Anupama Ranawana
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msamrc.bsky.social
Anupama Ranawana
@msamrc.bsky.social
4.8K followers 800 following 730 posts
She/her. Feminism, anti-colonialism, critical international development. Liberation theology. Postdoc at Durham. Mother to a grumpy cat
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msamrc.bsky.social
Anupama Ranawana @msamrc.bsky.social · Nov 30
As #CycloneDitwah's aftermath unfolds, humanitarian relief is vital. Amalini De Sayrah has curated a list of mutual aid appeals across #SriLanka. If you can help, please do so —and stay safe. #FloodSriLanka2025 ( via @politylk.bsky.social )

tinyurl.com/LKfloods25
LK Floods_November 2025
Sri Lanka floods - November 2025 Note: All of the individuals and/or organisations on this list have been contacted and verified by myself and/or trusted individuals. If you want to support from over...
tinyurl.com
Reposted by Anupama Ranawana
caballerorojo94.bsky.social
🚨🇻🇦🇻🇪🇺🇸 ÚLTIMA HORA: El Papa León XIV condena el ataque estadounidense contra Venezuela e insta a respetar su soberanía.

La Santa Sede, una de las pocas en Europa Occidental que mantiene su reconocimiento, continuó reconociendo a Maduro tras las elecciones de 2024.

Fuente: Eastleigh Voice News
January 4, 2026 at 10:39 PM
Reposted by Anupama Ranawana
ourobororoboruo.bsky.social
Another post from a Venezuelan friend:
They speak of justice while ruling through fear. They speak of sovereignty while stealing the vote. They speak of dignity while condemning their own people. I learned that those who insist the most on calling themselves "the good ones" are often the ones most afraid to face themselves. The Maduro regime wraps itself in flags, in anti-imperialist rhetoric, in a false epic where any criticism is labeled as betrayal. They claim to defend Venezuela, yet they stole the people's voice when they refused to respect the elections. That act alone strips away any moral authority. But do not be mistaken. The fact that a tyrant is real does not automatically turn an external aggressor into a savior. The United States does not act out of love for democracy. It acts out of interest. It always has. The language changes, the enemy changes, but the method remains the same: pressure, punishment, displays of power. And as always, the blow is not absorbed by those in power, but by ordinary people. The Venezuelan people are trapped between two narratives that do not represent them. One that oppresses them from within, and another that exploits them from outside. One that claims legitimacy without real elections. Another that claims justice without taking responsibility for the human consequences of its actions. I do not defend Maduro. I point at him. But I also refuse to accept that a global power can appoint itself as a moral judge while its history is written in interventions, sanctions, and broken countries. Pain does not need propaganda. Hunger does not understand geopolitics. Dignity is not imposed with missiles, nor with dictatorships. While some sell themselves as the good ones to justify repression, and others sell themselves as the good ones to justify aggression, the result is always the same: more suffering, more rage, more generations learning that force replaces justice. And once again, pain is inherited.
January 4, 2026 at 6:07 PM
msamrc.bsky.social
Such precious little coverage of the 40 civilians killed in the US strikes on Caracas....
January 4, 2026 at 8:47 PM
Reposted by Anupama Ranawana
shayan86.bsky.social
This video, viewed millions of times on TikTok, Facebook and X, claims to show Venezuelans taking to the street to thank the US for detaining Maduro.

But the video is a combination of four AI-generated clips and was first posted on TikTok by a user who frequently shares AI videos. It's not real.
January 4, 2026 at 7:39 PM
Reposted by Anupama Ranawana
mellimo.bsky.social
Some interesting analysis of the USA's illegal war of aggression against Venezuela that focuses on strategic dynamics other than 'oil' (incl. weakening Iran, China) and dollar hegemony: renegaderesources.pro/p/the-venezu...
January 4, 2026 at 4:25 PM
Reposted by Anupama Ranawana
parkermolloy.com
People being like, "But Venezuelans are happy about Maduro being gone!" have the memories of goldfish. IN 2003, the narrative was that Iraqis celebrated the U.S. invasion and capture of Saddam.

Whether they were happy or not, invading Iraq was still the wrong thing to do.
WORLD Iraqis Celebrate in Baghdad Streets APRIL 9, 2003 • 12:00 AM ET HEARD ON MORNING EDITION By Anne Garrels Listen + PLAYLIST Related NPR Stories Expanded coverage In Baghdad, security forces desert the streets, replaced by looters, and government officials have disappeared. Hundreds of Iraqi civilians take to the streets, cheering U.S. soldiers and ripping up posters of Saddam Hussein. And with the help of a U.S. Marine vehicle, a crowd of Iraqi citizens topples a giant statue of the Iraqi leader. Hear NPR's Anne Garrels. < Back WORLD Iraqis Rejoice at Saddam's Capture DECEMBER 14, 2003 • 12:00 AM ET By Ivan Watson Audio for this story is unavailable. News of the capture of Saddam Hussein by U.S. troops sets off celebrations across Iraq, as citizens in Baghdad play loud music and fire into the air. The former dictator was found in a camouflaged hole near a farmhouse outside of Tikrit. Hear NPR'S Ivan Watson.
January 4, 2026 at 2:39 PM
Reposted by Anupama Ranawana
osbornforne.bsky.social
And there ya have it…

Officials from top Wall Street firms will be traveling to Venezuela to investigate “investment prospects” of the country. “The trip will feature about 20 officials from the finance, energy and defense sectors.”
Finance Industry Eyes Investment Opportunities in Venezuela
Some on Wall Street are already considering possible investment opportunities in Venezuela following the capture of Nicolás Maduro, according to Charles Myers, chairman of consulting firm Signum Globa...
www.wsj.com
January 3, 2026 at 7:13 PM
Reposted by Anupama Ranawana
songbird.bsky.social
Sometimes I wonder what it would be like if American's stopped using Reformation ideology in their secular culture and gave up the idea that affluence is a sign of intelligence and accepted that affluence is a sign of immoral greed and willingness to influct violence on others.
January 4, 2026 at 2:59 PM
Reposted by Anupama Ranawana
lemonde.fr
Au Soudan, 114 morts en une semaine dans le Darfour, dans des combats entre l’armée soudanaise et les paramilitaires
Au Soudan, 114 morts en une semaine dans le Darfour, dans des combats entre l’armée soudanaise et les paramilitaires
Fin octobre, les paramilitaires des Forces de soutien rapide (FSR) se sont emparées du dernier bastion de l’armée au Darfour lors d’une offensive sanglante marquée par des exécutions, des pillages et des viols. Depuis, les combats avec l’armée se multiplient.
www.lemonde.fr
January 4, 2026 at 2:44 PM
Reposted by Anupama Ranawana
chanda.blacksky.app
People are going to try and lure you into debates about whether Maduro was a good guy or not and the thing is, it doesn’t matter for the purposes of discussing whether violent kidnappings and extrajudicial murders by the US government are ok. No, they aren’t! End of convo.
January 3, 2026 at 2:01 PM
Reposted by Anupama Ranawana
disabilitystor1.bsky.social
Im in my late 40s, and im just flashing back to every ‘justified’ regime change and invasion for decades, every ‘weapons of mass destruction’ lie, every ‘evil communists’ trope bought and sold by politicians, journalists and people, and all the incredible suffering that followed
January 3, 2026 at 7:56 PM
Reposted by Anupama Ranawana
disabilitystor1.bsky.social
OpenAI is now facing a total of 8 wrongful death lawsuits from grieving families....who claim that ChatGPT, in particular, the GPT-4o version, drove their loved ones to suicide. Soelberg’s complaint also alleges that company executives knew the chatbot was defective before it pushed it to the public
January 4, 2026 at 2:06 PM
msamrc.bsky.social
Completely unsusprised to see who is leading the charge on this dangerous open letter
churchtimes.bsky.social churchtimes.bsky.social @churchtimes.bsky.social · Nov 1
An open letter to the Government warning that its plans for a “full, trans-inclusive ban on conversion practices” could “criminalise mainstream, historic Christian teaching on marriage and sexual ethics, and make sharing the Gospel with some people illegal” has more than 5000 signatories.

Full ban on conversion therapy would ‘criminalise mainstream Christian teaching’, Government told
AN OPEN letter to the Government warning that its plans for a “full, trans-inclusive ban on conversion practices” could “criminalise mainstream, historic Christian teaching on marriage and sexual ethics, and make sharing the Gospel with some peopl...
www.churchtimes.co.uk
January 4, 2026 at 1:25 PM
Reposted by Anupama Ranawana
lopaha4517.bsky.social
Opposition to Maduro doesn’t equal support for foreign domination. Without Venezuelan-led self-determination, any intervention risks breeding resentment, resistance, and long-term instability.
January 4, 2026 at 9:06 AM
Reposted by Anupama Ranawana
alexhh.bsky.social
Many Venezuelans may be delighted to see back of Maduro, but still resent US plan to take over their country and exploit its assets. Resistance will grow and chaos ensue if US fails to draw back, or create stable space for the democratic opposition/Venezuelan people to determine their own future.
January 4, 2026 at 8:53 AM
Reposted by Anupama Ranawana
olebirklaursen.bsky.social
I have many things to look forward to in 2026, not least speaking at the symposium "1725-2025: Historical and Contemporary Links Between Scotland and South Asia”, organised by @tgifatima.bsky.social and Sheelalipi Sahana at @iashedinburgh.bsky.social in April. The CfP is now live, check it out!
tgifatima.bsky.social Dr. Fatima Z. Naveed @tgifatima.bsky.social · 3d
🚨 CfP Alert! 🚨

Thanks to the generosity of the Susan Manning Workshop Fund at @iashedinburgh.bsky.social, my colleague and I are delighted to be organising a symposium, "1725-2025: Historical and Contemporary Links Between Scotland and South Asia.”

PDF here: drive.google.com/file/d/1IuTn...
January 2, 2026 at 7:58 AM
msamrc.bsky.social
Excellent statement from pax Christi condemning US aggression against Venezuela. Find it here in English and Spanish: paxchristi.net/pax-christi-...
January 4, 2026 at 12:18 PM
Reposted by Anupama Ranawana
nanjala.bsky.social
From @newint.bsky.social. Read more here newint.org/war-and-peac...
N newinternationalist ••• 2/5 At 2023's UN climate conference in Dubai, Colombia's President Gustavo Petro warned that the war on Gaza was a ‘rehearsal' for the violence powerful nations would deploy against the Global South in a climate-ravaged future. By aiding and abetting Israel's genocide, rich carbon-guzzling nations were offering a preview of the type of force they too would be willing to use against poorer countries going forward. As global crises collide, Petro argued that the lack of international action on Gaza risks ushering in a new age of impunity - and the poorest nations will bear the brunt. He did not perhaps expect to be proven right so soon, or so close to home.
January 4, 2026 at 11:11 AM
Reposted by Anupama Ranawana
ichotiner.bsky.social
New Interview: www.newyorker.com/news/q-and-a...
January 3, 2026 at 9:42 PM
Reposted by Anupama Ranawana
pwnedlib.bsky.social
The casualties already coming in. Grandmothers in their apartments….
January 3, 2026 at 7:21 PM
Reposted by Anupama Ranawana
anjalikdayal.bsky.social
it looks like they are literally marching either Maduro or his wife down these steps in front a camera for content--a government of absolute ghouls doing it for the 'gram
January 3, 2026 at 10:25 PM
Reposted by Anupama Ranawana
mattshuham.bsky.social
I’m at Times Square, where an emergency “No War On Venezuela” protest just took to the street. Easily a thousand people here in real-feel 20°F weather.

“No more coups, no more wars, Venezuela’s not yours!”

“No boots on the ground no bombs in the air, U.S. out of everywhere!”
January 3, 2026 at 8:02 PM
Reposted by Anupama Ranawana
carolinelucas.bsky.social
The US attack on Venezuela is an illegal act of aggression against a sovereign country (with lots of oil). Venezuela has become a more deeply repressive dictatorship & urgently needs democratic solution but this is unjustified & unjustifiable. Look forward to seeing swift UK Government condemnation.
January 3, 2026 at 11:12 AM
Reposted by Anupama Ranawana
rvbdrm.com
The Mayor of New York City @zohrankmamdani.bsky.social has released a statement:
Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani @NYCMayor I was briefed this morning on the U.S. military capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, as well as their planned imprisonment in federal custody here in New York City. Unilaterally attacking a sovereign nation is an act of war and a violation of federal and international law. This blatant pursuit of regime change doesn't just affect those abroad, it directly impacts New Yorkers, including tens of thousands of Venezuelans who call this city home. My focus is their safety and the safety of every New Yorker, and my administration will continue to monitor the situation and issue relevant guidance. 1:06 PM • 1/3/26 • 47K Views
January 3, 2026 at 6:24 PM
Reposted by Anupama Ranawana
cristianfarias.com
Best thing I’ve read this morning, from a human rights lawyer in Mexico. Translation is in the ALT-text.
Twitter thread in Spanish by José Mario de la Garza, a human rights lawyer in Mexico, translated using Google Translate: 1. Overthrowing a dictator sounds morally right. No one mourns a tyrant. But international law wasn't built to protect the good, but to restrain the powerful. That's why it prohibits force almost without exception: not because it ignores injustice, but because it knows that if each country decides whom to "liberate" by force, the world reverts to the law of the strongest. 2. The problem is not Maduro. The problem is the precedent. When military force is used to change governments without clear rules, sovereignty ceases to be a limit and becomes an obstacle. Today it is “overthrowing a dictator”; tomorrow it will be “correcting an election,” “protecting interests,” “restoring order.” The law does not absolve dictatorships, but neither does it legitimize unilateral crusades. Cont’d: 3. The uncomfortable question is not whether a tyrant deserves to fall, but who decides when and how. Because history teaches something brutal: removing a dictator is easy; building justice afterward is not. And when legality is broken in the name of good, what almost always follows is not freedom, but chaos, violence, and new victims. The law exists to remind us of this, even when it makes us uncomfortable. Maduro isn't the problem: he's the face of the problem. Removing him from power would be merely opening the door. Behind him is the machine: Rodríguez, Cabello, the military command, the operators of repression and plunder. If you only change the person at the top and leave the system intact, what follows isn't democracy: it's a reshuffling. And there's something even more difficult: Chavismo didn't just capture institutions, it captured daily life. Economy, media, bureaucracy, employment, fear, favors, blackmail. A country can't be "de-Chavistaized" by decree or by an electoral miracle. The real transition begins when that network is broken without setting the country ablaze. The challenge is enormous, and it's also a moral one: to unite without vengeance, but without impunity. Targeted justice for those most responsible, truth for the victims, guarantees that the rest will dismantle the system, and a plan for people to live again—not just survive. Because freedom doesn't come with a new president: it comes when the state ceases to be a threat.
January 3, 2026 at 2:16 PM