Thursday August 20th: London Premiere of Inside the Revolution: A Journey into the Heart of Venezuela (New Documentary on Venezuela)

Alborada presents a screening of the new documentary

Inside the Revolution: A Journey into the Heart of Venezuela (Director Pablo Navarrete, 65min, 2009)

Introduced by the director

Thursday August 20th, 6.30-8.30pm, Khalili Lecture Theatre, SOAS, London (Full details below)

Synopsis: February 2009 marked 10 years since Hugo Chavez took office, following a landslide election victory, and launched his revolution to bring radical change to Venezuela. While wildly popular with many in the country, Chavez's policies and his outspoken criticisms of the U.S. government have made him powerful enemies, both at home and abroad, especially in the media.

Filmed in Caracas in November 2008, on the eve of the 10th anniversary of Chavez's controversial presidency, this feature-length documentary takes a journey into the heart of Venezuela's revolution to listen to the voices of the people driving the process forward.

"This is a rare film about Venezuela, a country in extraordinary transition. Watch this film because it is honest and fair and respectful of those who want to be told the truth about an epic attempt, flaws and all, to claim back the humanity of ordinary people." - JOHN PILGER (Journalist, author and documentary filmmaker)

Event details: 6.30-8.30pm, Thursday August 20th (film starts 7pm)
Khalili Theatre,School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS),University of London,Thornhaugh Street,Russell Square,London WC1H OXG. Nearest Tube: Russell Square

£4 suggested donation

::: More info: info[a]alborada.net; http://www.alborada.net/

Watch the documentary's trailer here:http://www.youtube.com/alboradafilms

Facebook ‘event’ page: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=111688852395&ref=mf

Supported by Movimientos and the SOAS Palestine Society

Inside the Revolution: A Journey into the Heart of Venezuela (New Documentary on Venezuela)

February 2009 marked 10 years since Hugo Chavez took office, following a landslide election victory, and launched his revolution to bring radical change to Venezuela. While wildly popular with many in the country, Chavez's policies and his outspoken criticisms of the U.S. government have made him powerful enemies, both at home and abroad, especially in the media.

Filmed in Caracas in November 2008, on the eve of the 10th anniversary of Chavez's controversial presidency, this feature-length documentary takes a journey into the heart of Venezuela's revolution to listen to the voices of the people driving the process forward.

"This is a rare film about Venezuela, a country in extraordinary transition. Watch this film because it is honest and fair and respectful of those who want to be told the truth about an epic attempt, flaws and all, to claim back the humanity of ordinary people." - JOHN PILGER (Journalist, author and documentary filmmaker)

Released by Alborada Films.

Screenings and DVD copies from mid-August 2009.

***London Premiere: Thursday 20th August (7pm)***

Watch the trailer here.

More info: www.alborada.net
www.youtube.com/alboradafilms

Venezuela Reviews Relations with Colombia as More US Bases Established

[Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez announced on Monday night that bilateral relations with neighbouring Colombia are being fully reviewed following the decision by Colombia to allow the United States to use five military bases in its territory.]

Venezuela Reviews Relations with Colombia as More US Bases Established

July 21st 2009, by Kiraz Janicke

Caracas, June 21, 2009 (venezuelanalysis.com) - Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez announced on Monday night that bilateral relations with neighbouring Colombia are being fully reviewed following the decision by Colombia to allow the United States to use five military bases in its territory. A high-level bilateral meeting of the Colombia-Venezuela Commission, which was set to meet Tuesday July 21^st, was also suspended.

Chavez said he had instructed Venezuelan Foreign Relations Minister Nicolas Maduro to conduct a full review of bilateral relations, including diplomatic relations because Colombia's decision represents a threat to Venezuela.

(click here to view entire article)

Reporters Without Borders Lies About Venezuela

[Reporters Without Borders (RWB) alleges Globovisión, a "privately-owned news channel", in Venezuela is being "hounded by the government and the administration." However, contrary to what RWB asserts, the reality is different and has been carefully avoided by the French organization for "the defense of press freedoms."]

Reporters Without Borders Lies About Venezuela

July 13th 2009, by Salim Lamrani - Znet

On May 29, 2009, Reporters Without Borders (RWB) published an open letter to Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez in which the organization denounced the government's actions againstGlobovisión, a "privately-owned news channel", alleging it was being "hounded by the government and the administration." According to the Paris-based organization, Globovisión was being "targeted by official proceedings that could lead to it being taken off air for 72 hours" for "quoting statistics provided by the US Geological Survey"¹while reporting on the May 4, 2009 earthquake.¹ Venezuelan authorities are accusing the channel of "violating Article 29 of the Law of Social Responsibility in Radio and Television (Ley RESORTE), which sanctions media outlets that ‘promote, justify or incite war; promote, justify or incite disruption of public order.'"  RWB asks: "In what way does reporting on an earthquake, however poorly, fit within this definition of an offense?"² Presented in this way, the matter might shock international public opinion. However, contrary to what RWB asserts, the reality is different and has been carefully avoided by the French organization for "the defense of press freedoms." 

(click here to view entire article)

Marxists Must Stand Firm Against Ahmadinejad

[Open letter to the workers of Venezuela on Hugo Chávez's support for Ahmadinejad.]

Marxists Must Stand Firm Against Ahmadinejad

July 12th 2009, by Maziar Razi - London Progressive Journal

Open letter to the workers of Venezuela on Hugo Chávez's support for Ahmadinejad.

Honourable workers of Venezuela,

The Revolutionary Marxists of Iran are aware of your achievements as part of the Bolivarian Movement and have always supported this movement against the widespread lies and the open and covert interference of imperialism. In order to defend your invaluable movement and to confront the attacks and interference of US imperialism in Venezuela, labour and student activists in Iran have set up the ‘Hands Off Venezuela' campaign in Iran and during the past few years have stood together with you in confronting the imperialist attacks. It is obvious that your achievements were gained under the leadership of Hugo Chávez and, for this reason, you reserve deep respect for him.

(click here to view entire letter)

Latin American Studies Professors Slam AP for False Reports on Venezuela

July 18th 2009, by BoRev.net

Man oh man, how bad does AP reporting have to get before a group of Latin American studies professors from top U.S. universities decides they need to take out a FULL PAGE AD in the Columbia Journalism Review to respond?

(click here to view entire blog post)

British Media Remain Silent Over the Expelling of Telesur and VTV Journalists from Honduras

July 17th 2009, by Press Office - Embassy of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela in the United Kingdom

Unlike Venezuela and other countries, a majority of the British public ignores the recent events that occurred last week when six Venezuelan journalists from Telesur and VTV (Venezuelan Television) were expelled from Honduras by the de facto President Roberto Micheletti. Since the coup took place on 28th June 2009 there has been a great level of misinformation in Great Britain about what has been happening in Honduras, and the fact that six Venezuelan journalists were expelled from Honduras was not worth reporting by British newspapers.

For instance, Rory Carroll, The Guardian Latin American correspondent, has written in the past seven days about the death of a hippopotamus belonging to deceased drug-trafficker Pablo Escobar in Colombia and the visit of the Royal Ballet of Great Britain to Cuba. Yet, Carroll has not published anything about the expelled Venezuelan journalists in Honduras. Other British newspapers, such as: The Times and The Financial Times have chosen to ignore this subject, despite having correspondents in the region.

(click here to view entire press release)

The Economist Increases its Smear Campaign Against Venezuela by Making up a Venezuelan Military Intervention in Bolivia

July 17th 2009, by Press Office - Embassy of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela in the United Kingdom

As part of its smear campaign against Venezuela, the British magazine The Economist published an article about the political situation in Bolivia titled “The Permanent Campaign” (July 18 – 24 2009, page 51), which states that “Venezuelan troops helped quell a rebellion centered on the airport at Santa Cruz in the east in 2007”.

It is well known, however, that Venezuelan soldiers have never participated in any type of operation against Bolivian civilians. This false accusation made up by The Economist has also been repeated by the fascist opposition of Santa Cruz.

(click here to view entire press release)

Chavez: US Government Giving Oxygen to Honduran Coup

[Speaking during his weekly television show, Hello President, on Sunday, Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez called on United States President, Barack Obama to withdraw all support for the coup government in Honduras that deposed the democratically elected president Manuel Zelaya on June 28.]

Chavez: US Government Giving Oxygen to Honduran Coup

July 13th 2009, by Kiraz Janicke - Venezuelanalysis.com

Caracas, July 13 2009, (Venezuelanalysis.com) - Speaking during his weekly television show, Hello President, on Sunday, Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez called on United States President, Barack Obama to withdraw all support for the coup government in Honduras that deposed the democratically elected president Manuel Zelaya on June 28.

Although the Obama and secretary of state, Hilary Clinton have made comments condemning the ouster of Zelaya, the US government has thus far refused to legally recognize the coup as a "coup", maintained diplomatic ties with the illegitimate coup government in Honduras, and continued to send millions of dollars in aid.

(click here to view entire article)

Microsoft Versus Venezuela

[The Venezuelan government and a grassroots technology movement here are both promoting the use and creation of open source (free) software, so it's no surprise that software tyrant, Microsoft, is lambasting Chavez.]

Microsoft Versus Venezuela

July 15th 2009, by Tamara Pearson – Venezuelanalysis.com

Yesterday, Microsoft MSN (Spain) featured a montage photo of Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez and the ex president of Cuba, Fidel Castro, wearing king's crowns, accompanied by the colourful title, "When power corrupts: Striving to be kings." The Venezuelan government and a grassroots technology movement here are both promoting the use and creation of open source (free) software, so it's no surprise that software tyrant, Microsoft, is lambasting Chavez.

(click here to view entire article)

Honduran Coup Tries to Halt Advance of Latin American Left

[The coup against Manuel Zelaya of Honduras represents a last ditch effort by Honduras’ entrenched economic and political interests to stave off the advance of the new left governments that have taken hold in Latin America over the past decade.]

Honduran Coup Tries to Halt Advance of Latin American Left

July 3rd 2009, By Roger Burbach - New American Media

The coup against Manuel Zelaya of Honduras represents a last ditch effort by Honduras’ entrenched economic and political interests to stave off the advance of the new left governments that have taken hold in Latin America over the past decade. As Zelaya proclaimed after being forcibly dumped in Costa Rica: “This is a vicious plot planned by elites. The elites only want to keep the country isolated and in extreme poverty.”

(click here to view entire article; click here to view a Spanish version of the article)

Venezuela & Iran: Whither the revolutions?

[June was a busy month for two of Washington's real ‘Axis of Evil'. Venezuela's Chavez completed his nationalisation of oil and Iran's Ahmedinejad stemmed a Western-backed colour revolution, leaving both bad boys in place.]

Venezuela & Iran: Whither the revolutions?

July 5th 2009, by Eric Walberg - Axisoflogic.com

What drives US foreign policy? Is it primarily the domestic economy, as it logically should be, or, as many argue, the powerful Israel lobby, or as other argue, the need to secure energy sources? Of course, the answer is all three, in varying degrees depending on the geopoltical importance of the country in question. And woe to any country that threatens any of the above.

Russia is perhaps a special case, as US politics was dependent for so long on the anti-communist Cold War that ideologues found it impossible to dispense with this useful bugaboo even after the collapse of Communism. But it was not only Sovietologists like Condoleezza Rice that perversely prospered from this obsession, but the US domestic economy itself, which was transformed into what is best described as the military-industrial complex (MIC). It would take very little to placate today's Russia -- pull in NATO's horns and stop pandering to the Russophobes in Eastern Europe -- but that would hurt the MIC and would hamper the US plans for empire and oil. So it remains an enemy of choice, though not part of the Axis of Evil.

(click here to view entire article)

Chavez: U.S. and Venezuelan Right Wing Support Coup in Honduras, a Challenge to Obama

[Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez accused the "extreme right wing" of the United States and Venezuela of being involved in last Sunday's military coup in Honduras, perhaps behind U.S. President Barack Obama's back.]

Chavez: U.S. and Venezuelan Right Wing Support Coup in Honduras, a Challenge to Obama

July 3rd 2009, by James Suggett

Mérida, July 3rd 2009 (Venezuelanalysis.com) -- Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez accused the "extreme right wing" of the United States and Venezuela of being involved in last Sunday's military coup in Honduras, perhaps behind U.S. President Barack Obama's back.

"It could be that Obama did not know. But I am sure the ambassador of the United States in Honduras [Hugo Llorens], who is the same as [former U.S. President George W.] Bush's, knew about the coup," Chavez said on a special edition of his weekly talk show, "Hello, President."

(click here to view entire article)