Headlines

America’s exit sets up the development of new missiles to counter China’s military.

• U.S. to Suspend Obligations Under 1987 Nuclear Treaty With Russia

Washington DC, Feb 1.– The Trump administration announced Friday that the United States will formally begin the process of withdrawing from the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty, the Cold War-era arms control accord with Russia.

The declaration by Secretary of State Mike Pompeo had been expected for months. He said the U.S. will suspend its obligations under the 1987 INF treaty as of Saturday and pull out in six months if Russia isn't deemed to be in compliance.

Mr. Guaidó is leading the efforts
to remove Nicolás Maduro from power,
acting as provisional President,
elected by the Venezuelan National Assembly.–

To end the Maduro regime with the minimum of bloodshed, we need the support of pro-democratic governments, institutions and individuals the world over." – Juan Guaidó.

Received from Caracas, Venezuela – On Jan. 23, 61 years after the vicious dictator Marcos Pérez Jiménez was ousted, Venezuelans once again gathered for a day of democratic celebration.

Pérez Jiménez was fraudulently elected by a Constituent Assembly in 1953. His term of office was scheduled to expire in 1958. But rather than calling for free and transparent presidential elections, he was undemocratically re-elected after holding a plebiscite on his administration late in 1957. Following widespread protests and a rupture within the military establishment, the dictator left the country and Venezuela regained its freedom on Jan. 23, 1958.

Once again we face the challenge of restoring our democracy and rebuilding the country, this time amid a humanitarian crisis and the illegal retention of the presidency by Nicolás Maduro. There are severe medicine and food shortages, essential infrastructure and health systems have collapsed, a growing number of children are suffering from malnutrition, and previously eradicated illnesses have re-emerged.

We have one of the highest homicide rates in the world, which is aggravated by the government’s brutal crackdown on protesters. This tragedy has prompted the largest exodus in Latin American history, with three million Venezuelans now living abroad.

I would like to be clear about the situation in Venezuela: Mr. Maduro’s re-election on May 20, 2018, was illegitimate, as has since been acknowledged by a large part of the international community. His original six-year term was set to end on Jan. 10. By continuing to stay in office, Nicolás Maduro is usurping the presidency.

Vista Alegre, Cuba. Ene.21.– “Don’t take away our products...", "They’re starving us..." "This is the government of Diaz-Canel!!!” … so shouted indignantly the neighbors and passerbyers when government and police forces tried to confiscate their loads of food, fruits and vegetables to a forklift truck in the district of Vista Alegre.

The impunity of the henchmen in the streets is over as the street vendors dump their products to the ground rather than have them expropriated.

This news on the one hand provides new evidence that Cubans are no longer impassive in the face of such abuses that affect everyone. On the other, Diaz-Canel, instead of taking steps to alleviate the food crisis, worsens it by responding with more repression and bureaucratic controls to a situation that calls for a profound restructuring of the economy and society.

China is pitted against smaller neighbors in multiple disputes over islands, coral reefs and lagoons in waters crucial for global commerce and rich in fish and potential oil and gas reserves.

Beijing, Jan.20.– The U.S. Navy's top officer says he urged China to follow international rules at sea to avoid confrontations and insisted that ships should be able to pass safely though the South China Sea and Taiwan Strait.