"Tyranny is defined as that which is legal for the government but illegal for the citizenry." -- President Thomas Jefferson

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Before COVID-19 raged through Chile in all its lethal  power, Jorge Barrios sat in his living room using sanitation wipes to scrub a recently received package. “It’s from China,” he said. “You have to be careful with these things.”  

At least 153 died in custody in El Salvadors gang crackdown report MikeRivero Wed, 05/31/2023 - 08:01

The human cost of El Salvador’s controversial “war on gangs” has been laid bare in a new report which claims dozens of prisoners were tortured and killed in jail after being caught up in the year-long security crackdown.

Colombia, Venezuela Reach Agreement to Find Remains of Victims Buried by Paramilitaries MikeRivero Wed, 05/31/2023 - 08:01

Colombia and Venezuela have reached an agreement to search for remains of victims who were killed by paramilitaries during Colombia's internal armed conflict and reportedly buried in Venezuela, Colombia President Gustavo Petro said on Tuesday.

The agreement follows recent confessions before the Special Jurisdiction for Peace (JEP) tribunal by former paramilitary commander Salvatore Mancuso, Petro said.

The JEP was created under a 2016 peace deal with the now demobilized FARC rebel group to try former combatants and members of the military.

Argentina dumps US dollar for Chinese yuan: How nations are jumping on the de-dollarisation bandwagon MikeRivero Sat, 05/27/2023 - 09:28

The king of currency, the dollar, is on shaky ground. In this past one year, there’s a growing trend of countries sidestepping the US dollar and choosing to use their own local currencies for bilateral trade.

The de-dollarisation process – moving away from trading in the dollar and instead choosing local currency – has received a boost after the Russia-Ukraine war and as Washington’s tensions with Beijing rise even further.

Why Are US Military Personnel Heading To Peru? MikeRivero Sat, 05/27/2023 - 08:07

Unbeknown, it seems, to most people in Peru and the US (considering the paucity of media coverage in both countries), US military personnel will soon be landing in Peru. The plenary session of Peru’s Congress last Thursday (May 18) authorised the entry of US troops onto Peruvian soil with the ostensible purpose of carrying out “cooperation activities” with Peru’s armed forces and national police.

Venezuela: 'I'm paid to tweet state propaganda' MikeRivero Fri, 05/26/2023 - 10:32

Rafael - not his real name - is a massive internet nerd. At 59 years old, he is active on all the main social media platforms, dabbles in cryptocurrencies and even calls himself an influencer.

But that is not all he does online.

Rafael is also part of a group of Venezuelans being paid by the state to tweet propaganda.

He spends at least 30 minutes a day posting pro-government content. "The aim is to amplify the information the government puts on Twitter," he explains.

Argentina is in talks to renew and potentially expand its currency swap line with China, a central bank source said on Wednesday, as the South American country battles tumbling foreign reserves that threaten its ability to meet payments.

The country has free access to some $5 billion as part of the China currency swap agreement that totals 130 billion yuan ($18.81 billion). The two countries activated the usable portion in January to help bolster Argentina's embattled peso.

Military action in Mexico should be on the table US congressman MikeRivero Tue, 05/23/2023 - 13:24

Military intervention against drug cartels in Mexico should be among the options under consideration by the US government, Congressman Dan Crenshaw has argued. The Republican from Texas insisted, however, that any such operation would have to be conducted in close cooperation with the Mexican authorities.   

In an interview with TV channel FOX 26 Houston on Sunday, Crenshaw claimed that the Mexican government “does not have operational control of their side of the border.” 

Gray day: Huge swathes of Mexico are blanketed in dust as Popocatpetl volcano continues to spew ash and dust, with 3M ordered to prepare for evacuation MikeRivero Tue, 05/23/2023 - 12:27

Around three million people have been ordered to evacuate as huge swathes of Mexico were blanketed in dust by the Popocatépetl volcano, which has also delayed flights and caused schools to close. 

Millions are told to get ready to evacuate as one of the world's most dangerous volcanoes in Mexico is set to erupt with smoke, ash and molten rock already spewing into the sky grounding planes forcing nearby schools to close MikeRivero Mon, 05/22/2023 - 10:23

Mexican authorities on Sunday raised the warning level for the Popocatepetl volcano to one step below red alert as smoke, ash and molten rock spewed into the sky posing risks to aviation and far-flung communities below.

The huge volcano that towers above Mexico City is considered one of the most dangerous in the world because some 25 million people live within a 60-mile radius.