Screenshot by Dandelion Salad via Flickr
See video below
with Abby Martin
teleSUR English on Aug 19, 2017
Colombia and Venezuela: two neighboring countries that receive extremely different treatment by the US Empire and the mass media.
While Colombia is known for one of the worst human rights records in the world, it remains a top recipient of US military aid and enjoys uncritical press coverage in Western media–all while Trump threatens military intervention against Venezuela over unsubstantiated allegations.
To contrast the human rights realities, Abby Martin interviews human rights attorney Dan Kovalik, who has recently returned from both countries.
Kovalik has done extensive work in Latin America and was an observer to the recent Constituent Assembly election in Venezuela. He also serves as Associate General Counsel of the United Steelworkers union, teaches International Human Rights at the University of Pittsburgh School of Law, and is the author of the new book “The Plot to Scapegoat Russia.”
from the archives:
John Pilger: There Is Such Risk At The Moment
Abby Martin: Insurgency and US Threats in Venezuela
Abby Martin: Dictatorship or Democracy in Venezuela?
Fred Fuentes: Media Lies About Venezuela
Did US aid fund mass graves in Colombia?
Daniel Kovalik: Plan Colombia Continues Under Obama Administration
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Mind boggling.
I am really beginning to wonder what the real proportion of psychopaths to healthy human beings is, in this desperately sick world….
….it cannot escape our notice, that the most devoted adherents of these establishment-supported ‘corporate’ cults that are both ideologically and fanatically cruel, also display ostentatious religious piety & abject conformity to twisted dogma that justifies extreme violence; the sine qua non of top ranking on the list of the international criminal syndicates that Washington both defends & deploys so vigorously.
Our moral fortitude should be like the classic musk-ox defense, forming an impenetrable circle of combined strength to resist this abominable global slide into utter depravity.
I’ve also just listened to Abby’s description (on the Jo Rogan podcast) of life in occupied Palestine & so-called Israel. Despicable and horrific.
We must also think very carefully about the implications of a default Pence administration, if Donald Trump does not survive his own incompetence.
David,
Mind-boggling is right. Imagining a measuring device for interviews which tells the level of intensity, this interview is one of “Empire Files” and Abby Martin’s most intense. Another descriptive used by people for talks such as this one with Dan Kovalik is “jaw-dropping”, and this revelatory exercise most certainly leaves listeners stunned.
There was always reason for concern about Venezuela due to its world’s greatest oil deposits, surpassing those of Saudi Arabia. Mr. Kovalik’s mention that Venezuela also possesses the world’s greatest supply of cobalt can only cause a doubling of concern that Venezuelans might face military aggression as happened most recently from 2003 and Iraq, to 2011 and Libya, to 2013 and Syria, and elsewhere.
This profoundly disturbing information – particularly the sharp contrast drawn between the criminally violent government of Columbia and that of comparatively law-abiding Venezuela – should be known by all Americans, especially after Donald Trump openly suggested a military intervention of Venezuela.
Thanks for that Jerry. I totally agree with you. I’m not a geologist, but conflict minerals are certainly a huge concern. Illegal mines in Venezuela are said to be run by Colombian interests; but what Dan Kovalik refers to is Coltan, that is not the same as Cobalt ~ see the section on Venezuela here https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coltan_mining_and_ethics
Yes it is very worrying. The wanton, wasteful and ecocidal US empire literally runs on carcinogenic oil to deliver their weapons-grade materials, and they will do anything necessary to control their toxic, strategically essential ‘life blood-lines.’ When that situation finally changes, as it must ~ everything will change. We need literal ‘armies’ of human-rights attorneys like DK. Then the tide will turn.
I was watching an RT interview from the Philippines, Pres. Duarte, and was surprised when he referred to Panama and Honduras’ scuffles with US was in regards to drugs. That’s turned out not to be the case and I wondered if the President really understands those situations in Latin America fully. Either he’s really not paying attention or he’s still under great pressure.