Cuba President Díaz-Canel: In facing Covid-19, everyone depends on each one of us

by Leticia Martínez

Granma | March 27, 2020

Photo: Ismael Batista

During yesterday’s meeting to review the Covid-19 situation in Cuba, President Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez commented, “To the degree that everyone understands the responsibility of each one of us to others, we will be able to more efficiently confront the new coronavirus pandemic.”

Presiding the meeting to evaluate implementation of the country’s prevention and control plan, along with Prime Minster Manuel Marrero Cruz, Diaz-Canel insisted, “Each of us depends on everyone, and we all depend on each one.”

Over 45 Countries Ask Cuba for Interferon to Treat Covid-19

teleSUR | March 27, 2020

Doctor Luis Herrera, the Interferon creator, in an interview for teleSUR, Havana, Cuba, March 17, 2020. | Photo: Twitter/ @NihiEnthusiast

Since the 1980s, this drug is used in cases of acute respiratory conditions and viral infections.

Outlet Granma reported that over 45 nations have requested Cuba for Interferon  Alpha 2b Human Recombinant supplies given that this drug is effective in treating Covid-19 patients.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson is Covid-19 Positive

teleSUR | March 27, 2019

Prime Minister Boris Johnson at a press conference, London, Britain, March 20, 2020. | Photo: EFE

The conservative politician is one of the 11,658 cases reported by the United Kingdom so far.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has tested positive for coronavirus, according to what the politician reported in a video posted on his Twitter account on Friday.

 

US Surpasses China in Number of COVID-19 Cases

teleSUR | March 26, 2020

As the World Health Organization warned earlier this week, the U.S. has become the epicenter of the virus reporting more cases than any other country with a record-time increase.

The United States surpassed China in the number of infected people with COVID-19 Thursday, as the North American nation reported 81,864 cases.

US relief package is a giveaway to big business

Peoples Dispatch | March 27, 2020

Chris Caruso, education director of The People’s Forum in New York, talks about the skewed priorities of the ruling class in the US as shown by the provisions of the financial package passed in the Senate. He also talks about the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic in the US and the failures of the federal and state governments in dealing with the crisis.

Virtual G20 Summit Ends With Vague Promises, Sparks Critics

teleSUR | March 26, 2020

The group of 20 (G20) held Thursday a virtual summit on the coronavirus outbreak. | Photo: EFE

G20 leaders said they will present “a united front against this common threat.”

The group of 20 (G20) comprising the 20 most prosperous and large economies held Thursday a virtual summit chaired by Saudi Arabia, at the end of which the member nations expressed their confidence that the world “will overcome” the global coronavirus pandemic.

Kosovo’s government just fell – but it’s down to US meddling rather than coronavirus

The Conversation | March 28, 2020

The government of Kosovo’s Prime Minister Albin Kurti lost a non-confidence vote on March 25. Valdrin Xhemaj/EPA

When the government of Kosovo fell on March 25 after losing a no-confidence vote, some reports suggested it was prompted by the government’s mishandling of the coronavirus pandemic. This is simply not true. Instead, it was driven by domestic forces desperate to block change, and the US administration’s determination to remove a government unwilling to comply with its demands.

After the October 2019 general election, left-wing Vetevendosje emerged as the largest party in Kosovo’s parliament. Vetevendosje’s popularity is built on its agenda for change, including commitments to reduce unemployment and social depravation, and, most particularly, tackle the corruption which has plagued Kosovo for decades.

Brazilians reject Bolsonaro’s response to COVID-19

Peoples Dispatch | March 27, 2020

Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic has been rejected by the people. Bolsonaro addressed the people of Brazil on March 24 and criticized the measures of social isolation decreed by governors of several states. In response to Bolsonaro’s callousness towards dealing with the crisis, fresh cacerolazos took place in many cities. Talks of his impeachment have also begun to gain strength.

Venezuela: Tales of Resistance: Love in Times of Coronavirus

by Jessica Dos Santos

Venezuelanalysis.com | March 27, 2020

In her latest VA column, Jessica Dos Santos looks at the coronavirus the country is facing. (Venezuelanalysis)

It was the second week of March. The coronavirus had been raging on for months in China, for weeks in Europe, and had arrived in Latin America. Meanwhile, in Venezuela, a media campaign focused on prevention was underway. State media would play a jingle all the time asking us, in the country where kisses and hugs are the only thing never lacking, to greet each other without physical contact:

“If you see a friend and want to greet him: a military salute. If you want to hug him but can’t: bang your elbows. And if you find a friend you haven’t seen in a while: greet him like you’re Japanese” [translator’s note: in Spanish it rhymes]. We were all walking around humming it in our heads. However, every time we saw a friend we would smother them anyway. One way or another, we refused to accept that the virus would also land here.

Venezuela’s Coronavirus Response Might Surprise You

by Leonardo Flores

Common Dreams | March 26, 2020

Venezuelan doctors conducting a COVID-19 house visit. (@OrlenysOV)

 

Within a few hours of being launched, over 800 Venezuelans in the U.S. registered for an emergency flight from Miami to Caracas through a website run by the Venezuelan government. This flight, offered at no cost, was proposed by President Nicolás Maduro when he learned that 200 Venezuelans were stuck in the United States following his government’s decision to stop commercial flights as a preventative coronavirus measure. The promise of one flight expanded to two or more flights, as it became clear that many Venezuelans in the U.S. wanted to go back to Venezuela, yet the situation remains unresolved due to the U.S. ban on flights to and from the country.

Those who rely solely on the mainstream media might wonder who in their right mind would want to leave the United States for Venezuela. Time, The Washington Post, The Hill and the Miami Herald, among others, published opinions in the past week describing Venezuela as a chaotic nightmare. These media outlets painted a picture of a coronavirus disaster, of government incompetence and of a nation teetering on the brink of collapse. The reality of Venezuela’s coronavirus response is not covered by the mainstream media at all.