its final form .
AMY GOODMAN : This is Democracy Now !
, democracynow.org , The Quarantine Report .
I ’ m Amy Goodman in New York , with my co-host Juan González joining from his home in New Jersey , second only to New York with infections and death from COVID-19 with at least 88,000 cases and nearly 4,500 deaths .
Juan , welcome .
JUAN GONZÁLEZ : Thank you , Amy .
And welcome to all of our listeners and viewers across the country and around the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Juan , before we continue with the show , we spoke on air last Tuesday .
Your mother had just gone into the hospital , 92 years old , in New Jersey , and she tested positive for COVID-19 .
Can you give us an update on your mom and also your wife , Lilia Fernández ?
JUAN GONZÁLEZ : Yes , Amy .
Well , thanks for asking .
Yes , my mother was in the hospital for several days , but , thankfully , she was released late last week and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ where she ’ s getting some therapy now to get her strength back .
But it seems that she ’ s out of danger .
Likewise with my wife Lilia , we had a rough time last week .
She was in really bad shape for several days but now seems to be in the clear .
She ’ s eating well .
She has no fever .
She ’ s still in isolation , and she ’ s going to be in isolation in our house for at least another week to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ worst appears to be over for our family .
And luckily , I haven ’ t shown any symptoms until now , so , please , keep your fingers crossed .
And I want to thank all of the fans of Democracy Now !
who tweeted or emailed to us their hopes for the recovery of my family members .
AMY GOODMAN : And very quickly , Juan , I think the things that have happened with your family are so instructive .
When you called the ambulance for Lilia , the ambulance @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about enough , but who came in , and those kind of recommendations , like proning , like laying on your stomach to open up your lungs .
JUAN GONZÁLEZ : Right .
Yeah , we did have to call on Thursday the ambulance , because she was really not only incredibly weak — she didn ’ t have a fever — but she was having a lot of trouble breathing , and she was also delirious .
She couldn ’ t recall where she was , what was happening , what had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I really got quite frightened .
I called 911 .
The ambulance came .
And these EMTs were fantastic .
I mean , they ’ ve been dealing with this , day in and day out .
They took all her vital signs , and they said she was getting enough oxygen .
And the head EMT said , “ Look , I know this all sucks .
You ’ re feeling worse than you ’ ve ever felt in your life .
But I ’ m telling you , if I take @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I ’ m ready to do it , but if I take you to the hospital , they ’ re likely just to have you there for several hours and send you back home , because there are so many other people that are even more sick.
” So he did give us a bunch of instructions about ways to get through it as best as possible .
And then he said , “ Look , any moment , anytime she gets worse , if it ’ s five minutes from now , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tomorrow , just call us , and we ’ ll take her to the hospital right away.
” So , I think that they calmed her quite a bit .
They calmed me quite a bit .
And then , within a couple of days , she was doing much better .
AMY GOODMAN : And then , again , with your mother , I mean , this whole issue of testing in this country and the severe lack of access to testing , and yet Trump ’ s push to open the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” the states .
Your 92-year-old mother , who had been taking care of , you learned , a COVID-positive cousin and was expressing all the symptoms , you take her even to the emergency room of one of the best hospitals in New Jersey , and they wouldn ’ t test her .
JUAN GONZÁLEZ : Right , right .
They said that she — initially , they said she likely had COVID , but they were not going to admit her or even to test her , until I kept pressing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the unbearable pain that she had in her abdomen .
At that point , they took another look , and they said , “ Yes , we ’ re going to admit her , but we have to test her first.
” And when they tested her and she turned out COVID-positive , then they realized that they had initially made a mistake in just trying to send her home .
So , yes , you ’ re not getting admitted — you ’ re not getting tested even at the hospitals @ @ @ @ @ @ @ unless they are planning to admit you .
And so , the testing issue is still a huge issue , as many in the commercial or corporate media have said , and the alternative media , that the testing issue remains primary for dealing with what ’ s going to happen after the country begins to reopen .
AMY GOODMAN : And the fact that they offered your mother hydroxychloroquine , when the studies have not been done yet , when some of the studies that are being done , like one in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ number of cardiac arrests and deaths in those studies , and yet you were being offered hydroxychloroquine , when lupus patients , who need it , can ’ t get it .
JUAN GONZÁLEZ : Well , I wasn ’ t being offered it .
JUAN GONZÁLEZ : They were going to be — they were planning to begin to give my mother treatment for her when I asked about it .
And when the doctor said , “ Yes , well , we ’ re giving hydroxychloroquine to all the patients here @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Is this part of a test , a research test ?
” And he said , “ Yes , we are conducting research tests , but your mother , being over 90 , would not qualify for that test , but we ’ re routinely giving it.
” And I said , “ Do you have to give it ?
” And he said , “ Well , no , we don ’ t really have to .
If you don ’ t want to , I ’ m perfectly fine with not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said , “ Well , no , thank you .
Don ’ t give it to her .
If she doesn ’ t have a severe case and her life is not threatened right now , I ’ d rather not take the chance.
” And so , the doctor pretty much left it up to me , only when I asked about it , not — because , otherwise , he was just going to administer it to her anyway .
AMY GOODMAN : And finally , Juan , in the midst @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as well as your wife Lilia , have been working on raising money , doing mutual aid for immigrants in New Jersey .
Talk about that work and the organizations that are desperately now trying to get support to people who will not get money from the stimulus package , who have been hard-working people all of their lives but are losing their jobs now one by one .
JUAN GONZÁLEZ : Yeah .
Well , we managed to actually — a week ago , last Sunday , just before my mother went @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sick , we started with — together with a bunch of grassroots organizations here in New Brunswick .
Of course , this is a city of 55,000 people , the majority of whom are Latino , and most of them from Mexico , from the Oaxaca state of Mexico .
So there ’ s a large immigrant and large undocumented population here in New Brunswick .
They don ’ t qualify for the stimulus .
So we started a Mutual Aid of New Brunswick GoFundMe page with various groups from the Coalition to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a week , we managed to raise $ 17,000 in donations for cash — direct cash grants to these hard-hit families .
And we ’ ve already managed to put $ 5,000 of that out right away , even before the GoFundMe money has come in , because it takes a while for this stuff to be processed , but other people fronted the money to be able to start the grants out the door to get to these families .
And so , we have been able to already get at least @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we ’ ll be getting more out in the rest of this week .
But , Amy , I wanted to talk about something else which I think is very important .
We ’ re seeing a lot of it now , which is these protests around the country of people demanding an end to the shutdowns that were aimed to stop the spread of the pandemic .
And what troubles me most about this is how right-wing extremists are brandishing automatic weapons , and they ’ ve become regular features of these @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the White House saying nothing to condemn this form of intimidation .
And obviously , most of them are Trump supporters .
And I ’ d like our viewers and listeners to ask themselves a question : If hundreds of African Americans or Latinos showed up in cities around the country brandishing automatic weapons , what would be the response of the country to this ?
Why is this being almost accepted and normalized now as a method of protest ?
And my fear is that this will become normalized over the next @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bitter national election .
And we should make no mistake , that this country is edging closer and closer to neo-fascist authoritarianism .
AMY GOODMAN : And , Juan , you say the issue of it being almost accepted .
It ’ s not almost .
The president , from the bully pulpit of the White House , is encouraging it — right ?
— saying these are his people .
AMY GOODMAN : And he ’ s saying “ liberate ” these states with these protests .
JUAN GONZÁLEZ : Right , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ He hasn ’ t directly , to my knowledge , encouraged the armed — the brandishing of weapons .
But he ’ s accepting it and praising these folks as wonderful Americans .
And I don ’ t think we should discount the possibility that this president will declare an election that he loses as a fraud and illegitimate , and attempt to stay in power .
You know , some people may say this is far-fetched .
I hope it is .
But I think that we shouldn ’ t delude ourselves @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the United States right now .
AMY GOODMAN : Well , Juan , I am so thankful that you ’ re OK. And all the best to your wife Lilia , Lilia Fernández , an extremely important professor at Rutgers University , very popular , so beloved by her students .
And your mom , all the best , as well as the communities not only in New Jersey and New York , but all over this country .
We are going to continue to look at this issue of mutual aid @

This is a rush transcript. Copy may not be in its final form.
AMY GOODMAN: This is Democracy Now!, democracynow.org, The Quarantine Report. I’m Amy Goodman in New York, with my co-host Juan González joining from his home in New Jersey, second only to New York with infections and death from COVID-19 with at least 88,000 cases and nearly 4,500 deaths. Juan, welcome.
JUAN GONZÁLEZ: Thank you, Amy. And welcome to all of our listeners and viewers across the country and around the world.
AMY GOODMAN: So, Juan, before we continue with the show, we spoke on air last Tuesday. Your mother had just gone into the hospital, 92 years old, in New Jersey, and she tested positive for COVID-19. Can you give us an update on your mom and also your wife, Lilia Fernández?
JUAN GONZÁLEZ: Yes, Amy. Well, thanks for asking. Yes, my mother was in the hospital for several days, but, thankfully, she was released late last week and was sent to a rehabilitation center, where she’s getting some therapy now to get her strength back. But it seems that she’s out of danger.
Likewise with my wife Lilia, we had a rough time last week. She was in really bad shape for several days but now seems to be in the clear. She’s eating well. She has no fever. She’s still in isolation, and she’s going to be in isolation in our house for at least another week to 10 days, but at least the worst appears to be over for our family.
And luckily, I haven’t shown any symptoms until now, so, please, keep your fingers crossed. And I want to thank all of the fans of Democracy Now! who tweeted or emailed to us their hopes for the recovery of my family members.
AMY GOODMAN: And very quickly, Juan, I think the things that have happened with your family are so instructive. When you called the ambulance for Lilia, the ambulance — the EMT heroes are not talked about enough, but who came in, and those kind of recommendations, like proning, like laying on your stomach to open up your lungs.
JUAN GONZÁLEZ: Right. Yeah, we did have to call on Thursday the ambulance, because she was really not only incredibly weak — she didn’t have a fever — but she was having a lot of trouble breathing, and she was also delirious. She couldn’t recall where she was, what was happening, what had happened the day before. And so I really got quite frightened. I called 911. The ambulance came.
And these EMTs were fantastic. I mean, they’ve been dealing with this, day in and day out. They took all her vital signs, and they said she was getting enough oxygen. And the head EMT said, “Look, I know this all sucks. You’re feeling worse than you’ve ever felt in your life. But I’m telling you, if I take you to the hospital right now — I’m ready to do it, but if I take you to the hospital, they’re likely just to have you there for several hours and send you back home, because there are so many other people that are even more sick.”
So he did give us a bunch of instructions about ways to get through it as best as possible. And then he said, “Look, any moment, anytime she gets worse, if it’s five minutes from now, half an hour from now, or tomorrow, just call us, and we’ll take her to the hospital right away.” So, I think that they calmed her quite a bit. They calmed me quite a bit. And then, within a couple of days, she was doing much better.
AMY GOODMAN: And then, again, with your mother, I mean, this whole issue of testing in this country and the severe lack of access to testing, and yet Trump’s push to open the country to, quote, “liberate” the states. Your 92-year-old mother, who had been taking care of, you learned, a COVID-positive cousin and was expressing all the symptoms, you take her even to the emergency room of one of the best hospitals in New Jersey, and they wouldn’t test her.
JUAN GONZÁLEZ: Right, right. They said that she — initially, they said she likely had COVID, but they were not going to admit her or even to test her, until I kept pressing them on the issues of the enormous, the unbearable pain that she had in her abdomen. At that point, they took another look, and they said, “Yes, we’re going to admit her, but we have to test her first.” And when they tested her and she turned out COVID-positive, then they realized that they had initially made a mistake in just trying to send her home.
So, yes, you’re not getting admitted — you’re not getting tested even at the hospitals, even at the best hospitals, unless they are planning to admit you. And so, the testing issue is still a huge issue, as many in the commercial or corporate media have said, and the alternative media, that the testing issue remains primary for dealing with what’s going to happen after the country begins to reopen.
AMY GOODMAN: And the fact that they offered your mother hydroxychloroquine, when the studies have not been done yet, when some of the studies that are being done, like one in Brazil, were stopped because of the number of cardiac arrests and deaths in those studies, and yet you were being offered hydroxychloroquine, when lupus patients, who need it, can’t get it.
JUAN GONZÁLEZ: Well, I wasn’t being offered it.
AMY GOODMAN: For her.
JUAN GONZÁLEZ: They were going to be — they were planning to begin to give my mother treatment for her when I asked about it. And when the doctor said, “Yes, well, we’re giving hydroxychloroquine to all the patients here,” and I said, “Is this part of a test, a research test?” And he said, “Yes, we are conducting research tests, but your mother, being over 90, would not qualify for that test, but we’re routinely giving it.” And I said, “Do you have to give it?” And he said, “Well, no, we don’t really have to. If you don’t want to, I’m perfectly fine with not giving it to her.” So I said, “Well, no, thank you. Don’t give it to her. If she doesn’t have a severe case and her life is not threatened right now, I’d rather not take the chance.” And so, the doctor pretty much left it up to me, only when I asked about it, not — because, otherwise, he was just going to administer it to her anyway.
AMY GOODMAN: And finally, Juan, in the midst of all of this, you, as well as your wife Lilia, have been working on raising money, doing mutual aid for immigrants in New Jersey. Talk about that work and the organizations that are desperately now trying to get support to people who will not get money from the stimulus package, who have been hard-working people all of their lives but are losing their jobs now one by one.
JUAN GONZÁLEZ: Yeah. Well, we managed to actually — a week ago, last Sunday, just before my mother went into the hospital and before Lilia got sick, we started with — together with a bunch of grassroots organizations here in New Brunswick. Of course, this is a city of 55,000 people, the majority of whom are Latino, and most of them from Mexico, from the Oaxaca state of Mexico. So there’s a large immigrant and large undocumented population here in New Brunswick. They don’t qualify for the stimulus. So we started a Mutual Aid of New Brunswick GoFundMe page with various groups from the Coalition to Defend Lincoln Annex.
In less than a week, we managed to raise $17,000 in donations for cash — direct cash grants to these hard-hit families. And we’ve already managed to put $5,000 of that out right away, even before the GoFundMe money has come in, because it takes a while for this stuff to be processed, but other people fronted the money to be able to start the grants out the door to get to these families. And so, we have been able to already get at least $5,000 out the door, and we’ll be getting more out in the rest of this week.
But, Amy, I wanted to talk about something else which I think is very important. We’re seeing a lot of it now, which is these protests around the country of people demanding an end to the shutdowns that were aimed to stop the spread of the pandemic. And what troubles me most about this is how right-wing extremists are brandishing automatic weapons, and they’ve become regular features of these protests, and with the man in the White House saying nothing to condemn this form of intimidation. And obviously, most of them are Trump supporters.
And I’d like our viewers and listeners to ask themselves a question: If hundreds of African Americans or Latinos showed up in cities around the country brandishing automatic weapons, what would be the response of the country to this? Why is this being almost accepted and normalized now as a method of protest? And my fear is that this will become normalized over the next few months as we head toward a bitter national election. And we should make no mistake, that this country is edging closer and closer to neo-fascist authoritarianism.
AMY GOODMAN: And, Juan, you say the issue of it being almost accepted. It’s not almost. The president, from the bully pulpit of the White House, is encouraging it — right? — saying these are his people.
JUAN GONZÁLEZ: Well, he’s encouraging the protests.
AMY GOODMAN: And he’s saying “liberate” these states with these protests.
JUAN GONZÁLEZ: Right, he’s encouraging the protests. He hasn’t directly, to my knowledge, encouraged the armed — the brandishing of weapons. But he’s accepting it and praising these folks as wonderful Americans. And I don’t think we should discount the possibility that this president will declare an election that he loses as a fraud and illegitimate, and attempt to stay in power. You know, some people may say this is far-fetched. I hope it is. But I think that we shouldn’t delude ourselves that we are living in extraordinary times in the United States right now.
AMY GOODMAN: Well, Juan, I am so thankful that you’re OK. And all the best to your wife Lilia, Lilia Fernández, an extremely important professor at Rutgers University, very popular, so beloved by her students. And your mom, all the best, as well as the communities not only in New Jersey and New York, but all over this country. We are going to continue to look at this issue of mutual aid.


democracynow--2020-04-21--Headlines for April 21, 2020

Headlines for April 21, 2020

More Southern states announced plans to start rolling back lockdowns .
Georgia ’ s Republican Governor Brian Kemp said Monday gyms , hair and nail salons , spas and tattoo parlors will be able to operate starting Friday , and restaurants and movie theaters will reopen next Monday .
Kemp acknowledged his decision would make more Georgians contract COVID-19 .
Gov .
Brian Kemp : “ When we have more people moving around , we ’ re probably going to have — see our cases continue to go up .
But we ’ re a lot better prepared for that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ago .
We have the hospital bed capacity.
” Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms said she was not given advance notice of the move and that the number of fatalities is still on the rise .
Savannah , Georgia , Mayor Van Johnson said he was “ beyond disturbed , ” noting testing was still lacking and the state has not seen the recommended 14-day decline before reopening .
In South Carolina , Republican Governor Henry McMaster is reopening public beaches , department stores and some retail businesses starting today .
Ohio and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ businesses from May 1 .
This comes as anti-lockdown protests continued around the country Monday .
The government ’ s top adviser on the coronavirus , Dr. Anthony Fauci , warned protests against state lockdowns will “ backfire ” and cause a spike in new cases .

More Southern states announced plans to start rolling back lockdowns. Georgia’s Republican Governor Brian Kemp said Monday gyms, hair and nail salons, spas and tattoo parlors will be able to operate starting Friday, and restaurants and movie theaters will reopen next Monday. Kemp acknowledged his decision would make more Georgians contract COVID-19.
Gov. Brian Kemp: “When we have more people moving around, we’re probably going to have — see our cases continue to go up. But we’re a lot better prepared for that now than we were over a month ago. We have the hospital bed capacity.”
Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms said she was not given advance notice of the move and that the number of fatalities is still on the rise. Savannah, Georgia, Mayor Van Johnson said he was “beyond disturbed,” noting testing was still lacking and the state has not seen the recommended 14-day decline before reopening.
In South Carolina, Republican Governor Henry McMaster is reopening public beaches, department stores and some retail businesses starting today. Ohio and Tennessee said they would start to reopen businesses from May 1.
This comes as anti-lockdown protests continued around the country Monday. The government’s top adviser on the coronavirus, Dr. Anthony Fauci, warned protests against state lockdowns will “backfire” and cause a spike in new cases.


democracynow--2020-04-22--Chileans Who Took to Streets Against Inequality & Climate Crisis Say Virus Lockdowns Won't Stop Them

This is a rush transcript .
Copy may not be in its final form .
AMY GOODMAN : This is Democracy Now !
I ’ m Amy Goodman , with Juan González , as we end today ’ s show in Chile , where nearly 150 people have died from the coronavirus , with almost 11,000 confirmed cases .
Mere months ago , the streets of Santiago and other Chilean cities were alive with a vibrant mass protest movement that drew hundreds of thousands and even led the U.N. climate summit to be relocated to Madrid , Spain , last @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Santiago are largely empty as citizens shelter in place to prevent the spread of COVID-19 .
But the protest movement against austerity and the right-wing President Sebastián Piñera lives on as activists find new ways to organize online .
For more , we ’ re going to Santiago , Chile , to speak with Angela Valenzuela .
She has been active both in Chile ’ s uprising and in the global youth climate strikes , which have also moved online .
She ’ s a climate activist , 350.org organizer , former coordinator @ @ @ @ @ @ @ also a singer and songwriter .
Angela , we first spoke with you in Madrid at the U.N. climate summit .
Welcome back to Democracy Now !
Can you talk about the climate movement , on this 50th anniversary of Earth Day , in the midst of the pandemic in Chile ?
ANGELA VALENZUELA : Well , thank you so much for having me .
It ’ s really an honor to be here .
Yeah , so , well , we are adapting to this newest scenario , using online tools and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on , but now really moving into this world of creating awareness , with a spark of hope , and using a lot of arts to convey our message , so people can feel empowered still , facing the COVID crisis and the climate crisis .
And I think it ’ s a very interesting moment where we can learn from what it means to confront a crisis like a crisis .
Like we are working with this campaign of fighting a crisis like a crisis .
And I think the rapid response @ @ @ @ @ @ @ locking down and shutting down entire countries really shows what type of leadership needs to be done in terms of the climate crisis .
JUAN GONZÁLEZ : And , Angela Valenzuela , I wanted to ask you — even before Sebastián Piñera came to power , way back to the period of Pinochet , Chile became an example of privatization , of neoliberal policies in Latin America , of the pension systems , of health and other .
How has that affected — this history of privatization , how has that affected the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the coronavirus now ?
ANGELA VALENZUELA : Well , what it ’ s really showing and demonstrating is that this system of extreme neoliberal policies and economic system , it ’ s failing to protect people when a crisis like COVID-19 shows up unexpected , without any expectation .
It ’ s as serious as people don ’ t have access to water to wash their hands .
Like 1.5 million people in Chile don ’ t have proper access to water .
Then , the healthcare system already collapses every winter , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ very soon going to collapse the whole system of healthcare .
People won ’ t be able to have access to even ventilators .
Like , we are 18 million people , for example , and we only have 1,500 ventilators .
And already , most of them are used .
We only have 500 available .
AMY GOODMAN : Can you talk , Angela , about how climate protesters — I mean , you have this massive protest against inequality , so the president cancels the COP , and it ends up @ @ @ @ @ @ @ climate protesters are adapting in this time of COVID-19 ?
ANGELA VALENZUELA : Well , everything is happening online .
And not only climate protesters , but protesters in general , all strikers and the Chilean movement , is saying that , you know , another way to fight is to stay home and to take care of each other , strengthen our networks through online organizing , and to have memory of what has happened in Chile in terms of the environment and , as well , with the human rights violations @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who have been murdered .
We won ’ t forget how we have sacrifice zones and how , like , even pollution in our cities are also making us more vulnerable to the COVID crisis .
So , once we go back to the streets , and this crisis , this health crisis , basically stops , or we stop the — we go out again , we will go stronger .
And I think this is a very important moment to reflect on this system that is not working , and also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is needed .
JUAN GONZÁLEZ : And , Angela , I ’ m wondering if you could comment on — there ’ s been this proposal by the Chilean government to possibly issue immunity cards to those Chilean citizens who have already recovered from the virus .
What could be the possible effects of that , especially since it ’ s not really even proven conclusively yet that immunity is established once you have recovered from the virus ?
ANGELA VALENZUELA : Well , it ’ s a very irresponsible measure .
As @ @ @ @ @ @ @ proven that you can get immune after you recover from the virus .
Indeed , in South Korea , more than 140 people that were recovered already got the COVID-19 again as a second time .
So I think it ’ s just irresponsible .
And also , it shows this attitude that the government has of overconfidence .
For example , we have more than 10,000 cases already , and the plans that were announced last Sunday is that slowly we will go back to a new normality , which means that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ back to work , which means that , since May , classes — like , students will have to go back to classes slowly , which will put their lives at risk , basically .
So , this sense , like , it feels like the decision-making — actually , the decision-making is not putting people ’ s well-being at the center , but basically trying not to commit the well-being of the economy .
And this is really problematic .
AMY GOODMAN : Angela , President Piñera recently sparked outrage for posing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ where for months was the center of the raging anti-inequality protests that were taking place .
The plaza has remained empty since the coronavirus has forced the country to shut down .
Your response , the symbolism of what he was doing , and your final comment ?
ANGELA VALENZUELA : Well , when he — that action of taking that picture with this heroic posture , it was really outrageous , first of all , and also violent , because , as you said , this square used to be called Plaza @ @ @ @ @ @ @ renamed this space as Plaza Dignidad , which is Dignity Square .
And it ’ s been a very symbolic point .
People have died there fighting , like , because of police brutality .
And people have lost their sight because of being shot at — very clear — at their eyes , with rubber bullets .
So , when you see him , when he takes advantage of people being in quarantine and not allowed to go out , and he goes there , it ’ s like — AMY GOODMAN @ @ @ @ @ @ @ VALENZUELA : OK.
It ’ s just showing his lack of empathy to this whole social process that we are leading .
AMY GOODMAN : Angela Valenzuela , we want to thank you so much for being with us , climate activist , 350.org organizer , former coordinator with Fridays for Future Chile , as we wrap up our 50th anniversary of Earth Day special in the midst of this raging pandemic .
Democracy Now !
is working with as few people as possible , the majority of our team working from home @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with Juan González .
Be safe .

This is a rush transcript. Copy may not be in its final form.
AMY GOODMAN: This is Democracy Now! I’m Amy Goodman, with Juan González, as we end today’s show in Chile, where nearly 150 people have died from the coronavirus, with almost 11,000 confirmed cases. Mere months ago, the streets of Santiago and other Chilean cities were alive with a vibrant mass protest movement that drew hundreds of thousands and even led the U.N. climate summit to be relocated to Madrid, Spain, last December. Now the public spaces of Santiago are largely empty as citizens shelter in place to prevent the spread of COVID-19. But the protest movement against austerity and the right-wing President Sebastián Piñera lives on as activists find new ways to organize online.
For more, we’re going to Santiago, Chile, to speak with Angela Valenzuela. She has been active both in Chile’s uprising and in the global youth climate strikes, which have also moved online. She’s a climate activist, 350.org organizer, former coordinator with Fridays for Future Chile, and also a singer and songwriter.
Angela, we first spoke with you in Madrid at the U.N. climate summit. Welcome back to Democracy Now! Can you talk about the climate movement, on this 50th anniversary of Earth Day, in the midst of the pandemic in Chile?
ANGELA VALENZUELA: Well, thank you so much for having me. It’s really an honor to be here.
Yeah, so, well, we are adapting to this newest scenario, using online tools and online organizing that we were already working on, but now really moving into this world of creating awareness, with a spark of hope, and using a lot of arts to convey our message, so people can feel empowered still, facing the COVID crisis and the climate crisis. And I think it’s a very interesting moment where we can learn from what it means to confront a crisis like a crisis. Like we are working with this campaign of fighting a crisis like a crisis. And I think the rapid response from many governments of, like, locking down and shutting down entire countries really shows what type of leadership needs to be done in terms of the climate crisis.
JUAN GONZÁLEZ: And, Angela Valenzuela, I wanted to ask you — even before Sebastián Piñera came to power, way back to the period of Pinochet, Chile became an example of privatization, of neoliberal policies in Latin America, of the pension systems, of health and other. How has that affected — this history of privatization, how has that affected the ability of the country to deal with the coronavirus now?
ANGELA VALENZUELA: Well, what it’s really showing and demonstrating is that this system of extreme neoliberal policies and economic system, it’s failing to protect people when a crisis like COVID-19 shows up unexpected, without any expectation. It’s as serious as people don’t have access to water to wash their hands. Like 1.5 million people in Chile don’t have proper access to water. Then, the healthcare system already collapses every winter, without COVID-19. So, we are very soon going to collapse the whole system of healthcare. People won’t be able to have access to even ventilators. Like, we are 18 million people, for example, and we only have 1,500 ventilators. And already, most of them are used. We only have 500 available.
AMY GOODMAN: Can you talk, Angela, about how climate protesters — I mean, you have this massive protest against inequality, so the president cancels the COP, and it ends up in Madrid. Can talk about how climate protesters are adapting in this time of COVID-19?
ANGELA VALENZUELA: Well, everything is happening online. And not only climate protesters, but protesters in general, all strikers and the Chilean movement, is saying that, you know, another way to fight is to stay home and to take care of each other, strengthen our networks through online organizing, and to have memory of what has happened in Chile in terms of the environment and, as well, with the human rights violations. We will not forget the people who have been murdered. We won’t forget how we have sacrifice zones and how, like, even pollution in our cities are also making us more vulnerable to the COVID crisis.
So, once we go back to the streets, and this crisis, this health crisis, basically stops, or we stop the — we go out again, we will go stronger. And I think this is a very important moment to reflect on this system that is not working, and also to push forward for the change that is needed.
JUAN GONZÁLEZ: And, Angela, I’m wondering if you could comment on — there’s been this proposal by the Chilean government to possibly issue immunity cards to those Chilean citizens who have already recovered from the virus. What could be the possible effects of that, especially since it’s not really even proven conclusively yet that immunity is established once you have recovered from the virus?
ANGELA VALENZUELA: Well, it’s a very irresponsible measure. As you said, it’s not proven that you can get immune after you recover from the virus. Indeed, in South Korea, more than 140 people that were recovered already got the COVID-19 again as a second time. So I think it’s just irresponsible.
And also, it shows this attitude that the government has of overconfidence. For example, we have more than 10,000 cases already, and the plans that were announced last Sunday is that slowly we will go back to a new normality, which means that public workers this week had to go back to work, which means that, since May, classes — like, students will have to go back to classes slowly, which will put their lives at risk, basically. So, this sense, like, it feels like the decision-making — actually, the decision-making is not putting people’s well-being at the center, but basically trying not to commit the well-being of the economy. And this is really problematic.
AMY GOODMAN: Angela, President Piñera recently sparked outrage for posing in the main plaza in Santiago, where for months was the center of the raging anti-inequality protests that were taking place. The plaza has remained empty since the coronavirus has forced the country to shut down. Your response, the symbolism of what he was doing, and your final comment?
ANGELA VALENZUELA: Well, when he — that action of taking that picture with this heroic posture, it was really outrageous, first of all, and also violent, because, as you said, this square used to be called Plaza Italia, but during the uprising we renamed this space as Plaza Dignidad, which is Dignity Square. And it’s been a very symbolic point. People have died there fighting, like, because of police brutality. And people have lost their sight because of being shot at — very clear — at their eyes, with rubber bullets. So, when you see him, when he takes advantage of people being in quarantine and not allowed to go out, and he goes there, it’s like —
AMY GOODMAN: We have five seconds.
ANGELA VALENZUELA: OK. It’s just showing his lack of empathy to this whole social process that we are leading.
AMY GOODMAN: Angela Valenzuela, we want to thank you so much for being with us, climate activist, 350.org organizer, former coordinator with Fridays for Future Chile, as we wrap up our 50th anniversary of Earth Day special in the midst of this raging pandemic.
Democracy Now! is working with as few people as possible, the majority of our team working from home. I’m Amy Goodman, with Juan González. Be safe.


democracynow--2020-04-22--Greta Thunberg: Climate Activists Have Not Lost Hope Amid Pandemic. We're Changing How We Organize.

This is a rush transcript .
Copy may not be in its final form .
AMY GOODMAN : Just before our broadcast , 17-year-old Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg spoke in an Earth Day live stream hosted by the Nobel Prize Museum .
She spoke about how Fridays for Future school strikes movement is responding to the pandemic .
GRETA THUNBERG : Some people feel like , “ How long is this going to go on ?
” And there ’ s this kind of big uncertainty .
And people are not always comfortable with that kind of uncertainty , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ happen and how are we going to move forward .
And it might be hard for many to accept that we don ’ t know anything , what ’ s going to happen .
We don ’ t know how long this is going to go on , because we can ’ t predict that kind of things .
It feels like right now the world is totally different from how it was just a week ago .
So we just have to adapt and see what happens and change our behavior and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ because that is what you — simply what you have to do in a crisis .
You have to adapt to the current situation .
But still I feel like within the Fridays for Future movement , there ’ s still this sort of big sense of resistance , and people are thinking , “ We will get out of this .
And when we do , we will continue , and we will do everything we can that is possible in that situation to continue to push even harder.
” And I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not lost their sense of hope .
We have just changed the way we do things .
And we ’ re maybe just saving it for later at the moment .
AMY GOODMAN : That was 17-year-old Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg speaking in an Earth Day live stream hosted by the Nobel Prize Museum just before our broadcast .

This is a rush transcript. Copy may not be in its final form.
AMY GOODMAN: Just before our broadcast, 17-year-old Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg spoke in an Earth Day live stream hosted by the Nobel Prize Museum. She spoke about how Fridays for Future school strikes movement is responding to the pandemic.
GRETA THUNBERG: Some people feel like, “How long is this going to go on?” And there’s this kind of big uncertainty. And people are not always comfortable with that kind of uncertainty, and people want to know what will happen and how are we going to move forward. And it might be hard for many to accept that we don’t know anything, what’s going to happen. We don’t know how long this is going to go on, because we can’t predict that kind of things.
It feels like right now the world is totally different from how it was just a week ago. So we just have to adapt and see what happens and change our behavior and plan from there, from — and because that is what you — simply what you have to do in a crisis. You have to adapt to the current situation.
But still I feel like within the Fridays for Future movement, there’s still this sort of big sense of resistance, and people are thinking, “We will get out of this. And when we do, we will continue, and we will do everything we can that is possible in that situation to continue to push even harder.” And I feel like many people, they have not lost their sense of hope. We have just changed the way we do things. And we’re maybe just saving it for later at the moment.
AMY GOODMAN: That was 17-year-old Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg speaking in an Earth Day live stream hosted by the Nobel Prize Museum just before our broadcast.


democracynow--2020-04-22--"Frightening Moment": On Earth Day, Kumi Naidoo on Africa's Twin Pandemics of Coronavirus & Hunger

This is a rush transcript .
Copy may not be in its final form .
AMY GOODMAN : This is Democracy Now !
The Quarantine Report .
I ’ m Amy Goodman , with Juan González .
Two hundred sixty-five million .
That ’ s the number of people expected to face acute hunger as the coronavirus crisis could trigger a pandemic of hunger , this according to a new United Nations report .
The study , released Tuesday , says the number of severely hungry people worldwide will nearly double by the end of this year due to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ On Tuesday , the head of the World Food Programme warned the world will see “ multiple famines of biblical proportions ” if swift action isn ’ t taken .
The crisis is projected to disproportionately affect Africa , where there ’ s already widespread hunger .
In South Sudan , a food crisis affected more than 60 % of the population last year .
Now with the coronavirus , reports of growing desperation are laying bare rampant inequality across the continent .
In South Africa , which is under strict lockdown as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ COVID-19 cases , there ’ s reportedly a food crisis in Cape Town , as the ongoing lockdown has left informal workers who have lost their livelihoods with little relief .
There are also reports of growing panic about hunger in Nigeria .
This is a resident of Lagos , Nigeria ’ s largest city .
AMY GOODMAN : This comes as the World Health Organization estimates the number of COVID-19 cases in Africa could rise to 10 million in the next three to six months .
The New York Times reports public @ @ @ @ @ @ @ less than 2,000 ventilators ; 10 African countries do not have a single ventilator .
For more , we ’ re going to London , where we ’ re joined by Kumi Naidoo , the former secretary general of Amnesty International , former head of Greenpeace .
He is a lifelong South African human rights activist and climate justice activist , was the first African to head Greenpeace .
Kumi , welcome back to Democracy Now !
As you hear those figures about Africa , and particularly what ’ s happening in your @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ago you were a very well-known anti-apartheid activist , as you started your activism right through to today , talk about what Africa faces .
KUMI NAIDOO : I think this is an extremely terrifying and frightening moment for the people of Africa .
It ’ s important to note that that report that was released by the World Food Programme was already saying to the world that in 2020 we were already facing a major food crisis .
That was before the coronavirus hit .
Now we ’ re looking at a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ could be looking at about 300,000 deaths per day over a three-month period .
Now , the reality for Africa is that before even the coronavirus hits , this is what we are dealing with .
We ’ re dealing with healthcare systems that are not strong .
We ’ re dealing with a population that has high levels of vulnerability because of the high levels of HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis and malaria .
And we ’ re looking at economies that are actually really struggling .
So , right now I think we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the African continent , and we hope that international solidarity will be there to help our people get through this very bumpy ride ahead of us .
JUAN GONZÁLEZ : And , Kumi , I ’ m wondering if you could talk about the impact especially on the most populous nations in Africa — Egypt , Nigeria , Ethiopia and , of course , South Africa , where you are .
The question of the increasing globalization and urbanization of the world has led to these giant megacities , even in Africa , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ spread much more rapidly .
Amy mentioned South Sudan , a country of 11 million people .
It ’ s got more vice presidents — five vice presidents — than it has ventilators .
It only has four ventilators in the whole country .
How can these especially large countries , with these huge urban populations , cope ?
And what lessons do they have , for instance , in Uganda , which Uganda has a massive public health program that ’ s already spreading out , trying to identify potential hot spots @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Well , I think that the positive news is that the extent of how fast the virus has moved through the African continent has not been as devastating as it was in Europe .
So , when we look at the situation in South Africa , for example , the interventions that have been made by the South African government have really been to actually ensure , in the first instance , that we prevent deaths , but to actually buy time for when the pandemic peaks , so that during this time @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ramp up on testing , field hospitals and so on .
So that ’ s what ’ s been planned .
Right now , as we stand , the level of loss of human life on the African continent , compared to Europe or the U.S. , for example , is still painful , but , you know , like South Africa , for example , the number is still under a hundred deaths .
So , the preparedness , though , the preparedness of African countries , if we have a situation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in terms of ventilators , equipment , trained personnel and so on , is going to be pretty devastating .
So , that ’ s why I think the efforts now that are being made by individual African countries , but also by the African Union , needs to be generously supported , because for many people in Africa right now , the choice is almost also between , if you want , a pandemic that ’ s a health pandemic or a hunger pandemic .
And as many people are saying , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t get killed by COVID-19 , we ’ ll get killed by hunger .
And so , balancing this is going to be a very tricky act of leadership .
But what we hope is that we have a mentality , in terms of how we think , we need to build the continent forward , is not to build back exactly what we had , which shows all these vulnerabilities .
We have to learn from this so that we are building in a way that we address the climate crisis , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of budgetary resources and so on .
AMY GOODMAN : And , Kumi Naidoo , the price of oil dropping below zero for the first time ever Monday , the historic collapse due to this historic lack of demand as many in the world are told to shelter at home , what are the implications of this ?
And we just have a minute or two .
KUMI NAIDOO : Well , the one sort of short-term positive , if you want , impact is that emissions have actually reduced drastically .
And @ @ @ @ @ @ @ impact has been so much and the fact that people have responded in most countries with such urgency and also ensuring that they ’ re taking the painful actions of being in lockdown — by the way , I ’ m not in South Africa ; I ’ m locked down in London at the moment , waiting to try and get to South Africa .
So , given the fact that people have taken all of these efforts shows that there is a greater capability within the people of our planet to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to take to address the other challenges that have been with us for so long .
The major problem right now , we have to be conscious that , as we saw with the United States after 9/11 and the PATRIOT Act , that was a special reduction in civil liberties and so on , but we see that even though 9/11 is behind us , many of those elements still remain .
One of the concerns we must have is that we want to be very clear that , as citizens , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ doing in this moment of crisis , but we also need to ensure that we do not have a situation where , immediately after this , most of those measures remain in place .
So , we have to understand the crisis that we ’ re in is a multifaceted crisis .
It ’ s a crisis of poverty , hunger , human rights and , of course , climate and environment .
And let ’ s be clear that if we don ’ t address environmental degradation , the situation that we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , as health professionals have been warning us , will continue .
Forests and other ecological assets help prevent the flow of viruses and so on .
And right now humanity must take a hard look at ourselves about whether we want to build back after corona exactly what we had , or if we want to build back a more equitable , more just and a more sustainable world .
AMY GOODMAN : Kumi Naidoo , we want to thank you for being with us , former secretary general of Amnesty International @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lifelong South African human rights and climate justice activist , on this 50th anniversary of Earth Day special in the midst of the pandemic .

This is a rush transcript. Copy may not be in its final form.
AMY GOODMAN: This is Democracy Now! The Quarantine Report. I’m Amy Goodman, with Juan González. Two hundred sixty-five million. That’s the number of people expected to face acute hunger as the coronavirus crisis could trigger a pandemic of hunger, this according to a new United Nations report. The study, released Tuesday, says the number of severely hungry people worldwide will nearly double by the end of this year due to the impact of the spread of COVID-19. On Tuesday, the head of the World Food Programme warned the world will see “multiple famines of biblical proportions” if swift action isn’t taken.
The crisis is projected to disproportionately affect Africa, where there’s already widespread hunger. In South Sudan, a food crisis affected more than 60% of the population last year. Now with the coronavirus, reports of growing desperation are laying bare rampant inequality across the continent. In South Africa, which is under strict lockdown as the African nation with the most reported COVID-19 cases, there’s reportedly a food crisis in Cape Town, as the ongoing lockdown has left informal workers who have lost their livelihoods with little relief. There are also reports of growing panic about hunger in Nigeria. This is a resident of Lagos, Nigeria’s largest city.
SHEHU ISAH DAIYANU: If this coronavirus did not kill people with disability, definitely this order of stay at home will kill people, because, let me tell you, most of my people, they don’t eat.
AMY GOODMAN: This comes as the World Health Organization estimates the number of COVID-19 cases in Africa could rise to 10 million in the next three to six months. The New York Times reports public hospitals in 41 countries across Africa have less than 2,000 ventilators; 10 African countries do not have a single ventilator.
For more, we’re going to London, where we’re joined by Kumi Naidoo, the former secretary general of Amnesty International, former head of Greenpeace. He is a lifelong South African human rights activist and climate justice activist, was the first African to head Greenpeace.
Kumi, welcome back to Democracy Now! As you hear those figures about Africa, and particularly what’s happening in your country of South Africa, where decades ago you were a very well-known anti-apartheid activist, as you started your activism right through to today, talk about what Africa faces.
KUMI NAIDOO: I think this is an extremely terrifying and frightening moment for the people of Africa. It’s important to note that that report that was released by the World Food Programme was already saying to the world that in 2020 we were already facing a major food crisis. That was before the coronavirus hit. Now we’re looking at a situation where the report says that we could be looking at about 300,000 deaths per day over a three-month period.
Now, the reality for Africa is that before even the coronavirus hits, this is what we are dealing with. We’re dealing with healthcare systems that are not strong. We’re dealing with a population that has high levels of vulnerability because of the high levels of HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis and malaria. And we’re looking at economies that are actually really struggling. So, right now I think we are in a very vulnerable state as the African continent, and we hope that international solidarity will be there to help our people get through this very bumpy ride ahead of us.
JUAN GONZÁLEZ: And, Kumi, I’m wondering if you could talk about the impact especially on the most populous nations in Africa — Egypt, Nigeria, Ethiopia and, of course, South Africa, where you are. The question of the increasing globalization and urbanization of the world has led to these giant megacities, even in Africa, where a virus like the coronavirus can spread much more rapidly. Amy mentioned South Sudan, a country of 11 million people. It’s got more vice presidents — five vice presidents — than it has ventilators. It only has four ventilators in the whole country. How can these especially large countries, with these huge urban populations, cope? And what lessons do they have, for instance, in Uganda, which Uganda has a massive public health program that’s already spreading out, trying to identify potential hot spots in their country?
KUMI NAIDOO: Well, I think that the positive news is that the extent of how fast the virus has moved through the African continent has not been as devastating as it was in Europe. So, when we look at the situation in South Africa, for example, the interventions that have been made by the South African government have really been to actually ensure, in the first instance, that we prevent deaths, but to actually buy time for when the pandemic peaks, so that during this time we ramp up on PPE, we ramp up on testing, field hospitals and so on. So that’s what’s been planned. Right now, as we stand, the level of loss of human life on the African continent, compared to Europe or the U.S., for example, is still painful, but, you know, like South Africa, for example, the number is still under a hundred deaths.
So, the preparedness, though, the preparedness of African countries, if we have a situation like what we had in New York in terms of ventilators, equipment, trained personnel and so on, is going to be pretty devastating. So, that’s why I think the efforts now that are being made by individual African countries, but also by the African Union, needs to be generously supported, because for many people in Africa right now, the choice is almost also between, if you want, a pandemic that’s a health pandemic or a hunger pandemic. And as many people are saying, you know, if we don’t get killed by COVID-19, we’ll get killed by hunger.
And so, balancing this is going to be a very tricky act of leadership. But what we hope is that we have a mentality, in terms of how we think, we need to build the continent forward, is not to build back exactly what we had, which shows all these vulnerabilities. We have to learn from this so that we are building in a way that we address the climate crisis, we address inequality, we address maldistribution of budgetary resources and so on.
AMY GOODMAN: And, Kumi Naidoo, the price of oil dropping below zero for the first time ever Monday, the historic collapse due to this historic lack of demand as many in the world are told to shelter at home, what are the implications of this? And we just have a minute or two.
KUMI NAIDOO: Well, the one sort of short-term positive, if you want, impact is that emissions have actually reduced drastically. And the fact that the scale of the impact has been so much and the fact that people have responded in most countries with such urgency and also ensuring that they’re taking the painful actions of being in lockdown — by the way, I’m not in South Africa; I’m locked down in London at the moment, waiting to try and get to South Africa. So, given the fact that people have taken all of these efforts shows that there is a greater capability within the people of our planet to take the big actions that we need to take to address the other challenges that have been with us for so long.
The major problem right now, we have to be conscious that, as we saw with the United States after 9/11 and the PATRIOT Act, that was a special reduction in civil liberties and so on, but we see that even though 9/11 is behind us, many of those elements still remain. One of the concerns we must have is that we want to be very clear that, as citizens, we are supporting what our governments are doing in this moment of crisis, but we also need to ensure that we do not have a situation where, immediately after this, most of those measures remain in place.
So, we have to understand the crisis that we’re in is a multifaceted crisis. It’s a crisis of poverty, hunger, human rights and, of course, climate and environment. And let’s be clear that if we don’t address environmental degradation, the situation that we have now with the spread of viruses, as health professionals have been warning us, will continue. Forests and other ecological assets help prevent the flow of viruses and so on. And right now humanity must take a hard look at ourselves about whether we want to build back after corona exactly what we had, or if we want to build back a more equitable, more just and a more sustainable world.
AMY GOODMAN: Kumi Naidoo, we want to thank you for being with us, former secretary general of Amnesty International, previously the head of Greenpeace, lifelong South African human rights and climate justice activist, on this 50th anniversary of Earth Day special in the midst of the pandemic.