Following the Cuban revolution the US Government under Kennedy developed a program of "State Terror" to deal with the aspirations of peasants and workers in Latin America whose needs could only be answered by ending exploitation by US corporations and the local feudal landlord class. Set up under the guise of National Security it was first fully implemented by the US Army in Colombia. Kovalik compairs the news coverage of Colombia and Venezuela. They are 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 (killing priests, trade unionists, indigenous, journalists the poor) it remains a top recipient of US military aid and enjoys uncritical press coverage in Western media--all while Trump imposes sanctions and threatens military intervention against Venezuela over unsubstantiated allegations. (program)
ChicagoALBASolidarity, Alliance for Global Justice, Workers World Party-Chicago, Chicago Veterans For Peace, Witness for Peace, 8th Day Center for Justice, Freedom Road Socialist Organization, La Voz de los de Abajo For more information: Stan Smith 773-322-3168, stansfieldsmith100@gmail.com
Daniel Kovalik is Senior Associate General Counsel of the United Steelworkers, AFL- CIO (USW). The Christian Science Monitor, described Kovalik as âone of the most prominent defenders of Colombian workers in the United States.â Kovalik was the recipient of the Project Censored Award for exposing the unprecedented killing of trade unionists in Colombia. He has written extensively on the issue of international human rights and U.S. foreign policy for the Huffington Post and Counterpunch and has lectured throughout the world on these subjects. His recent book is The Plot to Scapegoat Russia.