Discover and read the best of Twitter Threads about #sanctionskill
Most recents (24)
🧵🧵🧵We just came across an incredible piece from the Financial Times (not in a good way). It has a remarkable blend of fallacious arguments, outright lies, bias, and lack of standards. This is a long thread, so bear with us! 
This is the article in question from @FT (tinyurl.com/y32pmvtk). You can tell from the off that you're in for a ride because it's based on this assumption that the West "presses for free and fair elections" when this in fact has happened less frequently than Yeti sightings
FT "journalists" must get a bonus for every use of the word "authoritarian." It's not often that a piece starts w/ an outright falsehood, b/c "democracy" never left Venezuela, only the US didn't like election results. But this apocalyptic tone is worthy of a good chuckle
The US-backed Venezuelan opposition, which runs an imaginary parliament, wants a US court to declare a Venezuelan bond as invalid to try and soften the disaster brought by their complete bundling when in charge of CITGO
reuters.com/markets/commod…
reuters.com/markets/commod…
The strategy haw few chances of success, for several reasons, not least of them that when this National Assembly was actually running it *did not* formally declare the bond issued by the Maduro govt as illegal. A US-backed group was not about to challenge financial investors
.@Reuters will not let a short, straightforward piece get in the way of some outrageous lying. US sanctions have been classified as "collective punishment" against the Vzlan population, and these stenographer clowns write "sanctions against the Maduro govt" #SanctionsKill
US puppets of the world, unite! A fancy initiative featuring the who's who of US surrogates. It's quite
funny tbh. A "non-ideological gathering" (code for right wing) with a "commitment to freedom and democracy" (code for pushing US interests)
worldlibertycongress.org
funny tbh. A "non-ideological gathering" (code for right wing) with a "commitment to freedom and democracy" (code for pushing US interests)
worldlibertycongress.org
It features absolute muppets like Garry Kasparov and, as you'd expect, the Venezuelan representative is fascist poster boy Leopoldo López who is abroad fleeing charges and yearning for a US invasion that might restore what he thought was a God-given destiny to rule Venezuela
Needless to say, these spineless US puppets are always in favor of murderous sanctions. No amount of civilian deaths is regrettable as long as they get to seat on the throne and serve their imperial masters #SanctionsKill
🧵🧵More trouble for CITGO thanks to the treacherous incompetence of the former "interim government" led by legendary buffoon @jguaido. We'll have a report on this tomorrow but here's a quick thread in the meantime
In a nutshell, 4 more corporations have joined a Delaware court-ordered auction of CITGO shares to collect on a combined $1.6 billion worth of arbitration awards ($2.5B + accrued interests). This @Reuters piece has some details (+ traditional dishonesty): reut.rs/3TQFmml
To make a long story short, corporate-friendly arbitration courts ruled in favor of several companies in disputes w/ Venezuela (over nationalizations). And then a corporate-friendly judge ruled that they could seize CITGO shares as compensation to collect on those debts
Though there are plenty of mighty rivals, the @NYTimes remains the gold standard when it comes to imperialist propaganda. Let’s look at another example riddled with biased takes and outright falsehoods (nyti.ms/3LSaLDh) [thread]
This has all the corporate media hallmarks. First, a description of an “implosion” without any causes (first the oil price crash and then murderous US sanctions). And then the gratuitous “authoritarian” label to establish Maduro as the “bad guy” and thus justify regime-change
There are also typical inaccuracies. Sanctions did more than “decimate finances”, they affected every aspect of the economy. And the US hasn’t “scaled back” anything, it gave A SINGLE LICENSE to US corporation Chevron but w/ all sorts of hurdles so Venezuela doesn’t get income
TODAY IS THE DAY! Hundreds of organizations are coming together for #PeaceInUkraine and against endless US wars!
If you’re in DC come join the CODEPINK contingent! Just look for our team by the big pink wheelbarrows. Watch this space for live updates throughout the day…
If you’re in DC come join the CODEPINK contingent! Just look for our team by the big pink wheelbarrows. Watch this space for live updates throughout the day…
Runners, walkers and drivers agreed with us this morning.
If you do, join us in the streets TODAY to call for an end to all wars, $$$ for people & planet, #PeaceInUkraine #ChinaIsNotOurEnemy #Iraq20YearsOn, & more!
If you do, join us in the streets TODAY to call for an end to all wars, $$$ for people & planet, #PeaceInUkraine #ChinaIsNotOurEnemy #Iraq20YearsOn, & more!
SPEECHES HAVE BEGUN
"No more war machine! No more imperialist wars! And certainly no to the proxy-war going on in Europe!" @EugenePuryear
#PeaceInUkraine #FundPeopleNOTWar
"No more war machine! No more imperialist wars! And certainly no to the proxy-war going on in Europe!" @EugenePuryear
#PeaceInUkraine #FundPeopleNOTWar
🧵Whenever we read a corporate media piece about Venezuela, the 1st instinct is to go crazy at all the disingenuous reporting and biased narratives. Not great for your health. But after we’ve gathered ourselves, it’s useful to break down the propaganda. Bear w/ us here! (thread)
The piece we’re tackling this time around is from the bourgeoisie mouthpiece that is Bloomberg (@business). It comes on the heels of supremely dishonest contenders from the @guardian and @Reuters (links at the end of the thread)
bloomberg.com/news/articles/…
bloomberg.com/news/articles/…
Look at this headline! FFS! Venezuela doesn’t have “two presidents,” it has never had “two presidents”! It has one president (Maduro), who won a *presidential election*. And then there was this moron @jguaido who, on US orders, *proclaimed himself* “interim president”
🧵🗞️ Western media reporting on Venezuela is biased almost by definition. We know that going in. But every so often there’s a piece that ticks all the dishonesty boxes. The bad journalism equivalent of a perfect game. You might have guessed, this comes from the @guardian (thread)
The article in question is this one: theguardian.com/global-develop…
It is brought to you by the Bill and Melinda @gatesfoundation. Because we all know no one cares more about honest reporting and “global development” than freaking billionaires
It is brought to you by the Bill and Melinda @gatesfoundation. Because we all know no one cares more about honest reporting and “global development” than freaking billionaires
The piece is about a recent proposal from the National Assembly to regulate NGO activities. It’s off to an ominous start w/ this absurdity. How on Earth do NGOs (esp. foreign-funded ones) have anything to do with “democracy”? Corporate journos think western money equals democracy
🧵🗞️The @nytimes heard that we had labeled @Reuters the most dishonest outlet when it came to Venezuela coverage and, full of outrage, decided to set record straight. And bravo to them for reasserting their disgusting “journalism” credentials. Bear w/ us here (thread)
The piece in question is the one below. A potpourri of misconceptions, low-budget tricks, biased statements and outright lies that could have been written by @tomfriedman (that’s not a compliment). Let’s break down this pile of nonsense
nytimes.com/2022/10/12/wor…
nytimes.com/2022/10/12/wor…
The title+teaser combo is already problematic (see image). Which one is it? Biden is rethinking sanctions b/c of migration or “democracy steps”? Also “easing sanctions” is a bit of an overstatement for “allowing US corporation to make money w/ little to no benefit for Venezuela”
The fact that we have people in our midst that believe there's "nothing to be outraged" by sanctions is outrageous. On moral grounds alone, what right does the US, a country that goes around the globe bombing others, killing/displacing millions, stealing trillions, have?
Plenty has been said about how #sanctionskill - directly and indirectly - no matter how "benign" the language & "targeted" the clauses are. This is said by the people on the ground & the voices/analysts/experts that mainstream media loves to ignore. Again, plenty and fact-based.
So let's just talk on moral grounds. The US of chaos & wars, of economic/political bullies & special interest groups, of homelessness & no health care, of marginalized Black/Brown people, etc etc, has no moral grounds to *suffocate* the victims of its own killing machine, TPLF.
🇻🇪🇮🇷 Venezuela's PDVSA and Iran's NIOC reportedly struck a crude-for-condensate swap deal that could shake Washington's illegal sanctions against both countries.
Read about Venezuela's besieged economy here: venezuelanalysis.com/images/15339
News thread 👇
Read about Venezuela's besieged economy here: venezuelanalysis.com/images/15339
News thread 👇
🇻🇪🇮🇷 According to Tanker Trackers, 2.1M barrels of Iranian condensate have reportedly arrived in Venezuela to boost oil output as part of a swap deal.
Venezuela is betting on economic recovery despite US sanctions. Iran has provided expertise and fuel swaps.
Venezuela is betting on economic recovery despite US sanctions. Iran has provided expertise and fuel swaps.
Venezuela rolled out its new digital bolívar amid the recent inflation slowed-down. The gov't’s goal is to boost digital operations and avoid cash scarcity. However, a speculative frenzy followed swiftly, with officials calling it a "political operation." venezuelanalysis.com/news/15338
🧵🧵Venezuela has been mired in a serious economic crisis for years. In this infographic we shed some light on this complex topic, as an oil price crash and deadly US sanctions created a perfect storm that has imposed tremendous hardships on the Venezuelan people #SanctionsKill
📉The economic downturn has seen Venezuelan GDP contract by more than two-thirds. The recession was triggered by the 2014 fall in oil prices and later compounded by wide-reaching unilateral coercive measures by Washington and its allies which also blocked any solutions
📈High inflation has been a constant in recent years, mostly fueled by currency speculation. The Maduro government has managed to slow down the devaluation-inflation spiral in the past few months, but with sanctions in place recovery or even stability remain an uphill battle
Praise the almighty overlords for their generosity! The US will give $336 million in aid to Vzlans.This brings total assistance since 2017 to $1.9B. Bless those imperial hearts! Well, not really. Let's play a game called "putting numbers in perspective" 🧵
reuters.com/world/americas…
reuters.com/world/americas…
Since 2017 precisely, Washington has imposed a slew of measures against virtually all Vzlan economic sectors. The most significant one (arguably) was the 2019 oil embargo. This alone causes $30M in losses... per day! So this aid "gift" covers 11 days of losses due to this embargo
$1.9B might also seem like a lot (it is), but consider:
- oil industry losses are estimated as high as $30B a year
- seized Citgo is valued at $7B
- stolen gold in the UK and frozen bank accounts total around $8B
- oil industry losses are estimated as high as $30B a year
- seized Citgo is valued at $7B
- stolen gold in the UK and frozen bank accounts total around $8B
Sanctions coming home to roost? Not likely, but an important trial might be unfolding in a US court. Without overestimating the amount of “justice” that US courts actually deliver, the case may expose just how far-reaching US sanctions are (thread)
reuters.com/legal/transact…
reuters.com/legal/transact…
In a nutshell, this is the story: Venezuelan state oil company PDVSA issued a promissory note pledging to pay Dresser-Rand (Houston-based Siemens subsidiary, oilfield equipment provider) some $120M. It paid the first 2 installments and then couldn’t go on because of US sanctions
In 2020 a judge ruled in favor of Dresser-Rand and ordered PDVSA to pay some $150M (120 + interest). Only the Venezuelan company actually tried to continue making payments and was blocked as a result of sanctions, and thus claims it is no longer liable for the debt
One thing we really don't get is how bigwigs and pundits think (or pretend) the US being despised all over the world is some kind of misunderstanding. Or a product of "misinformation campaigns." Case in point is Washington's stance regarding Venezuela's ongoing dialogue (thread)
Ladies and gentlemen, here's fake ambassador to Vzla James "Jimmy" Story (he has an office in Colombia) saying the US and its puppets are considering *new sanctions* if they don't like how the negotiation process is going. Yes, this is not a joke #SanctionsKill
Story funnily talks about the "interim president" when not even the opposition delegation uses this ridiculous term anymore. Also, the EU and Canada have nothing to be proud about in their history, but even for their standards it's a bit too low to be lapdogs to these shenanigans
If we ranked the biggest imperialist cheerleaders on the Hill, Bob Menéndez would be near the top (halfwit Marco Rubio is the runaway leader). Case in point is this statement by the Senate Foreign Relations Committee w/ the ever eager acolytes (thread) foreign.senate.gov/press/chair/re…
First off, a salute to countries like the Baltics who took a break from whitewashing and glorifying their nazi-collaborating pasts to lend a hand to the murderous empire du jour. The statement is a litany of outrageous nonsense, or half-decent jokes depending on how you read it
"We express our support for Vzla’s National Unity Platform,as it represents the will of the Vzlan people" Really? This platform didn't exist until 2 weeks ago when the opp. realized it needed a name. Also, empires + puppets talking about "will of the Vzlan people", never gets old
If you have a proven war criminal with blood from several continents in his hands, what do you do with him?
a) Send him to jail and/or the ICC
b) At least make sure he's nowhere near public office again
c) Give him another high-ranking post
d) Give him a column on foreign policy
a) Send him to jail and/or the ICC
b) At least make sure he's nowhere near public office again
c) Give him another high-ranking post
d) Give him a column on foreign policy
For people with minimum levels of decency and sanity, it'll be a combination of a) and b). But since we're talking about Washington DC, it's of course c) and d). Case in point this disgraceful human being that is Elliott Abrams and his column at @thehill
thehill.com/opinion/intern…
thehill.com/opinion/intern…
For those who don't recall, Trump dusted off Abrams to be his special Vzla envoy b/c war crimes needed committing. The Central America death squad veteran was a key figure in the (failed) coup efforts and murderous sanctions policy. He faced little to no backlash from the media
#SanctionsKill🇻🇪What are the measures and consequences of the US-led blockade against Venezuela?
Find out in this five-part infographic (thread)
Find out in this five-part infographic (thread)
🛢️ Venezuela has lost an estimated $30 billion in oil revenues per year following Washington’s financial sanctions against PDVSA in 2017 and an oil embargo in 2019. #SanctionsKill
Not to mention secondary sanctions, threats, the seizure of Citgo and other assets abroad. 👇
Not to mention secondary sanctions, threats, the seizure of Citgo and other assets abroad. 👇
🏦Venezuela is effectively cut off from the US-controlled international banking system. As a result, transactions to buy food, medicine and other goods are near impossible.
Likewise, Venezuela can not access its gold reserves like any other sovereign country. #SanctionsKill 👇
Likewise, Venezuela can not access its gold reserves like any other sovereign country. #SanctionsKill 👇
The US Treasury Department issued a license today on its Venezuela sanctions package authorizing the exportation or reexportation of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) to Venezuela through July 8, 2022. However, the measure having a positive impact is far from a given (thread)
LPG's main use in Venezuela is as cooking gas. Severe shortages as a result of US sanctions have forced many people to resort to wood for cooking, adding extra difficulties in day-to-day life, health issues and causing deforestation
So on the surface, if the measure allows Vzla to address these shortages it will be a welcome step from the Biden administration. It is also the first sign that Washington is listening to the growing chorus denouncing sanctions for what they are: murderous collective punishment
When it comes to effortless imperialist cheerleading, no one can top the Wall Street Journal. The headline already says it all, as apparently China buying oil from Iran and Venezuela has something to do with Biden. American exceptionalism in a nutshell
wsj.com/articles/china…
wsj.com/articles/china…
The entire article is built around this premise. China buying oil from Iran and Venezuela kind of ruins US regime change plans. Or as the @WSJ puts it, it's a "challenge to two Biden administration foreign-policy priorities"
We won't go into all the falsehoods about Iran and the nuclear deal, since that's outside our jurisdiction. The Vzla bits are egregious enough: "the U.S. has been trying to use sanctions to pressure the Maduro regime into holding credible democratic elections." #SanctionsKill
36 - Attempted coup in Venezuela with support from the US - 2019
#Venezuela #AttemptCoupInVenezuela #War #Warlords2019 #TheWorldWithVenezuela #ElMundoEstaConVenezuela #ElMundoEstaConVzla #Democracy #HumanRights #dignity #Peace #Love #Freedom #UNCharter
#Venezuela #AttemptCoupInVenezuela #War #Warlords2019 #TheWorldWithVenezuela #ElMundoEstaConVenezuela #ElMundoEstaConVzla #Democracy #HumanRights #dignity #Peace #Love #Freedom #UNCharter
1 to 24 - Attempted coup in Venezuela with support from the US - 2019🤨👇🏼
threadreaderapp.com/thread/1124734…
threadreaderapp.com/thread/1124734…
25 - Attempted coup in Venezuela with support from the US - 2019 🤨👇🏼
threadreaderapp.com/thread/1125031…
threadreaderapp.com/thread/1125031…
29 - Attempted coup in Venezuela with support from the US - 2019
#Venezuela #AttemptCoupInVenezuela #War #Warlords2019 #TheWorldWithVenezuela #ElMundoEstaConVenezuela #ElMundoEstaConVzla #Democracy #HumanRights #dignity #Peace #Love #Freedom #UNCharter
#Venezuela #AttemptCoupInVenezuela #War #Warlords2019 #TheWorldWithVenezuela #ElMundoEstaConVenezuela #ElMundoEstaConVzla #Democracy #HumanRights #dignity #Peace #Love #Freedom #UNCharter
1 to 24 - Attempted coup in Venezuela with support from the US - 2019
threadreaderapp.com/thread/1124734…
threadreaderapp.com/thread/1124734…
25 - Attempted coup in Venezuela with support from the US - 2019
threadreaderapp.com/thread/1125031…
threadreaderapp.com/thread/1125031…
22 - Attempted coup in Venezuela with support from the US - 2019
#Venezuela #AttemptCoupInVenezuela #War #Warlords2019 #TheWorldWithVenezuela #ElMundoEstaConVenezuela #ElMundoEstaConVzla #Democracy #HumanRights #dignity #Peace #Love #Freedom #UNCharter
#Venezuela #AttemptCoupInVenezuela #War #Warlords2019 #TheWorldWithVenezuela #ElMundoEstaConVenezuela #ElMundoEstaConVzla #Democracy #HumanRights #dignity #Peace #Love #Freedom #UNCharter
By @telesurenglish
#FromTheSouth |🇻🇪has officially ceased to be a member of the Organization of American States. Following years of attacks by the regional body against 🇻🇪's sovereignty & democratically elected government. #HandsOffVenezuela #OEAPalCarajo bit.ly/2IWtSvr
#FromTheSouth |🇻🇪has officially ceased to be a member of the Organization of American States. Following years of attacks by the regional body against 🇻🇪's sovereignty & democratically elected government. #HandsOffVenezuela #OEAPalCarajo bit.ly/2IWtSvr
17. - Attempted coup in Venezuela with support from the US - 2019
#Venezuela #AttemptCoupInVenezuela #War #Warlords2019 #TheWorldWithVenezuela #ElMundoEstaConVenezuela #ElMundoEstaConVzla #Democracy #HumanRights #dignity #Peace #Love #Freedom #UNCharter
#Venezuela #AttemptCoupInVenezuela #War #Warlords2019 #TheWorldWithVenezuela #ElMundoEstaConVenezuela #ElMundoEstaConVzla #Democracy #HumanRights #dignity #Peace #Love #Freedom #UNCharter
Venezuela Is in Economic Crisis, Not Humanitarian Crisis
