Alex Saab v. The Empire: How the US Is Using Lawfare To Punish a Venezuelan Diplomat

That the US can engineer the arrest of a diplomat – someone who has immunity by international law even in the time of war – is a dangerous precedent. 

Roger D. Harris
By Roger D. Harris
Alex Saab Feature photo

PRAIA, CABO VERDE -- The case of Alex Saab raises dangerous precedents in terms of extraterritorial judicial abuse, violation of diplomatic status, and even the use of torture to extract false confessions. This is according to Montréal-based international human rights lawyer John Philpot. He spoke on May 19 at a webinar sponsored by the Alliance

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Between the Lines: Congressional Report Finds US Sanctions to Blame for Venezuela Crisis

If the U.S. government’s propaganda is correct that the current crisis is due to Maduro’s mismanagement and corruption, then illegal and inhumane sanctions would not be needed to dislodge the “regime.”

Roger D. Harris
By Roger D. Harris
Venezuela US Sanctions Feature photo

CARACAS, VENEZUELA -- Venezuela was once one of the most prosperous countries in Latin America. The popular classes enjoyed major advances from the Bolivarian Revolution initiated by Hugo Chávez. Today Venezuela is experiencing an unprecedented economic crisis with severe humanitarian consequences. The U.S. government blames the crisis on the

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Media Completely Ignore American Secret Agent’s Trial for Terrorism in Venezuela

One might think that a supposedly innocent American citizen on trial for terrorism inside a hostile enemy country, facing decades behind bars in Venezuela’s notorious prisons, would spark a nationwide media furor.

Alan Macleod
By Alan Macleod
Matthew Health Feature photo

CARACAS -- Unless you read the local Venezuelan press, you are unlikely to know that an American secret agent is currently standing trial in Venezuela on charges of terrorism and weapons trafficking. Matthew John Heath was arrested in September outside Amuay and Cardon oil refineries in possession of a submachine gun, a grenade launcher, C4

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I Observed Venezuela’s Elections Firsthand: Here’s What the US Media Got Wrong

Rick Sterling traveled to Venezuela in early December as part of a group of international election observers and says that some in the US media have gotten the story seriously wrong.

Rick Sterling
By Rick Sterling
Venezuela Elections Feature photo

In early December, I traveled to Venezuela to serve as an election observer during the country’s national assembly election. I was part of a group of eight people from Canada and the United States organized by CodePink. There were about two hundred international observers in total, including the Latin American Council of Electoral Experts. I have

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Trump Enacts Sweeping New Sanctions on China, Iran, Venezuela. Biden Promises More To Come

The new sanctions come even as an estimated 100,000 people have been killed by American sanctions in Venezuela alone as vital medical equipment and lifesaving drugs have been blocked from entering the country.

Alan Macleod
By Alan Macleod
Sanctions Feature photo

On its way out the door, the Trump administration is ramping up another round of aggressive, punishing sanctions against a host of countries. On Friday, the State Department announced new sanctions against Iran, the People’s Republic of China, and Venezuela. And today, it tightened the grip of the decades-long blockade on Cuba and

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US Embassy Caught Scrubbing Tweets Urging Venezuelans Not To Vote

It is not clear why the embassy decided to go back and delete its posting history, especially as undermining Venezuela’s elections continues to be the official line of the US government.

Alan Macleod
By Alan Macleod
Venezuela Election Feature photo

The United States embassy for Venezuela has been caught deleting tweets undermining the integrity of the December 6 National Assembly elections in the country and calling on Venezuelans not to participate in them. “Tomorrow in Venezuela there will be no elections but rather a fraud carried out by the illegitimate Maduro regime. The world is

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