Media Struggle to Defend Washington's Cruelty Toward Venezuela and Iran as Coronavirus Spreads

[Judi Lynn]

MARCH 25, 2020

JOE EMERSBERGER

An Associated Press article (New York Times, 3/17/20) headlined “IMF Rejects Maduro’s Bid for Emergency Loan to Fight Virus” declared:

The request is an about-face for Maduro, who for years refused to share economic data with the Washington-based lender and just last month condemned it as a tool of US imperialism. In the past he has called the IMF a blood-sucking “assassin” responsible for plunging millions of people into poverty across Latin America.

The request was not much of an “about-face” for Venezuela’s President Nicolás Maduro, because it was the same type of disaster relief loan the International Monetary Fund (IMF) gave to Ecuador in 2016 under former President Rafael Correa, another blunt IMF critic, after a massive earthquake. The loan was not one of the IMF’s infamous “structural adjustment loans” that impose a menu of right-wing economic policies such as tax cuts for the rich, privatization of state assets and public sector lay-offs.

The IMF’s rejection of the $5 billion emergency loan for Venezuela is, all by itself, justification for Maduro’s “assassin” and “tool of US imperialism” charges against the fund.

The IMF said that it refused the loan because “there is no clarity” on whether the “international community” recognizes Maduro’s government. This legalistic excuse is reprehensible, because Maduro’s government is in power and is therefore the only entity positioned to actually respond to the pandemic with life-saving action. But there are two other huge problems with the excuse, neither of which were mentioned by the AP.

More:
https://fair.org/home/media-struggle-to-defend-washingtons-cruelty-toward-venezuela-and-iran-as-coronavirus-spreads/

[The Magistrate]

1. Sanctions Should Be Lifted For Medical Aid, Ma'am

Mind, I do not support the sanctions regime against either of these states in the first place. The U.S. broke the treaty with Iran, and what Venezuela does internally is none of our damned business.

But at a minimum, restricting medical assistance is murderous. Like one of those things you read of occasionally where summon without insurance is hustled out to die in the parking lot.

[Judi Lynn]

2. It's excellent seeing your comments on sanctions. Can't imagine why so many people are indifferent.

Regarding events concerning people who were refused treatment by hospital emergency rooms, I remember the first one which stood out after DU began, a woman who was found dead outside the hospital, on the ground.

Just went to look to see what article could be posted on the subject, and was horrified to see once you simply do a search concerning "woman denied treatment told to leave died outside" an enormous number of articles concerning many different women appeared, so many it was shocking. One characteristic tied them all together, they were all people of color.

I could widen the search of course but it would take forever just to continue the articles regarding women of color!


Florida hospital cited for forcing woman who died from ER
FEBRUARY 13, 2016 / 12:02 AM / CBS/AP
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/florida-hospital-cited-for-forcing-dying-woman-barbara-dawson-from-emergency-room/

Family says Milwaukee woman died after waiting in ER for hours without treatment
By: David Schuman
Posted: Jan 8, 2020 7:49 PM CDT
https://www.cbs58.com/news/family-says-milwaukee-woman-died-after-waiting-in-er-for-hours-without-treatment

Woman dies in ER lobby as 911 refuses to help
Tapes show operators ignored pleas to send ambulance to L.A. hospital
http://www.nbcnews.com/id/19207050/ns/health-health_care/t/woman-dies-er-lobby-refuses-help/#.Xn2KT4hKjDd

Woman forced from Florida hospital dies after arrest; audio of scene released
By Phil Gast, Alina Machado, Ed Danko and Javier De Diego, CNN

Updated 12:52 PM ET, Fri January 8, 2016
barbara dawson hospital death machado lv_00020128
https://www.cnn.com/2016/01/07/us/florida-woman-removed-hospital-dies/index.html

She collapsed next to the best stroke center.
Her ambulance was turned away.
It was policy.
She died.
By John Diedrich of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Jan. 17, 2019
https://projects.jsonline.com/news/2019/1/17/wisconsin-woman-died-after-ambulance-prevented-going-best-closest-hospital.html

This handful just barely scratches the surface on the subject. I still remember the first article I read about a woman abandoned and driven away who died on hospital property. I couldn't stop thinking about it. Knowing there are so many of these situations is unbearable.

How bad does it have to get before change for the better is possible?

Sanctions are a slimy, cowardly form of war. The world can never be civilized until the international bullies are cleansed.