On Wednesday, May 11, senior Al Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Akleh, 51 years old, was killed by Israeli security forces while she was covering a raid in the Jenin refugee camp in occupied West Bank. She was shot in the face despite wearing a press vest which identified her as a journalist. Another Palestinian journalist and Akleh’s colleague Ali al-Samoudi was also wounded in the shooting. He was shot in the back and was admitted to a hospital where he was reported to be out of danger.

In response to the grave human rights violations and violation to the freedom of press over twenty progressive news outlets, including TeleSUR TV and Pan African TV, signed the following statement condemning the assassination of Palestinian journalist Shireen Abu Akleh:

We, a group of progressive news publications from around the world, condemn the brutal assassination of our colleague Shireen Abu Akleh at the hands of the Israeli Occupation Forces.

Shireen, a skilled and sensitive journalist at Al Jazeera, was covering a violent raid on the Jenin refugee camp by Israeli forces when she, and other journalists, were shot at by Israeli snipers despite being clearly identified as a journalist. Shireen, who was wearing a helmet and a bullet-proof vest, was killed by a shot to the face. Her colleague Ali al-Samoudi was also shot and injured but is recovering.

Statements released by Israeli officials and mainstream media attempting to shift responsibility for her death away from Israeli forces are irresponsible. Further, her death is not an anomaly nor accidental. Over the last several years, Palestinian journalists have been repeatedly targeted by the Israeli state, suffering judicial harassment and violence at the hands of Israeli forces. We also remember Yaser Murtaja, a Palestinian videographer and photo journalist, who was killed when covering the Great March of Return in the Gaza Strip on April 7, 2018.

We stand with the people of Palestine who continue to resist the violent Israeli apartheid regime and the brave journalists who put their lives on the line to tell their stories.

Palestine Chronicle
Ajans Près Popilè Ayisyèn (Haiti)
Agencia Latinoamericana de Información – ALAI
Al-Mayadeen (Lebanon)
ARG Medios (Argentina)
Barricada TV (Argentina)
Brasil de Fato (Brazil)
Breakthrough News (United States)
Capire
Cartago TV (Argentina)
Colombia Informa (Colombia)
Dialogos do Sul (Brazil)
El Ciudadano (Chile)
The Insight Newspaper (Ghana)
Jornalistas Livres (Brazil)
Kawsachun News (Bolivia)
Liberation News (United States)
Madaar
Nativa (Bolivia)
NewsClick (India)
New Frame (South Africa)
Pan African Television (Ghana)
Peoples Dispatch
Pressenza International Press Agency
Radyo Rezistans (Haití)
Reporteros de Investigación (Honduras)
Resumen Latinoamericano (Argentina, Cuba and United States)
Struggle-La Lucha (United States)
TeleSUR TV

(Español) Israel debe poner fin a sus ataques asesinos contra periodistas y personas palestinas

Nosotros y nosotras, un grupo de medios de comunicación progresistas de todo el mundo, condenamos el brutal asesinato de nuestra colega Shireen Abu Akleh a manos de las Fuerzas de Ocupación israelíes.

Shireen, una reconocida y sensible periodista de Al Jazeera, estaba cubriendo una violenta redada de las fuerzas israelíes en el campamento de refugiados de Jenin, cuando ella y otros periodistas, fueron baleados por francotiradores israelíes a pesar de estar claramente identificados como periodistas. Shireen, que llevaba casco y chaleco antibalas, murió de un disparo en la cara. Su colega Ali al-Samoudi también recibió un disparo y resultó herido, pero se encuentra en recuperación.

De manera irresponsable, funcionarios israelíes y medios de comunicación hegemónicos han intentado exculpar a las fuerzas israelíes por la muerte de Shireen. Sin embargo, su muerte no es una excepción ni un accidente. A lo largo de los últimos años, los y las periodistas palestinos han sido reiteradamente objetivos del Estado israelí, sufriendo acoso judicial y violencia a manos de las fuerzas del país. Recordamos también a Yaser Murtaja, videógrafo y fotoperiodista palestino, asesinado cuando cubría la Gran Marcha del Retorno en la Franja de Gaza el 7 de abril de 2018.

Nos solidarizamos con el pueblo Palestino que sigue resistiendo al violento régimen de apartheid israelí y con los y las valientes periodistas que se juegan la vida para contar sus historias.

Source: Peoples Dispatch

FRIDAY AT 6 PM
Emergency Rally

Dear readers and friends,

Your help is urgently needed at this time.

Struggle-La Lucha’s John Parker is in the Lugansk People’s Republic, reporting from the frontline of the U.S./NATO proxy war in Ukraine. John is interviewing Donbass residents who’ve lived under eight years of Ukrainian bombing and occupation, bearing witness to war crimes committed by Ukraine in the name of NATO expansion. He’s traveling alongside Ukrainian activists forced into exile after the U.S.-backed Maidan coup in 2014.

Despite considerable expense, logistical challenges and personal risk to himself, John undertook this journey because it is so important for workers and oppressed communities here to get factual information about the conflict that is being censored by Washington, the corporate monopoly media and Big Tech social media companies. He knows that the people’s movement must challenge the U.S. government’s diversion of billions of dollars needed for housing, education, health care and pandemic control at home to a bloody war for Big Energy profits. Washington’s alliance with neo-Nazis and white supremacists in Ukraine must be exposed as we continue the fight racist police terror here.

John Parker brings considerable know-how to the job. He is currently the Socialist Unity Party candidate for U.S. Senate in California on the Peace and Freedom Party ticket. In the past, he traveled to other hot spots in countries targeted by U.S. imperialism, including Iraq and Sudan alongside former U.S. Attorney General Ramsey Clark. Most recently, he attended the inauguration of President Xiomara Castro in Honduras at the invitation of the Libre Party.

Struggle-La Lucha’s coverage of the war crisis in Ukraine and Donbass has been absolutely unique in the U.S. Our writers have followed the anti-fascist struggle of the Donbass republics and Ukrainian underground for many years. We raised the alarm last year that Washington was deliberately creating a situation that would force Russia to respond militarily to prevent a genocidal Ukrainian invasion of the Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics. While other alternative media quickly fell in line with the U.S. anti-Russia narrative, we continue to fearlessly speak out and print the truth: that Washington’s proxy war against Russia threatens not only the people of Donbass and Ukraine, but Europe, Asia, Africa, in fact the whole world.

It’s not just words. We organized the first webinar to bring the voices of Donbass to the U.S. anti-war movement; held protests and community educational events when larger anti-war groups were unwilling to take the streets; and now, John Parker’s visit to Russia and Donbass to bring a message of solidarity to the people resisting the U.S. and NATO and to bring back truthful information to people here at home.

We need your help to keep doing this vital work. Because of U.S. sanctions and restrictions, travel to the region costs thousands of dollars. Please donate generously to help cover the cost of John’s trip to the front line and enable us to continue this essential work.

Donate to Struggle-La Lucha online or make a check payable to Struggle-La Lucha and send to: 703 East 37th St., Baltimore Maryland 21218.

A huge thank you,

Struggle-La Lucha writers and staff

(5/7/22) edited 8:30am Cuba Time

On Friday morning an explosion occurred at the Saratoga Hotel in Old Havana. While details are still emerging, officials have ruled out the possibility that it was an attack and attribute it to gas being transferred from a truck. At the moment 50 adults and 14 children have been hospitalized, and 21 adults and 1 minor have lost their lives. Not only has the Saratoga Hotel suffered structural damage, but so have 23 other nearby buildings, including 15 apartments which completely collapsed. The headquarters of the Yoruba Association and the Baptist Church have also been damaged.

The speed and efficiency with which Cuba has been able to mobilize in response is a testament to strong organization and the resilience of the island. In the chaos, five priorities for the Cuban government have emerged: (1) take care of the affected families, (2) recovery of the hotel and damaged homes, (3) relocation of the children from the school located next to the hotel and recovery of that educational center, (4) rescue of all affected facilities, and (5) timely information to the population.

Tragedy has been met with everyday citizens “who attended the place with a lot of discipline and willing[ness] to help in anything”, according to Reinaldo Garcia Zapata, Governor of Havana. This included young people joining the search for missing parties and lending their hands to dig through the rubble that remains. By 8 pm Eastern, Havana blood banks received 1,500 donations.

The National Network on Cuba offers our condolences to all those directly affected, the Cuban people, their government and their Party. We stand in solidarity with all Cubans across the island who are reeling from this recent tragedy, and struggle daily to defend their national sovereignty against the ongoing U.S. blockade that impacts every part of Cuban life.

We call on our NNOC member organizations, U.S. elected officials, and all people of goodwill to strengthen our efforts to end the U.S. economic, financial, commercial and media war against this island. Cuba is a beacon for the preservation and defense of life and human rights.

Under NNOC, several solidarity projects have emerged over these last two years of the pandemic. Already, they include Puentes de Amor caravans, resolutions from cities across the country now representing more than 41 million U.S. residents, Project EL PAN food donations, the reconstruction campaigns that will be launched; solidarity and educational trips to Cuba like the May Day Brigade (which currently has a delegation in country and stands in support of the Cuban people), Venceremos Brigade and IFCO/Pastors for Peace Friendshipment Caravans, which bring people to learn and shine light on the truth about the heroic Cuban people and their revolutionary project.

It is no secret that Cuba is one of the few places in the world where the right to free health care, free education, sports and culture is constitutionally guaranteed; where you are not asked for your insurance before getting medical attention, nor thrown out because you can’t pay the medical bill, where the quality of education is not determined by property taxes and where foreclosures and evictions do not exist.

Let’s stand with Cuba as she has stood for so many other countries during times of peace and disaster! Let’s give her all we’ve got!

#VamosConTodo #FuerzaCuba

The world wants to see an end to the conflict in Ukraine. The NATO countries, however, want to prolong the conflict by increasing arms shipments to Ukraine and by declaring that they want to “weaken Russia.” The United States had already allocated $13.6 billion to arm Ukraine. Biden has just requested $33 billion more. By comparison, it would require $45 billion per year to end world hunger by 2030.

Even if negotiations take place and the war ends, an actual peaceful solution will not likely be possible. Nothing leads us to believe that geopolitical tensions will decrease, since behind the conflict around Ukraine is an attempt by the West to halt the development of China, to break its links with Russia, and to end China’s strategic partnerships with the Global South.

In March, commanders of the U.S. Africa Command (General Stephen J. Townsend) and Southern Command (General Laura Richardson) warned the U.S. Senate about the perceived dangers of increased Chinese and Russian influence in Africa as well as Latin America and the Caribbean. The generals recommended that the United States weaken the influence of Moscow and Beijing in these regions. This policy is part of the 2018 national security doctrine of the United States, which frames China and Russia as its “central challenges.”

No Cold War

Latin America does not want a new cold war. The region has already suffered from decades of military rule and austerity politics justified based on the so-called “communist threat.” Tens of thousands of people lost their lives and many tens of thousands more were imprisoned, tortured, and exiled only because they wanted to create sovereign countries and decent societies. This violence was a product of the U.S.-imposed cold war on Latin America.

Latin America wants peace. Peace can only be built on regional unity, a process that began 20 years ago after a cycle of popular uprisings, driven by the tsunami of neoliberal austerity, led to the election of progressive governments: Venezuela (1999), Brazil (2002), Argentina (2003), Uruguay (2005), Bolivia (2005), Ecuador (2007), and Paraguay (2008). These countries, joined by Cuba and Nicaragua, created a set of regional organizations: the Bolivarian Alliance for the Peoples of Our America–Peoples’ Trade Treaty (ALBA-TCP) in 2004, the Union of South American Nations (UNASUR) in 2008, and the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) in 2011. These platforms were intended to increase regional trade and political integration. Their gains were met with increased aggression from Washington, which sought to undermine the process by attempting to overthrow the governments in many of the member countries and by dividing the regional blocs to suit Washington’s interests.

Brazil

Because of its size and its political relevance, Brazil was a key player in these early organizations. In 2009, Brazil joined with Russia, India, China, and South Africa to form BRICS, a new alliance with the goal to rearrange the power relations of global trade and politics.

Brazil’s role did not please the White House, which—avoiding the crudeness of a military coup—staged a successful operation, in alliance with sectors of the Brazilian elite, that used the Brazilian legislature, judiciary system, and media to overthrow the government of President Dilma Rousseff in 2016 and to cause the arrest of President Lula in 2018 (who was then leading the polls in the presidential election). Both were accused of a corruption scheme involving the Brazilian state oil company, and an investigation by Brazil’s judiciary known as Operation Car Wash ensued. The participation of both the U.S. Department of Justice and the FBI in that investigation was revealed following a massive leak of the Telegram chats of Operation Car Wash’s lead prosecutor. However, before the U.S. interference was uncovered, the removal of Lula and Dilma from politics brought the right wing back to power in Brasília; Brazil no longer played a leading role in either the regional or the global projects that could weaken U.S. power. Brazil abandoned UNASUR and CELAC, and remains in BRICS only formally—as is also the case with India—weakening the perspective of strategic alliances of the Global South.

Turning tide

In recent years, Latin America has experienced a new wave of progressive governments. The idea of regional integration has returned to the table. After four years without a summit meeting, CELAC reconvened in September 2021 under the leadership of Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador and Argentine President Alberto Fernández. Should Gustavo Petro win the Colombian presidential election in May 2022, and Lula win his campaign for reelection to Brazil’s presidency in October 2022, for the first time in decades, the four largest economies in Latin America (Brazil, Mexico, Argentina, and Colombia) would be governed by the center-left, notably supporters of Latin American and Caribbean integration. Lula has said that if he wins the presidency, Brazil will return to CELAC and will resume an active stance in BRICS.

The Global South might be prepared to reemerge by the end of the year and create space for itself within the world order. Evidence for this is in the lack of unanimity that greeted NATO’s attempt to create the largest coalition to sanction Russia. This NATO project has aroused a backlash around the Global South. Even governments that condemn the war (such as Argentina, Brazil, India, and South Africa) do not agree with NATO’s unilateral sanction policy and prefer to support negotiations for a peaceful solution. The idea of resuming a movement of the nonaligned — inspired by the initiative launched at the conference held in Bandung, Indonesia, in 1955 — has found resonance in numerous circles.

Their intention is correct. They seek to de-escalate global political tensions, which are a threat to the sovereignty of countries and tend to negatively impact the global economy. The spirit of nonconfrontation, and peace, of the Bandung Conference is urgent today.

But the Non-Aligned Movement emerged as a refusal by Third World countries to choose a side in the polarization between the United States and USSR during the Cold War. They were fighting for their sovereignty and the right to have relations with the countries of both systems, without their foreign policy being decided in Washington or Moscow.

This is not the current scenario. Only the Washington-Brussels axis (and allies) demand alignment with their so-called “rules-based international order.” Those who do not align suffer from sanctions applied against dozens of countries (devastating entire economies, such as those of Venezuela and Cuba), illegal confiscation of hundreds of billions of dollars in assets (as in the cases of Venezuela, Iran, Afghanistan, and Russia), invasions and interference resulting in genocidal wars (as in Iraq, Syria, Libya, and Afghanistan), and outside support for “color revolutions” (from Ukraine in 2014 to Brazil in 2016). The demand for alignment comes only from the West, not from China or Russia.

Humanity faces urgent challenges, such as inequality, hunger, the climate crisis, and the threat of new pandemics. To overcome them, regional alliances in the Global South must be able to institute a new multipolarity in global politics. But the usual suspects may have other plans for humanity.

This article was produced by the Morning Star and Globetrotter. Marco Fernandes is a researcher at Tricontinental: Institute for Social Research (a pillar of the International Peoples’ Assembly). He is a member of the No Cold War campaign and is a co-founder and co-editor of News on China (Dongsheng). He lives in Shanghai.

Get PDF here

• Defend Roe v. Wade
• Elon Musk, super pig
• New York rally declares: Jerusalem is Palestine!
• Dollar dominoes
• Three days in May to fight imperialist war and fascism
• Oakland teachers and dockworkers fight for their community
• Socialist Senate candidate attends Moscow May Day
• Los Angeles on May Day: Workers gear up to fight back
• To honor Odessa anti-fascists, stop weapons to Ukraine!
• Instead of fighting COVID, U.S. spent money to support neo-Nazis in Ukraine
• Climate crisis rages as U.S. pushes war for energy profits
• Philippines community rallies to demand fair elections
• Federación de Mujeres se solidariza con la lucha de Puerto Rico por la independencia
• Defendamos a Roe vs Wade de la forma que podamos: en Huelga, Sentadas, Ausentándonos, Clausurando

May 7 – Yesterday we were at the current front line in the Lugansk People’s Republic. We were successful and got lots of interviews from folks who are in shelters who have nowhere else to go because of the bombings of their homes by the U.S.-armed Ukrainian forces.

You can see many apartment buildings bombed and hear stories of people’s shock at seeing Ukrainian soldiers shooting at civilians, who are mostly Russian, but not all. One woman told us that she is of Ukrainian ethnicity but denounces what the Ukrainian government is doing. Everyone I spoke to said that if it wasn’t for the Russian soldiers there, they may not even be alive.

While we were downstairs where people were gathered for their protection, a shell was lodged at another apartment near us. You can hear the booms of bombs so frequently it becomes like white noise.

And, given the nature of many of the Ukrainian troops in the Azov regiment, Right Sector and other neo-Nazi groupings that are in many cases leading the military – given that – perhaps the phrase “white noise” is very appropriate.

Sabemos que la Corrupción está intrínsecamente ligada al modelo neoliberal capitalista. Pero en una colonia, donde no hay salvaguardas en ninguna de las entidades del gobierno local, el efecto es devastador para la población.

Esta semana en Puerto Rico fueron arrestados dos alcaldes por el FBI, una entidad federal estadounidense. Y aunque ahora esté aparentemente combatiendo la corrupción, no nos olvidemos de que esta es la misma agencia que en el 2005 trajo a PR cientos de agentes para asesinar, dejándolo desangrar, al patriota machetero Filiberto Ojeda Ríos.

Los arrestados de esta semana se suman a 31 casos de corrupción desde el año 2020. Desde secretaria de Educación- que por cierto era una gringa – pasando por contratistas, legisladores y sus familiares, empleados del correo, agentes locales de la policía y del sistema carcelario, productores de entretenimiento, alcaldes y personas en su carácter privado.

Pero sobresale una acusación más perversa incluso, porque atañe al mismo gobernador Pedro Pierluisi y que tiene que ver con la ilegalidad de los fondos con los que financió su campaña para la gobernación. Así que no sólo ha sido el ejecutivo con menos votos, apenas una tercera parte del electorado, sino que su administración está plagada de corrupción a altos niveles donde están involucrados desarrolladores, aseguradoras, muchos contratistas, productores de cine, y hasta una tienda de la Guardia Nacional. Todos sirviéndose con la cuchara grande a través del gobernador, robándole al pueblo que sufre por la falta de empleos, jubilación digna y servicios esenciales.

Ahora nos seguir descubriendo a todos los accionistas y dueños para exponerlos públicamente para que sea el pueblo quien realmente logre juzgarlos.

¡Porque solo el pueblo salva al pueblo!

Desde Puerto Rico, para Radio Clarín de Colombia, les habló Berta Joubert-Ceci.

THURSDAY, MAY 12, 2022 AT 5:30 PM – 6:30 PM
Baltimore Press Conference & Rally on Anniversary of Dr. King’s Poor Peoples Campaign
100 N Holliday St, Baltimore

On the anniversary of Dr. Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.’s Poor People’s Campaign March

Join us for a special Press Conference & Rally to announce the Baltimore Poor People’s Campaign Unity March & Caravan from Baltimore to D.C. and the National Welfare Rights Union Conference to be held in Baltimore

Thursday, May 12, 5:30 pm to 6:30 pm
@ City Hall, 100 Holliday St

Please join us and speak out on why you will be participating and supporting.