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Latest US Attempt at Regime Change Hits a Snag

NNPA NEWSWIRE — The human toll is also staggering. Noted economist Jeffrey Sachs has said that since 2017, 40,000 Venezuelans have died because of the sanctions. Critics blame the sanctions and corruption and mismanagement of the Maduro government for shortages of food, medicine and other basic commodities and the collapse of oil prices and the strangulation of the economy by the US has made the lives of Venezuelans still in the country a living misery.

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By Barrington M. Salmon, Contributing Writer, NNPA Newswire
@bsalmondc

The crisis that has engulfed Venezuela represents an international power struggle that has, for the last five months, defied resolution.

At one side of the turmoil is the Trump administration and at the other is President Nicolás Maduro, who officials in Washington have vowed to remove from office. The person chosen by administration officials to replace Maduro and the socialist government is Juan Guaidó, president of the National Assembly. Angered by the presence of a socialist country in the Western Hemisphere, the US has been flexing its muscle and exerting its considerable power economically and in other ways in an attempt to force Maduro out of office.

The latest chapter of the saga occurred on April 30, That’s when Guaidó, the man who has declared himself interim president in January, appeared on social media in the pre-dawn hours of April 30 proclaiming the imminent end of the government of President Nicolas Maduro. But by day’s end, the expected uprising had fizzled out as defections from the military didn’t happen and the people failed to rally around Guaidó.

“Today, brave soldiers, brave patriots, brave men loyal to the constitution have heard our call. We have finally met on the streets of Venezuela,” Guaidó said near the La Carlota airbase in eastern Caracas. “The time is now. We are going to achieve freedom and democracy in Venezuela.”

Standing beside Guaidó in the video was Leopoldo López, a fellow opposition member who had been under house arrest since 2014. His movements had been curtailed after López – former mayor of a municipality in Caracas – lead violent anti-government protests. Those with knowledge of Venezuela said Lopez’ presence very likely rattled those who may have considered joining because he is considered a radical. The Supreme Court has issued a warrant for López’ arrest which may have prompted his decision to seek asylum, first in the Chilean and then Spanish embassy.

Cultural educator and activist James Early, a frequent visitor to Venezuela and a vocal opponent of US intervention, blasted the US attempts to depose Maduro.

“This is a dangerous escalation of a violent sector of the opposition in cooperation with the most violent sector of the Trump administration,” he said during an April 30 discussion about Venezuela on WPFW 89.3 FM. “For Eliot Abrams and Mike Pompeo, this was a gamble. They tricked a number of soldiers and are willing to put people’s lives in danger. The fascist Trump administration is trying to overthrow a government that the majority of Venezuelans voted for.”

“They need to call off the dogs of war. Citizens must press the elites in both parties,” continued Early, a member of the Institute of Policy Studies’ Board of Trustees. “This is a threat exercised by a rightwing government and will likely open a civil war an extend wars in Latin America. This is a bloody onslaught of Trump carried out by (Sen.) Marco Rubio. We must stand up to protect the international sovereignty and independence of Venezuela and act as global citizens to aid Venezuela.”

Latin and Central America expert Alex Main agreed, expressing increasing concern for ordinary Venezuelans and fearing that US aggression could lead to civil war.

“I was expecting this,” said Main, director of International Policy at the Center for Economic and Policy Research of Guaidó’s abortive coup. “This administration is hell-bent on producing a military coup. They are putting pressure on the military and civilians which economic sanctions. This shows that from Day 1, the military coup strategy is based on a lot of wishful thinking.”

“Threats and pressure for the US government show that they don’t have a plan. This strategy is doomed. They don’t have a Plan B. They should initiate dialogue towards a negotiated settlement but they (The US) has been openly hostile to any dialogue. Maduro is open to dialogue and Mexico, Norway, Switzerland and the Vatican have offered to mediate. That’s where things stand.”

Journalist Anya Parampil warned during an anti-US intervention rally in March that a sustained war against Venezuela is already underway.

“With that gang that has taken over in the White House, anything is possible,” Parampil, a writer with The Grayzone told the rally crowd at Lafayette Park. “They have filled the administration with John Bolton and Eliot Abrams. They are creating terror in Venezuela. People are terrified, afraid of a US intervention. I woman I talked to down there said we watched the US destroy Iraq and Syria. And now they want to do the same to us. It’s psychological warfare. The US is creating a pretext for a military invasion, but it didn’t happen. Venezuelans aren’t afraid to fight.”

“We need to recognize that war of Venezuela is already being waged. I don’t believe that we’ll see an Iraq-style war. We have entered a new phase of using the media and the weaponizing international capital and finances. It’s financial terrorism. All of this is a direct result of US policy.”

To illustrate Parampil’s point, earlier this year the US government seized $7 billion of Venezuelan oils assets from Venezuelan state-owned oil company, Petróleos de Venezuela, S.A. (PDVSA), leaving it “at the disposal of the legitimate interim president,” Guaidó. Meanwhile, after pressure from Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and National Security Advisor John Bolton, The Bank of England has refused to release 14 tons of gold valued at $1.2 billion to the Venezuelan government, and according to Jorge Martin of Marxist.com, Guaidó has lobbied the British government to put these assets at his disposal as well.

The human toll is also staggering. Noted economist Jeffrey Sachs has said that since 2017, 40,000 Venezuelans have died because of the sanctions. Critics blame the sanctions and corruption and mismanagement of the Maduro government for shortages of food, medicine and other basic commodities and the collapse of oil prices and the strangulation of the economy by the US has made the lives of Venezuelans still in the country a living misery.

Guaidó said in the pre-dawn video that he was not a advocating a coup but a “peaceful rebellion,” adding that Maduro no longer had the backing of the armed forces. But both he and Trump officials miscalculated because both groups have so far remained loyal to the president.

Clearly embarrassed, Bolton tried to shame Venezuelan military leaders, including Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino López, and other officials by naming them publicly. He contends that they agreed to switch sides in a secret agreement but reneged on their promise.

In the aftermath of the failed coup, the sabre-rattling is continuing with Bolton and Pompeo signaling the administration’s willingness to send in the military. Yet, several media accounts note that Trump is trying to avoid stepping into yet another military conflict. Then there is consideration for the valid concerns of some regional leaders who are against military intervention because that would destabilize the region and cause more undue suffering for the Venezuelan people.

One aspect often ignored by mainstream media is that what is playing in Venezuela is suffused with class AND race. Many or most of those opposed to Maduro are from the upper and middle class and are, or identify as, white. When the late President Hugo Chávez won the presidency in 1998, he implemented the Bolivarian Revolution which filmmaker and educator Catherine Murphy said, completely transformed the lives and livelihoods of Afro-Venezuelans. Chávez brought the previously dispossessed into the political process, helping educate them and enshrining their citizenhood into the amended Constitution.

Several analysts point out that racism is one of the main engines and expressions of the counter revolution. This is best illustrated by the fact that the National Assembly is overwhelmingly white, while the Constituent Assembly appointed by Maduro much more accurately reflects the makeup of the country.

“Venezuela is deeply divided politically and there is a financial/wealth divide but so many people are devoted to the revolution,” said Catherine Murphy, a DC resident who lived in Venezuela from 2006-2010. “He acted, started to run PDVSA, and the money went to pay for housing, paving streets, providing clean running water and nation-building. It benefitted everyone. He started the Mission Robinson Literacy Program and invited thousands of Cuban doctors who lived in communities practicing medicine for free.”

“Chávez also restored indigenous Ancestral land rights and gave rights that have never been afforded to Afro-Venezuelans. The people who oppose the Venezuelan government and those out here at the embassy in DC are fascists and the elite who can’t handle losing their privilege. The middle class had maids who started going to literacy classes, voting, organizing, mobilizing and having a dignified place in society and these people can’t get used to that.”

The power struggle occurring in the international arena is being played out locally at the Venezuelan embassy in Georgetown. Murphy said she responded to the call put out by activists who have occupied and protected the embassy for almost three weeks. She got there at 1.30 p.m. on May 2, and stayed out there until well past midnight of the next day, she said.

“It was an ugly scene going down,” said Murphy, activist, teacher and director of Maestra, a film that chronicles the year that Fidel Castro orchestrated to dramatically increase Cuba’s literacy rate in 1961. “It was so crazy out there. The Venezuelan opposition are almost all white and reek of privilege based on how they act. It was so aggressive and nasty. I wish I had taken some video.”

“The Venezuelan opposition were right on the edge of being violent. They were insulting people saying nasty, disgusting things, making racist, sexist and homophobic comments. They were yelling at a member of embassy staff saying they knew where he lived and would come to get him. That’s some nasty sh**. They had bullhorns and emergency sirens and were blasting it forever. It made me think about torture.”

Since Carlos Vecchio went to the embassy and spoke to pro-Guaidó supporters last week, more than 100 of them have laid siege on the embassy building. Guaidó appointed Vecchio as “ambassador.”

Murphy said representatives of almost a dozen organizations have added their support to the Embassy Protection Collective. This includes Code Pink, BYP 100, members of the DMV Black Lives Matter Movement, a Peace and Justice organization from Richmond, the ANSWER Coalition and others.

She said the pro-Guaidó contingent broke through police lines several times and assaulted people bringing food to the Embassy Protection Collective, as well as verbally berating journalists and those who came out to support those occupying the embassy. To her consternation, Murphy said DC police and the Secret Service stood by and did nothing. Journalists and supporters of the collective have been sharing video on social media showing the aggressiveness of the other side.

“I didn’t expect to stay that long but I couldn’t leave. I was so concerned,” Murphy said. The opposition was so horrible. The sirens and yelling went on for 12 f**** hours. The good news is people are still inside. They’re holding it down. The embassy supporters outside held it down too.”

#NNPA BlackPress

NAACP Sues Trump Administration Over Dismantling of Consumer Financial Protection Bureau

NNPA NEWSWIRE — The lawsuit comes after a series of drastic actions following the ouster of CFPB Director Rohit Chopra. President Trump replaced Chopra with Russell Vought, who immediately instructed staff not to perform any work tasks and ordered the closure of the agency’s headquarters, taking steps to cancel its lease.

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By Stacy M. Brown
NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent
@StacyBrownMedia

The NAACP has filed a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia challenging the legality of the Trump administration’s decision to dismantle the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB). The civil rights organization argues that the move undermines protections for Black, elderly, and vulnerable consumers, leaving them exposed to financial exploitation. NAACP President and CEO Derrick Johnson condemned the administration’s actions, calling them a reckless assault on consumer protections. “Once again, we are witnessing the dangerous impacts of an overreaching executive office. The Trump Administration’s decision to dismantle the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau opens the floodgates for unethical and predatory practices to run rampant,” Johnson stated. “We refuse to stand idly by as our most vulnerable communities are left unprotected due to irresponsible leaders. From seniors and retirees, disabled people, and victims of disaster to so many more, our nation stands to face immense financial hardship and adversity as a result of the elimination of the CFPB. If our President refuses to put people over profit, the NAACP will use every tool possible to put Americans first.”

The lawsuit comes after a series of drastic actions following the ouster of CFPB Director Rohit Chopra. President Trump replaced Chopra with Russell Vought, who immediately instructed staff not to perform any work tasks and ordered the closure of the agency’s headquarters, taking steps to cancel its lease. Vought also suspended all investigations, rulemaking, public communications, and enforcement actions. Keisha D. Bross, NAACP Director of Opportunity, Race, and Justice, said the organization maintains its commitment to restoring the bureau’s critical role in protecting consumers. “The CFPB is an agency of the people. From the protection from junk fees to fighting excessive overdraft fees, providing assistance to impacted victims of natural disasters, and holding predatory practices accountable, the NAACP stands firm in bringing back the CFPB,” Bross said. “The NAACP will fight to hold financial entities responsible for the years of inequitable practices from big banks and lenders.”

The lawsuit, filed alongside the National Treasury Employees Union (NTEU), the National Consumer Law Center, the Virginia Poverty Law Center, and the CFPB Employee Association, argues that the administration’s actions violate the Constitution and the Administrative Procedure Act. According to the complaint, the Trump administration has taken deliberate steps to dismantle the CFPB, including firing 70 employees via form email, canceling over $100 million in vendor contracts, and shutting down the agency’s consumer complaint system, which processes hundreds of thousands of cases monthly. The plaintiffs warn that these actions will leave millions of Americans defenseless against financial fraud and predatory lending practices. The lawsuit details the harm already inflicted by the agency’s closure. Among those affected is Rev. Eva Steege, an 83-year-old pastor with a terminal illness who was seeking student loan forgiveness through a CFPB-facilitated program. Her meeting with CFPB staff was abruptly canceled, leaving her without recourse to resolve her debt before passing.

The NAACP and other plaintiffs seek an immediate injunction to halt the administration’s actions and restore the CFPB’s operations. The legal challenge argues that the President has no unilateral authority to dismantle an agency created by Congress and that Vought’s appointment as acting director is unlawful. President Trump has made no secret of his desire to eliminate the CFPB, confirming last week that his administration was working to “totally eliminate” the agency. Tech billionaire Elon Musk, a key player in Trump’s “Department of Government Efficiency,” celebrated the move with a social media post reading “CFPB RIP.”

If successful, the lawsuit could force the administration to reinstate the agency and resume its enforcement actions against financial institutions accused of predatory practices. “Neither the President nor the head of the CFPB has the power to dismantle an agency that Congress established,” the plaintiffs argue. “With each day the agency remains shut down, financial institutions that seek to prey on consumers are emboldened—harming their law-abiding competitors and the consumers who fall victim to them.”

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#NNPA BlackPress

Robert Kennedy and Healthcare. Is There Trust?

NNPA NEWSWIRE — Kennedy, an anti-vaxxer is the new face of healthcare in America. He was confirmed by the US Senate in a vote split along party lines, 52-48. Kentucky Republican Senator Mitch McConnell voted with Democrats opposing the nomination.

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By April Ryan

“When you erode trust you lose your democracy because it is based on trust,” according to Black Obama Administration Surgeon General Regina Benjamin. She is responding to the United States Senate’s confirmation of Robert Kennedy Jr. as the new Secretary of Health and Human Services. Kennedy, an anti-vaxxer is the new face of healthcare in America. He was confirmed by the US Senate in a vote split along party lines, 52-48. Kentucky Republican Senator Mitch McConnell voted with Democrats opposing the nomination. The Alabama-based former Surgeon General declares, “We’ve had anti-vaxxers for years, but they became prominent during COVID,” creating “new” trust issues.

From Benjamin’s professional understanding, “that’s when we started to see people not trust science,” loudly. Her position is that as health matters changed over time so did the medical responses. Controversy swirls around Kennedy’s anti-vaccination stance, however, he is lauded for his posture on preventative medicine. Benjamin is hopeful Kennedy will focus on prevention as she denotes it is “the key to solving many problems in our healthcare system.” When Benjamin was the nation’s top doctor from 2009 to 2013, the Obama administration released a national prevention strategy, which she deemed “a roadmap.” During that job, she worked to move Americans “from sickness and disease to one of health and wellness.”  Benjamin is hopeful that this new administration will “focus more on prevention.”

One of the pressing issues Secretary Kennedy will face is the shortage of healthcare professionals.  “We’ve had workforce issues for a long time. The number of doctors, the number of nurses and we don’t have enough to cover everyone.” Benjamin points out there are regional issues with a lack of healthcare professionals. “You see those decreases particularly in rural areas.”  There is a short-term fix according to Benjamin, “We have to turn to telemedicine because we don’t have [enough] doctors.” She cautions, ” It will get worse before it gets better.” With February being American Heart Month, Benjamin recommends particularly for those in the Black community to “be as healthy as you can…so you can be resilient and respond to things.”  She acknowledges that overall when it comes to our health and wellbeing, “we have to train ourselves where to go for trusted information.”

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American Heart Association Partners with the Black Press for Groundbreaking Black Health Symposium

NNPA NEWSWIRE — The event brought together leaders in healthcare and media, emphasizing the critical need for collaboration in addressing health disparities impacting Black Americans.

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By Stacy M. Brown
NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent
@StacyBrownMedia

For the first time, a major corporation has chosen to broadcast a significant health initiative exclusively through the Black Press of America. The American Heart Association (AHA) partnered with the National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA) to present “Changing the Future of Health for Black Communities: Public Health and Media Symposium,” a virtual event streamed live on NNPA’s YouTube channel as part of Black History Month. The NNPA is the trade association representing the more than 200 African-American-owned newspapers and media companies in the United States, which only known as are commonly known as the Black Press of America.

Initially planned as a hybrid event in Washington, D.C., the symposium transitioned to a fully virtual format due to inclement weather. The event brought together leaders in healthcare and media, emphasizing the critical need for collaboration in addressing health disparities impacting Black Americans. The panel featured distinguished health professionals, including Dr. Regina Benjamin, the 18th U.S. Surgeon General and founder of the Bayou Clinic; Dr. Keith Churchwell, president of the American Heart Association; and Katrina McGhee, AHA’s chief marketing officer. Media figures included Sharí Nycole, co-host at Reach Media; Dr. Benjamin Chavis Jr., NNPA president and CEO; and April Ryan, senior White House correspondent and Washington Bureau Chief for BlackPressUSA.com. Sybil Wilkes, the veteran journalist known for her role on The Tom Joyner Morning Show, moderated the discussion.

Black Health in Crisis

Dr. Churchwell laid out stark statistics highlighting the disproportionate impact of cardiovascular disease on Black Americans. “Cardiovascular disease remains the leading cause of death in the Black community,” Churchwell said. “Between 2017 and 2020, nearly 59 percent of Black men and women over the age of 20 had some form of cardiovascular disease, including coronary disease, stroke, and hypertension. In 2022 alone, almost 65,000 Black men and 59,000 Black women died from cardiovascular disease.” Hypertension remains one of the most prevalent health concerns. “The incidence of hypertension in the general population is 47 percent, but among Black men, it’s 57 percent, and among Black women, it’s 58 percent,” Churchwell said. “That’s the leading risk factor for heart disease and stroke.”

Dr. Benjamin emphasized that addressing these health disparities requires more than just medical intervention. “We’ve learned that to truly reduce and ultimately eliminate health disparities, we must address social determinants of health, such as poverty, education, and access to care,” Benjamin said. “Studies show that poverty and dropout rates are as important a health risk factor as smoking.” She stressed the necessity of prevention, adding, “Quality health outcomes depend on access to the right information, tools, and technology. But it also depends on communication—our patients understanding us, and us understanding them.”

Media’s Role in Shaping Black Health Outcomes

NNPA President Dr. Chavis underscored the Black Press’ role in disseminating accurate health information and combating misinformation. “We must recognize that Black media has the power to inform, educate, and sustain critical messaging about health,” Chavis said. “One-shot messaging doesn’t work. We must repeat these messages consistently to keep them in the consciousness of our community.” April Ryan pointed out how urgent the matter is in Black communities. “We are still the community with the highest number of negative health outcomes in almost every category,” Ryan said. “We need to continue this conversation beyond today. This isn’t about a news cycle—it’s about life and death.”

Sharí Nycole stressed that the media must inform and lead by example. “We can’t just tell people what to do—we have to model it,” Nycole said. “We need to be visible examples of prioritizing our health, whether through social media, community events, or personal engagement.”

CPR: Creating a “Nation of Lifesavers”

The symposium spotlighted the AHA’s Nation of Lifesavers campaign to ensure more Black families are equipped with CPR knowledge. The initiative gained national attention following Buffalo Bills player Damar Hamlin’s on-field cardiac arrest, which immediate CPR mitigated. “Nearly three out of four cardiac arrests that happen outside a hospital occur in the home,” McGhee said. “This means the life you save is likely someone you love. Yet Black people are the least likely to receive bystander CPR. That must change.” Churchwell pointed to a recent AHA study revealing that while bystander CPR rates have improved nationwide, Black women are the least likely to receive immediate CPR assistance. “This presents a massive opportunity for intervention,” Churchwell said. “More people need to be trained, and we need to break down whatever barriers are preventing Black women from receiving life-saving care when they need it most.”

A Call to Action

Chavis announced that the NNPA will make Black health a top editorial priority and extend coverage beyond Black History Month. “We cannot afford to lose a single day without focusing on healthcare,” Chavis said. “Health is not just an issue for February. It’s an issue for all 12 months, every single year.” Ryan asserted that it’s crucial to make health a communal effort. “We have to hold each other accountable,” she said. “Host CPR nights with your girlfriends, bring healthcare conversations to the barbershop, get cholesterol checks at your church health fair. These small changes can save lives.”

McGhee also urged action. “We need to move from awareness to action,” she said. “One person in every household should know CPR. If you don’t, today is the day to start. Visit heart.org/nation to learn more.”

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