Alan Macleod

Alan MacLeod is Senior Staff Writer for MintPress News. He completed his PhD in 2017 and has since authored two acclaimed books: Bad News From Venezuela: Twenty Years of Fake News and Misreporting and Propaganda in the Information Age: Still Manufacturing Consent, as well as a number of academic articles. He has also contributed to FAIR.org, The Guardian, Salon, The Grayzone, Jacobin Magazine, and Common Dreams. Follow Alan on Twitter for more of his work and commentary: @AlanRMacLeod.

Revealed: The CIA-Backed NGOs Fueling The Iran Protests

Alan MacLeod uncovers how HRANA and U.S.-based “human rights” NGOs fuel unrest in Iran, supplying Western media with explosive casualty claims backed by National Endowment for Democracy funding.

Alan Macleod
By Alan Macleod
In this photo obtained by The Associated Press, Iranians attend an anti-government protest in Tehran, Iran, Friday, Jan. 9, 2026. (UGC via AP)

As waves of deadly demonstrations and counter-demonstrations hit Iran, MintPress examines the CIA-backed NGOs helping to stir the outrage and foment more violence. One of these groups is Human Rights Activists In Iran, frequently referred to as HRA or HRAI in the media. The group, and its media arm, the Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA)

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From Noriega to Maduro: The Long US History of Kidnapping Foreign Leaders

Kidnapping heads of state is not a Trump innovation. It is American tradition.

Alan Macleod
By Alan Macleod
Manuel Antonio Noriega watches as U.S. Drug Enforcement Agents place chains around his waist aboard a C-130 transport plane on Jan. 4, 1990. Noriega surrendered to U.S. authorities in Panama City and was flown to Miami, Florida, where he faced drug trafficking charges. Photo | AP

While it has undoubtedly shocked the world, the Trump administration’s abduction of President Nicolás Maduro fits into a long history of United States kidnapping of foreign leaders. On January 3, U.S. Special Forces entered Venezuela by air, captured Maduro and First Lady Cilia Flores, killing around 80 people in the process. They were flown to

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Maduro on Trial & Trump’s ‘Donroe Doctrine’

From the courtroom to the newsroom, Nicolás Maduro’s trial exposes how U.S. force is laundered through media language and legal theater, reviving an old doctrine of hemispheric control.

Mnar Adley
Alan Macleod
By Mnar Adley
And Alan Macleod
Maduro

The trial of Nicolás Maduro has begun. On January 3, the elected president of Venezuela was kidnapped and flown to the U.S. to face drug smuggling charges in a case that is already falling apart. Prosecutors have already admitted that the “Cartel of the Suns” – the drugs organization Maduro supposedly led – does not exist. Moreover, the supposed

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Bloody Diamonds: How Your Engagement Ring Helps Fund a Genocide in Gaza

Israel has no diamond mines, yet it dominates the global trade. This investigation exposes how diamonds sold in the West bankroll Israel’s war on Gaza, fuel violence across Africa, and are falsely marketed as “conflict free.”

Alan Macleod
By Alan Macleod
Israel Blood Diamonds Feature

Did your engagement ring help fund a genocide in Gaza? Quite possibly. Despite possessing no mines of their own, Israel is a major player in the world’s diamond business, buying up minerals across Africa and selling them to the West, netting billions in the process. Diamonds are Israel’s most important export, and directly bankroll the country’s

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The Seven Richest Billionaires Are All Media Barons

The world’s seven richest men now double as media barons, buying up platforms from CNN and CBS to Twitter, Facebook and TikTok. Alan MacLeod charts how their ties to Trump, the Pentagon and Israel are tightening control over what we see, hear and say.

Alan Macleod
By Alan Macleod

Trump loyalist and CIA contractor Larry Ellison’s purchase of CNN appears imminent, and marks the latest venture into media for the world’s second-richest individual. But Ellison is not alone. Indeed, the world’s seven richest individuals are all now powerful media barons, controlling what the world sees, reads, and hears, marking a new chapter in

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Hypersonic Missiles, Imperial Wars, and Resistance: The New US-Russia Clash in Latin America

As Russia moves to supply Venezuela with hypersonic missiles, Washington faces growing defiance across Latin America. Colombia and Mexico lead regional resistance to U.S. aggression as Trump’s new Cold War threatens to ignite the Caribbean.

Mnar Adley
Alan Macleod
By Mnar Adley
And Alan Macleod
Venezuela

Pushback from Latin American leaders are putting a wrench in the works of Donald Trump’s imperial ambitions. The Summit of the Americas– the U.S.-backed conference of regional leaders– has had to be cancelled (or, officially, postponed until 2026) due to threats of a mass boycott of the event. Leading this revolt are Gustavo Petro of Colombia and

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Fatema Al Harbi: The Arab Working Overtime to Defend Israel’s Genocide

Fatema Al Harbi built her career defending Israel’s actions in Gaza, partnering with Israeli intelligence-linked groups and spreading propaganda that whitewashes war crimes.

Alan Macleod
By Alan Macleod
Harbi Feature photo

While its actions in Gaza and beyond have united the world against it, Israel can still rely on a small cadre of hardcore Arab Zionist supporters. Given these individuals’ race and religion, they are enthusiastically presented with platforms to passionately defend the state and its actions. One notable example of this is Fatema Al Harbi, author,

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