tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-88119898535424118582024-03-13T16:31:23.984-07:00Red Pepper Venezuela BlogNews and analysis on Venezuela's Bolivarian process. The Red Pepper Venezuela blog is edited by Pablo Navarrete. To submit or recommend an article for publication, email: pablo[at]alborada.com. For news and analysis on Latin America issues such as politics, media and culture visit: www.alborada.netRed Pepper Venezuela Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14818741480151623958noreply@blogger.comBlogger125125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8811989853542411858.post-48554887290824829332010-12-26T09:11:00.000-08:002010-12-26T09:14:28.716-08:00The Concept of Homeland PropertyThursday, December 24 2010, by Debate Socialista <br /><br />President Chávez practices the Property of the Homeland concept which is superior to the concept of Social Property. He wraps it, and he gives it meaning. He makes it more human, more understandable and he brings it closer to the people’s souls.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">(click <a href="http://venezuelanalysis.com/analysis/5892">here</a> to view entire article)</span>Red Pepper Venezuela Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14818741480151623958noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8811989853542411858.post-68761536614612101662010-06-04T12:07:00.000-07:002010-06-04T12:11:06.110-07:00Venezuela Condemns Israeli Aid Ship Attack, Telesur Journalist Detained<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', 'Bitstream Vera Serif', serif; font-size: 14px; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); line-height: 18px; ">Monday 31st May 2010, by Tamara Pearson - Venezuelanalysis.com</span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Georgia, 'Times New Roman', 'Bitstream Vera Serif', serif;font-size:130%;color:#333333;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', 'Bitstream Vera Serif', serif; font-size: 14px; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); line-height: 18px; ">Merida, May 31<sup>st</sup>, 2010 (Venezuelanalysis.com) – “The only weapon my son had was his video camera,” said the Cristina Soler, mother of David Segarra, a Spanish Telesur journalist and resident of Venezuela, who was detained early this morning by Israeli marines as they attacked the fleet of aid ships heading towards the Gaza Strip in Palestine. The Venezuelan government also officially condemned the attack, calling it an “action of war against unarmed civilians.”</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Georgia, 'Times New Roman', 'Bitstream Vera Serif', serif;font-size:130%;color:#333333;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', 'Bitstream Vera Serif', serif; font-size: 14px; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); line-height: 18px; "><b>(click <a href="http://venezuelanalysis.com/news/5399">here</a> to view entire article) </b></span></div>Red Pepper Venezuela Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14818741480151623958noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8811989853542411858.post-43916178450162284182010-05-05T08:07:00.000-07:002010-05-05T09:27:47.524-07:00Hugo Chávez’s First Decade in Office: Breakthroughs and ShortcomingsBy Steve Ellner - Latin American Perspectives (January 2010 Vol. 37, No.1.)<br /><br />Now that the presidency of Hugo Chávez is beginning its second decade, the insistence of some critics on holding the government accountable by evaluating its concrete results becomes increasingly compelling. The assessment of gains and shortcomings is particularly important in light of the assertion of Chávez’s adversaries, as well as the concerns of some analysts who are more sympathetic to his government, that rent-seeking continues to underpin the Venezuelan economy and society, which remain completely dependent on petroleum (López Maya, 2008: 7; Coronil, 2008; Kelly and Palma, 2004: 229–230; Lombardi, 2003: 5–6).<br /><br /><strong>(click <a href="http://venezuelanalysis.com/analysis/5301">here</a> to view entire article)</strong>Red Pepper Venezuela Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14818741480151623958noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8811989853542411858.post-42593529938566760172010-03-30T14:48:00.000-07:002010-03-30T14:52:24.914-07:00Venezuela: The People’s Fight for a Fair Hearing<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px; ">27 March 2010, by Pablo Navarrete - Green Left Weekly</span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;font-size:100%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', 'Bitstream Vera Serif', serif; font-size: 14px; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); line-height: 18px; ">February 4 marked 11 years since Hugo Chavez first assumed the presidency in Venezuela, following a landslide election victory that swept the country’s discredited traditional parties out of power.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;font-size:100%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', 'Bitstream Vera Serif', serif; font-size: 14px; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); "><p style="margin-top: 1.5em; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1.5em; margin-left: 0px; ">Since then, Chavez has presided over a radical process of reforms that has been the subject of ever increasing levels of demonisation by the corporate-controlled mainstream media.</p><p style="margin-top: 1.5em; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1.5em; margin-left: 0px; ">The English-language media has been no exception — in fact it has been at the forefront of the attempts to systematically smear Venezuelan democracy under Chavez.</p><p style="margin-top: 1.5em; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1.5em; margin-left: 0px; "><b>(click </b><a href="http://www.greenleft.org.au/2010/832/42787"><b>here</b></a><b> to view entire article)</b></p><p style="margin-top: 1.5em; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1.5em; margin-left: 0px; "><br /></p></span></span></span></div>Red Pepper Venezuela Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14818741480151623958noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8811989853542411858.post-25466756127791294542009-12-26T12:28:00.000-08:002009-12-26T12:33:23.688-08:00Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez on How to Tackle Climate Change: “We Must Go from Capitalism to Socialism”<div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" line-height: 16px; font-family:'Lucida Grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Monday 21st December 2009, by Amy Goodman - Democracy Now!</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" line-height: 16px;font-family:'Lucida Grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" line-height: 16px;font-family:'Lucida Grande';font-size:12px;"><p style="margin-top: 0.6em; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1.2em; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">We speak with Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez about climate change, the Copenhagen summit and President Obama. Chavez calls the COP15 summit undemocratic and accuses world leaders of only seeking a face-saving agreement. “We must reduce all the emissions that are destroying the planet,” Chavez says. “That requires a change in the economic model: we must go from capitalism to socialism.”</span></p><p style="margin-top: 0.6em; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1.2em; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Watch the video <a href="http://www.democracynow.org/2009/12/21/venezuelan_president_hugo_chavez_on_how">here:</a></span></p><p style="margin-top: 0.6em; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1.2em; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; "><br /></p></span></div>Red Pepper Venezuela Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14818741480151623958noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8811989853542411858.post-70754432491966774522009-12-26T12:20:00.000-08:002009-12-26T12:33:48.030-08:00Venezuela and China Consolidate “Strategic Alliance,” Expand Bilateral Trade<div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(39, 99, 165); line-height: 17px;font-family:'Trebuchet MS';font-size:18px;">[<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(17, 17, 17); line-height: 15px; font-family:Georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Venezuelan and Chinese government officials and business leaders met in Caracas this week to discuss bilateral relations. As a result of the accords signed at the meeting, Venezuela will increase its supply of oil to China to more than 600,000 barrels per day next year, and China will increase its investments in Venezuelan agriculture, infrastructure, mining, and energy production.]</span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(39, 99, 165); line-height: 17px;font-family:'Trebuchet MS';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(39, 99, 165); line-height: 52px; text-decoration: underline;font-family:'Trebuchet MS';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(17, 17, 17); line-height: 14px; "><span class="date"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Friday 25th December 2009</span></span><span class="author"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">, by James Suggett - Venezuelanalysis.com</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(17, 17, 17); line-height: 14px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(17, 17, 17); line-height: 14px;font-size:12px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" line-height: 21px; font-size:14px;"><p size="0.9em" style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0.5em; padding-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 1.2em; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Mérida, December 24</span><sup style="line-height: 0.5em; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">th</span></sup><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> 2009 (Venezuelanalysis.com) – Venezuelan and Chinese government officials and business leaders met in Caracas this week to discuss bilateral relations. As a result of the accords signed at the meeting, Venezuela will increase its supply of oil to China to more than 600,000 barrels per day next year, and China will increase its investments in Venezuelan agriculture, infrastructure, mining, and energy production.</span></p><p size="0.9em" style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0.5em; padding-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 1.2em; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">In a press conference, Venezuelan Planning and Development Minister Jorge Giordani called Venezuela’s growing economic relationship with China “a consolidated strategic alliance based on the premise of equality and mutual respect that will be consolidated even more by two countries that have a shared vision of a multi-polar world.”</span></p><p style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0.5em; padding-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 1.2em; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">(click </span><a href="http://www.venezuelanalysis.com/news/5032"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">here</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> to view entire article)</span></span></p><p style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0.5em; padding-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font-size: 0.9em; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 1.2em; "><br /></p></span></span></div>Red Pepper Venezuela Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14818741480151623958noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8811989853542411858.post-66947247161632087972009-12-15T15:24:00.000-08:002009-12-15T15:27:43.385-08:00Venezuela: What is happening in the Copenhagen Summit is Unacceptable<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(17, 17, 17); font-size: 12px; line-height: 14px; "><span class="date"><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: 'Lucida Grande'; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; white-space: pre;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(17, 17, 17); font-family: Georgia; font-size: 14px; line-height: 14px; white-space: normal; ">[The Venezuelan delegation to the Climate Change Summit in Copenhagen, Denmark, denounced Tuesday the attitude of developed countries in the world meeting for not committing to reduce emissions of polluting gases because this would presumably affect their economies.]</span><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: 'Lucida Grande'; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; white-space: pre;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: 'Lucida Grande'; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; white-space: pre; ">Venezuela: What is happening in the Copenhagen Summit is Unacceptable</span><br /></div><div><br /></div>Tuesday 15th December 2009</span><span class="author">, by Telesur - Venezuelanalysis.com</span></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(17, 17, 17); font-size: 12px; line-height: 14px;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(17, 17, 17); font-size: 12px; line-height: 14px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px; "><p style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0.5em; padding-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font-size: 0.9em; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 1.2em; ">Telesur, December 15, 2009 - The Venezuelan delegation to the Climate Change Summit in Copenhagen, Denmark, denounced Tuesday the attitude of developed countries in the world meeting for not committing to reduce emissions of polluting gases because this would presumably affect their economies. The delegation said that developing nations “will not let them get away with it” because it is unacceptable that they do not take into account that they are responsible for the future of the planet.</p><p style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0.5em; padding-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font-size: 0.9em; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 1.2em; ">In an interview with Telesur, Claudia Salerno, director of the Venezuelan Environment Ministry’s Office of International Cooperation, explained that the 30 industrialized countries have the potential to “change the destiny of the world, but today they are telling us that it is too expensive and they are unwilling to let the GDP of their economies be impacted by the response measures to climate change.”</p><p style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0.5em; padding-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font-size: 0.9em; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 1.2em; ">“That is unacceptable, I not only point out to them, but I accuse them… not only are they going to be responsible for climate change but they will be responsible for the future of this planet,” said the official.</p><p style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0.5em; padding-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font-size: 0.9em; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 1.2em; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;">(click <a href="http://www.venezuelanalysis.com/news/5008">here</a> to view entire article)</span></p></span></span></div>Red Pepper Venezuela Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14818741480151623958noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8811989853542411858.post-80485974767542224502009-12-15T14:55:00.000-08:002009-12-15T14:58:33.488-08:00A Decade of Propaganda? The BBC’s Reporting of Venezuela<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande'; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px; ">[Researchers at the University of the West of England, UK, have exposed ongoing and systematic bias in the BBC’s news reporting on Venezuela. Dr Lee Salter and Dr Dave Weltman analysed ten years of BBC reports on Venezuela. Their findings so far show that the BBC’s reporting falls short of its legal commitment to impartiality, truth and accuracy.]</span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande'; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande'; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;"><p style="margin-top: 0.6em; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1.2em; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; ">A Decade of Propaganda? The BBC’s Reporting of Venezuela</p><p style="margin-top: 0.6em; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1.2em; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; ">Monday 14th December 2009, by Lee Salter -Venezuelanalysis.com</p><p style="margin-top: 0.6em; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1.2em; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; "></p><p style="margin-top: 0.6em; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1.2em; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; ">Researchers at the University of the West of England, UK, have exposed ongoing and systematic bias in the BBC’s news reporting on Venezuela. Dr Lee Salter and Dr Dave Weltman analysed ten years of BBC reports on Venezuela since the first election of Hugo Chavez to the presidency in an ongoing research project, and their findings so far show that the BBC’s reporting falls short of its legal commitment to impartiality, truth and accuracy.</p><p style="margin-top: 0.6em; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1.2em; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; ">The researchers looked at 304 BBC reports published between 1998 and 2008 and found that only 3 of those articles mentioned any of the positive policies introduced by the Chavez administration. The BBC has failed to report adequately on any of the democratic initiatives, human rights legislation, food programmes, healthcare initiatives, or poverty reduction programmes. Mission Robinson, the greatest literacy programme in human history received only a passing mention.</p><p style="margin-top: 0.6em; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1.2em; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; ">(click <a href="http://www.venezuelanalysis.com/analysis/5003">here</a> to view entire article)</p><p></p></span></div>Red Pepper Venezuela Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14818741480151623958noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8811989853542411858.post-35277569205296330902009-11-26T13:49:00.000-08:002009-11-26T13:53:20.442-08:00First Extraordinary Congress of the PSUV - Chavez calls for the Fifth International<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(97, 145, 197); font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 29px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 28px; "><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(17, 17, 17); font-family: Georgia; font-size: 13px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 19px; "><div class="analysis" style="margin-top: 0.5px; margin-right: 0.5px; margin-bottom: 0.5px; margin-left: 0.5px; "><div class="node" style="padding-top: 10px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-bottom-style: initial; border-bottom-color: initial; "><div class="teaser" style="margin-top: 0.5px; margin-right: 0.5px; margin-bottom: 0.5px; margin-left: 0.5px; line-height: 1em; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">[At the opening session of the PSUV congress Chavez made a very radical left-wing speech, calling for the setting up of a new international, explaining that it was necessary to destroy the bourgeois state and replace it with a revolutionary state, but also referring to the bureaucracy within the Bolivarian movement itself.]</span></span></div><div class="body" style="margin-top: 0.5px; margin-right: 0.5px; margin-bottom: 0.5px; margin-left: 0.5px; "></div><div class="clear" style="clear: both; margin-top: 0.5px; margin-right: 0.5px; margin-bottom: 0.5px; margin-left: 0.5px; "></div></div></div><div class="analysis" style="margin-top: 0.5px; margin-right: 0.5px; margin-bottom: 0.5px; margin-left: 0.5px; "><div class="node" style="padding-top: 10px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-bottom-style: initial; border-bottom-color: initial; "></div></div></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">First Extraordinary Congress of the PSUV - Chavez calls for the Fifth International</span></span></span></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; line-height: 28px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(97, 145, 197); font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 29px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 28px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia; line-height: 14px; "><span class="date"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">November 23rd 2009</span></span></span></span><span class="author"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">, by Alan Woods - In Defence of Marxism</span></span></span></span></span><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 14px;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 14px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(17, 17, 17); font-size: 12px; line-height: 17px; "><p style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0.5em; padding-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font-size: 0.9em; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 1.2em; ">At the opening session of the PSUV congress Chavez made a very radical left-wing speech, calling for the setting up of a new international, explaining that it was necessary to destroy the bourgeois state and replace it with a revolutionary state, but also referring to the bureaucracy within the Bolivarian movement itself. It was clearly a speech that reflects the enormous pressure from the masses below who are getting tired of talk about socialism, while real progress towards genuine change appears to be frustratingly slow.</p><p style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0.5em; padding-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font-size: 0.9em; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 1.2em; ">On Saturday November 21, the First Extraordinary Congress of the United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV) commenced its sessions with the attendance of 772 red-shirted delegates. The majority were workers, peasants and students, elected by around 2.5 million voters (the total membership on paper is seven million!). The atmosphere was one of enthusiasm and expectation.<br /><span class="articletextblurb"></span></p><p style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0.5em; padding-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font-size: 0.9em; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 1.2em; ">After a warming up session of revolutionary songs and a couple of opening speeches from visiting dignitaries from Nicaragua and El Salvador, Hugo Chavez opened the proceedings with a five hour speech that finished shortly after midnight.</p><p style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0.5em; padding-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font-size: 0.9em; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 1.2em; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;">(click <a href="http://www.marxist.com/first-extraordinary-congress-psuv.htm">here</a> to view entire article)</span></p><p style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0.5em; padding-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font-size: 0.9em; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 1.2em; "><br /></p></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(17, 17, 17); font-size: 12px; font-style: italic; line-height: 14px;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(17, 17, 17); font-size: 12px; font-style: italic; line-height: 14px;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(17, 17, 17); font-size: 12px; font-style: italic; line-height: 14px;"><br /></span></div>Red Pepper Venezuela Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14818741480151623958noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8811989853542411858.post-12848838479321288952009-11-26T13:44:00.000-08:002009-11-26T13:48:44.690-08:00Venezuela’s Reformed Communal Council Law Aims at Increasing Participation<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(17, 17, 17); font-size: 17px; font-style: italic; line-height: 20px; "><span class="date"><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; line-height: 41px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(17, 17, 17); font-family: Georgia; line-height: 20px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">[On Tuesday the Venezuelan National Assembly passed a reform to the Community Council Law transferring the financial management of the councils from communal banks to finance commissions, and aiming to solve the problems that arose during the councils’ prolific expansion over the past three years.]</span></span><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; line-height: 41px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">Venezuela’s Reformed Communal Council Law Aims at Increasing Participation</span></span></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;"><br /></span></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">Published on November 25th 2009</span></span></span><span class="author"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">, by James Suggett - Venezuelanalysis.com</span></span></span></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(17, 17, 17); font-size: 17px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 20px;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic; "><span class="author"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;"></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(17, 17, 17); font-size: 17px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 14px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 21px; "><p style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0.5em; padding-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font-size: 0.9em; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 1.2em; ">Mérida, November 25<sup style="line-height: 0.5em; ">th</sup> 2009 (Venezuelanalysis.com) -- On Tuesday the Venezuelan National Assembly passed a reform to the Community Council Law transferring the financial management of the councils from communal banks to finance commissions, and aiming to solve the problems that arose during the councils’ prolific expansion over the past three years.</p><p style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0.5em; padding-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font-size: 0.9em; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 1.2em; ">Discussion of the law reform began early this year. The first proposal was submitted to scrutiny in 2,500 local discussion forums in which more than sixty thousand spokespeople from tens of thousands of existing community councils participated, according to the president of the National Assembly Commission for Citizen Participation, Dario Vivas.</p><p style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0.5em; padding-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font-size: 0.9em; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 1.2em; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;">(click <a href="http://www.venezuelanalysis.com/news/4951">here</a> to view entire article)</span></p><p style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0.5em; padding-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font-size: 0.9em; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 1.2em; "><br /></p></span></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(17, 17, 17); font-size: 17px; font-style: italic; line-height: 20px;"><br /></span></div></div>Red Pepper Venezuela Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14818741480151623958noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8811989853542411858.post-78788558576085088032009-11-06T16:21:00.000-08:002009-11-06T16:24:01.492-08:00Venezuela Says Israeli Criticisms of Its Relationship with Iran Lack Moral Authority<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial; font-size: 19px; font-weight: bold; "><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; color: rgb(17, 17, 17); font-family: Georgia; font-size: 14px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 14px; ">[The Venezuelan Foreign Relations Ministry expressed its “repudiation” of remarks made on Tuesday by Israeli Vice Minister for Foreign Affairs Dani Ayalon, who said Venezuela had become “a base for the Iranian advance on the American continent.”]</span><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; color: rgb(17, 17, 17); font-family: Georgia; font-size: 14px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 14px;"><br /></span></div></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">V</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">enezue</span>la Says Israeli Criticisms of Its Relationsh</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><wbr>ip with Iran Lack Moral Authority</span></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; color: rgb(17, 17, 17); font-family: Georgia; font-size: 12px; line-height: 14px; "><span class="date">5th November </span><span class="author">by James Suggett - Venezuelanalysis.com</span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(17, 17, 17); font-size: 12px; line-height: 14px;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; color: rgb(17, 17, 17); font-family: Georgia; font-size: 12px; line-height: 14px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px; "><p style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0.5em; padding-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font-size: 0.9em; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 1.2em; ">Mérida, November 5th 2009 (Venezuelanalysis.com) – The Venezuelan Foreign Relations Ministry expressed its “repudiation” of remarks made on Tuesday by Israeli Vice Minister for Foreign Affairs Dani Ayalon, who said Venezuela had become “a base for the Iranian advance on the American continent.”</p><p style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0.5em; padding-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font-size: 0.9em; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 1.2em; ">The Ministry’s official statement said the Israeli official’s comment constituted “a new aggression against the Venezuelan people” and “a demonstration of the rude, interventionist, and aggressive attitude that characterizes the representatives of the international right wing, and of the violence of the campaigns that they permanently mount against peaceful peoples and governments like that of Venezuela.”</p><p style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0.5em; padding-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font-size: 0.9em; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 1.2em; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;">(click <a href="http://www.venezuelanalysis.com/news/4918">here</a> to view entire article)</span></p><p style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0.5em; padding-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font-size: 0.9em; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 1.2em; "><br /></p></span></span></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial; font-size: 19px; font-weight: bold;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial; font-size: 19px; font-weight: bold;"><br /></span></div></div>Red Pepper Venezuela Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14818741480151623958noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8811989853542411858.post-58674293021841574812009-11-06T16:14:00.000-08:002009-11-06T16:19:12.191-08:00Official US Air Force Document Reveals the True Intentions Behind the US-Colombia Military Agreement[<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(17, 17, 17); font-size: 14px; line-height: 15px; ">An official document from the Department of the US Air Force reveals that the military base in Palanquero, Colombia will provide the Pentagon with “…an opportunity for conducting full spectrum operations throughout South America…” This information contradicts the explainations offered by Colombian President Alvaro Uribe and the US State Department regarding the military agreement signed between the two nations this past October 30th.]</span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(17, 17, 17); font-size: 14px; line-height: 15px;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(17, 17, 17); font-size: 14px; line-height: 15px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: 'Lucida Grande'; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; white-space: pre; ">Official US Air Force Document Reveals the True Intentions Behind the US-Colombia Military Agreement</span><br /></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(17, 17, 17); font-size: 14px; line-height: 15px;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(17, 17, 17); font-size: 14px; line-height: 15px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 14px; "><span class="date">Wednesday 5th November 2009</span><span class="author">, by Eva Golinger</span></span><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(17, 17, 17); font-size: 12px; line-height: 14px;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(17, 17, 17); font-size: 12px; line-height: 14px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px; ">An official document from the Department of the US Air Force reveals that the military base in Palanquero, Colombia will provide the Pentagon with “…an opportunity for conducting full spectrum operations throughout South America…” This information contradicts the explainations offered by Colombian President Alvaro Uribe and the US State Department regarding the military agreement signed between the two nations this past October 30th. Both governments have publicly stated that the military agreement refers only to counternarcotics and counterterrorism operations within Colombian territory. President Uribe has reiterated numerous times that the military agreement with the US will not affect Colombia’s neighbors, despite constant concern in the region regarding the true objetives of the agreement. But the US Air Force document, dated May 2009, confirms that the concerns of South American nations have been right on target. The document exposes that the true intentions behind the agreement are to enable the US to engage in “full spectrum military operations in a critical sub-region of our hemisphere where security and stability is under constant threat from narcotics funded terrorist insurgencies…and anti-US governments…”</span><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(17, 17, 17); font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(17, 17, 17); font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;">The military agreement between Washington and Colombia authorizes the access and use of seven military installations in Palanquero, Malambo, Tolemaida, Larandia, Apíay, Cartagena and Málaga. Additionally, the agreement allows for “the access and use of all other installations and locations as necessary” throughout Colombia, with no restrictions. Together with the complete immunity the agreement provides to US military and civilian personnel, including private defense and security contractors, the clause authorizing the US to utilize any installation throughout the entire country - even commercial aiports, for military ends, signifies a complete renouncing of Colombian sovereignty and officially converts Colombia into a client-state of the US.<br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(17, 17, 17); font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(17, 17, 17); font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;">(click <a href="http://www.venezuelanalysis.com/analysis/4917">here</a> to view entire article)</span></span></div></div>Red Pepper Venezuela Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14818741480151623958noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8811989853542411858.post-83342885321000274412009-10-22T02:43:00.000-07:002009-10-22T02:47:34.794-07:00This is about terrorism and corruption – it is not persecution<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: rgb(102, 102, 102); font-family: arial; line-height: 19px; ">[Claims that Venezuela's president Hugo Chávez is carrying out a witch-hunt are unfounded.]</span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: rgb(102, 102, 102); font-family: arial; line-height: 19px;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: rgb(102, 102, 102); font-family: arial; line-height: 19px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: 'Lucida Grande'; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; white-space: pre; ">This is about terrorism and corruption – it is not persecution</span><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: rgb(102, 102, 102); font-family: arial; line-height: 19px;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: rgb(102, 102, 102); font-family: arial; line-height: 19px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; color: rgb(17, 17, 17); font-family: Georgia; font-size: 12px; line-height: 14px; "><span class="date">Thursday 22nd October 2009</span><span class="author">, by Samuel Moncada - The Guardian </span></span><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(17, 17, 17); font-size: 12px; line-height: 14px;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(17, 17, 17); font-size: 12px; line-height: 14px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: arial; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px; "><p style="padding-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-left: 0px; border-collapse: collapse; background-repeat: no-repeat; margin-bottom: 13px; padding-right: 0px; ">Your article presents a disturbing picture of political freedoms under attack in <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/venezuela" style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; border-collapse: collapse; background-repeat: no-repeat; color: rgb(0, 86, 137); text-decoration: none; ">Venezuela</a> (<a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/oct/12/hugo-chavez-venezuela-president-tyrant" title="Chávez accused of turning tyrant as even former allies languish in jail, 13 October" style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; border-collapse: collapse; background-repeat: no-repeat; color: rgb(0, 86, 137); text-decoration: none; ">Chávez accused of turning tyrant as even former allies languish in jail, 13 October</a>). Allegations of a politically driven judicial system are backed up with a quote claiming: "There are 38 people in jail for political reasons disguised as corruption or public disorder offences."</p><p style="padding-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-left: 0px; border-collapse: collapse; background-repeat: no-repeat; margin-bottom: 13px; padding-right: 0px; ">If true, Venezuela would have political prisoners and such a substantial article into its democratic health would be warranted. But it is not. Among these 38 cited cases are people convicted of the murder of a public prosecutor investigating the 2002 coup; military personnel convicted for placing bombs in the Colombian and Spanish embassies; and police chiefs convicted for ordering gunfire against civilians on peaceful demonstrations with the aim of justifying a military uprising.</p><p style="padding-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-left: 0px; border-collapse: collapse; background-repeat: no-repeat; margin-bottom: 13px; padding-right: 0px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;">(click </span><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2009/oct/22/chavez-is-not-a-tyrant"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;">here</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;"> to view entire article)</span></p></span></span></div>Red Pepper Venezuela Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14818741480151623958noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8811989853542411858.post-37613805904730422872009-10-22T02:39:00.000-07:002009-10-22T02:41:56.346-07:00Video: The Indigenous University of Venezuela Struggles for Recognition<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande'; font-size: 11px; white-space: pre; "><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(17, 17, 17); font-family: Georgia; font-size: 12px; line-height: 14px; white-space: normal; "><span class="date">22nd October 2009</span><span class="author">, by Michael Fox, Silvia Leindecker, and Carlos Martinez</span></span><br /></div><div><br /></div><script type="text/javascript" src="http://vjmovement.com/embedded/381.js"></script></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande'; font-size: 11px; white-space: pre;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande'; font-size: 11px; white-space: pre;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(17, 17, 17); font-family: Georgia; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px; white-space: normal; ">Michael Fox and Carlos Martinez are co-authors of the upcoming book,<a href="https://secure.pmpress.org/index.php?l=product_detail&p=169" style="color: rgb(39, 99, 165); text-decoration: none; ">"Venezuela Speaks! Voices from the Grassroots"</a> to be released in December by PM Press.</span><br /></span></div>Red Pepper Venezuela Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14818741480151623958noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8811989853542411858.post-15857974774343495862009-10-14T07:50:00.000-07:002009-10-14T07:58:55.567-07:00Venezuela is No Tyranny<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: rgb(102, 102, 102); font-family: arial; line-height: 19px; ">[Dictatorship has returned to Latin America in Honduras, not in the genuine, if imperfect, democracy of Venezuela.]</span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: rgb(102, 102, 102); font-family: arial; line-height: 19px;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: rgb(102, 102, 102); font-family: arial; line-height: 19px;">Wednesday 14th October, by Francisco Dominguez - Comment is Free (The Guardian)</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: rgb(102, 102, 102); font-family: arial; line-height: 19px;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: rgb(102, 102, 102); font-family: arial; line-height: 19px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px; "><p style="padding-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-left: 0px; border-collapse: collapse; background-repeat: no-repeat; margin-bottom: 13px; padding-right: 0px; ">As Latin Americans witness the return of dictatorship – with Honduras suffering political executions, <a href="http://www.reuters.com/article/latestCrisis/idUSN12151282" title="Reuters: Honduran abuses rampant after coup -rights groups" style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; border-collapse: collapse; background-repeat: no-repeat; color: rgb(0, 86, 137); text-decoration: none; ">widespread repression</a> and condemnation from human rights organisations about curtailing of <a href="http://www.unhcr.org/refworld/docid/4ad33362c.html" title="UNHCR: Honduras must allow journalists to broadcast freely" style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; border-collapse: collapse; background-repeat: no-repeat; color: rgb(0, 86, 137); text-decoration: none; ">press freedoms</a> – it seems a strange time for the media to <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/oct/12/hugo-chavez-venezuela-president-tyrant" title="Guardian: Venezuela's president Hugo Chvez accused of turning tyrant " style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; border-collapse: collapse; background-repeat: no-repeat; color: rgb(0, 86, 137); text-decoration: none; ">repeat opposition allegations</a> that Venezuela is becoming a tyranny.</p><p style="padding-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-left: 0px; border-collapse: collapse; background-repeat: no-repeat; margin-bottom: 13px; padding-right: 0px; "><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/venezuela" title="Guardian: Venezuela" style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; border-collapse: collapse; background-repeat: no-repeat; color: rgb(0, 86, 137); text-decoration: none; ">Venezuela</a> is far from the "dictatorship which has a facade of democracy" described by General Raúl Baduel, who has been accused of corruption. What kind of tyranny oversees a 70% increase of participation in presidential elections, as Chávez has, or the government holding 13 free and fair elections in 10 years?</p><p style="padding-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-left: 0px; border-collapse: collapse; background-repeat: no-repeat; margin-bottom: 13px; padding-right: 0px; ">Of course, Venezuelan society and democracy is imperfect. One example is that corruption remains a very real problem. Opponents have tried to use this issue to disparage the government, though it pre-dates the Chávez era. It is therefore ironic that when measures are taken to tackle it, as is the case in legal prosecutions, these are cited as examples of a clampdown on political freedoms. Many Chávez-supporting politicians are under investigation and it paints a distorted picture to focus only on prosecutions against those opposed to Chávez</p><p style="padding-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-left: 0px; border-collapse: collapse; background-repeat: no-repeat; margin-bottom: 13px; padding-right: 0px; ">(click <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2009/oct/14/venezuela-democracy-honduras-chavez">here</a> to view entire article)</p></span></span></div>Red Pepper Venezuela Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14818741480151623958noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8811989853542411858.post-42081382103607561342009-10-13T06:34:00.000-07:002009-10-13T06:41:40.443-07:00A Slow Coup in VenezuelaSunday 11th October, by W. T. Whitney Jr - People's Weekly World<div><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(68, 68, 68); font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px; "><p style="border-style: initial; border-color: initial; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1.5em; margin-left: 0px; font-size: 1.2em; ">U.S. measures for resisting progressive changes in Latin America have included funding of rightwing opposition groups, military deployment throughout the region, and the Fourth Fleet for monitoring a continent. This year seven new bases have been announced for Colombia, one in Peru and two in Panama.</p><p style="border-style: initial; border-color: initial; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; text-indent: 0em; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1.5em; margin-left: 0px; font-size: 1.2em; ">Efforts to destabilize Venezuela's socialist government have been part of the mix. Assets include despondent, formerly entitled Venezuelans and Colombian military force. The failed coup to remove President Hugo Chavez and attempted shutdown of the state oil company were early signs seven years ago. Since then Colombian paramilitary formations, in league with the U.S. puppet government there and rightwing elements in Venezuela, have embarked upon mayhem. <br /><br />First hand testimony suggests paramilitaries plotted to assassinate President Hugo Chavez.</p><p style="border-style: initial; border-color: initial; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; text-indent: 0em; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1.5em; margin-left: 0px; font-size: 1.2em; ">El Nuevo Herald of Miami recently published a prison interview with Geovanny Velásquez Zambrano. The ex-paramilitary said he attended two meetings almost 10 years ago at which Manuel Rosales, then mayor of Maracaibo, offered $25 million for killing Chavez. He hinted at U.S. sources. Velásquez reported that paramilitary chieftain Jorge Iván Laverde - known as "el Iguano" - accepted the offer: "I have the guys to kill this gentleman."</p><p style="border-style: initial; border-color: initial; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; text-indent: 0em; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1.5em; margin-left: 0px; font-size: 1.2em; ">The plotters established a training camp in Catatumbo to prepare for forays into Venezuela. Velásquez' own group entered Venezuela in 2000. According to the Nuevo Herald, Laverde, also a prisoner, accused high Colombian Army officers of orchestrating paramilitary ventures.</p><p style="border-style: initial; border-color: initial; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; text-indent: 0em; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1.5em; margin-left: 0px; font-size: 1.2em; ">From 2000 to 2008, Rosales governed border state Zulia. In 2006 he was the rightist candidate in a losing bid for the presidency and that year allegedly met again with Colombian paramilitaries in a border town. He escaped to Peru in April.</p><p style="border-style: initial; border-color: initial; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; text-indent: 0em; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1.5em; margin-left: 0px; font-size: 1.2em; ">In late September, a video rendition of Velasquez' testimony before Colombian prosecutors appeared on the Al Jazeera web site, along with lawyer Eva Golinger's commentary. Interviewed by TeleSur, she characterized paramilitary intrusion into Venezuela as "part of what the United States classifies as irregular war [using] military groups to promote violent actions." She saw the 2004 assassination of Venezuelan chief prosecutor Danilo Anderson as one example. Citing a U.S. Southern Command document dated April 13, 2003, Golinger accused Washington of creating a new "United Self Defense Forces of Venezuela" organized by paramilitaries of the United Self Defense Forces of Colombia.</p><p style="border-style: initial; border-color: initial; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; text-indent: 0em; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1.5em; margin-left: 0px; font-size: 1.2em; ">(click <a href="http://www.peoplesworld.org/a-slow-coup-in-venezuela/">here</a> to view entire article)</p><p style="border-style: initial; border-color: initial; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; text-indent: 0em; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1.5em; margin-left: 0px; font-size: 1.2em; "><br /></p></span><div><br /></div><div> </div></div>Red Pepper Venezuela Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14818741480151623958noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8811989853542411858.post-50844763471013657012009-09-24T08:11:00.000-07:002009-09-24T08:22:36.225-07:00Review of Venezuela Documentary 'Inside the Revolution' by 'Lenin's Tomb'<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande'; font-size: 11px; white-space: pre; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;">Review of Venezuela Documentary 'Inside the Revolution' by 'Lenin's Tomb'</span></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande'; font-size: 11px; white-space: pre;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande'; font-size: 11px; white-space: pre;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;">Thursday September 24th, by Lenin's Tomb</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande'; font-size: 11px; white-space: pre;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande'; font-size: 11px; white-space: pre;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Univers; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px; white-space: normal; ">What to make of the Bolivarian revolution? Despite its limitations, it has achieved real decreases in poverty, higher social spending per capita, elements of grassroots democracy, and a widespread radicalisation among Venezuela's working class. The revolution has thus far withstood various challenges from the right, including a coup, largely because of the solid backing the Chavez government receives from the poor. Unlike previous efforts at social transformation in Latin America, this one has not been drowned in rivers of blood. Is Venezuela therefore a model for others to follow, as well as an inspiration in its own right?</span><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Univers; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Univers; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px;">The new documentary <span style="font-style: italic; ">Inside The Revolution</span> (trailer <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6alYwkZ4z9k" style="text-decoration: underline; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-bottom-style: none; border-left-style: none; border-color: initial; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; "><span style="font-weight: bold; ">here</span></a>) deals with precisely this question. This sort of film could so easily just re-tread old ground. It could just as easily lapse into uncritical adulation. Or it could just be very cliched, with various pleasing sentiments structured around a 'story so far' narrative. Already, films about Venezuela are characterised by some very familiar vistas: the red t-shirts, the smiling Chavez supporters, the scandalously abusive corporate media footage, and the slums, all overlaid with cheery joropo music. And if these were to be the fixtures of a genre that ossified the exciting and conflict-ridden social processes of Venezuela into low budget entertainment for leftists, then the Bolivarian revolution would have been done a disservice. But <span style="font-style: italic; ">Inside The Revolution</span> takes the argument deeper than previous films, making an effort to gauge what kind of example Venezuela provides for the left. It has less glamour and polemical bite than Pilger's <span style="font-style: italic; ">The War on Democracy</span>, for example, but is intellectually more challenging.<br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Univers; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Univers; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px;">The argument is more distinctive than the material, most of which can be found in useful texts such as Bart Jones' biography of Hugo Chavez - cryptically entitled <span style="font-style: italic; ">¡Hugo!</span> - and Gregory Wilpert's <span style="font-style: italic; ">Changing Venezuela By Taking Power</span> (an excellent counterblast to the Holloway thesis). Thus, you get a very brief account of the history of Venezuelan politics, from the Jimenez dictatorship to the highly controlled liberal democracy during the oil boom of the post-war era, to the social collapse and soaring poverty from 1978 onward. You get a discussion of the radicalisation in 1989, a counterpoint to the general demoralisation on the Left as the Berlin Wall fell. There is footage of Chavez's attempted coup in 1992, and his 72 second speech to the nation upon surrendering in which he famously said that his goals could not be achieved "por ahora" (for now). This statement became a catchphrase for millions, as Chavez became a hero to the poor and, upon his release, he began to build up support for a presidential campaign. He wins, brings about constitutional changes, faces down the hysteria of the ruling class, defeats a coup, braves a referendum defeat, suffers electoral setbacks, but continues to make progress. So far, so familiar - and accurate too.<br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Univers; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Univers; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;">(click <a href="http://leninology.blogspot.com/2009/09/inside-revolution.html">here</a> to view entire review)</span></span></div>Red Pepper Venezuela Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14818741480151623958noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8811989853542411858.post-12725022688071422922009-09-21T05:34:00.000-07:002009-09-21T05:36:38.582-07:00The Guardian Retracts False Claims that Hugo Chavez is a "Pariah"<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px; line-height: 22px; -webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; "><p>The Guardian newspaper has had to retract false claims made by Ian Black, the Middle East Editor, which labelled Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez a “contender for the ‘pariah’ status Gaddafi held for so long."</p><p>Ian Black made his claim, which is without any basis, in an article titled <em>Shadow of Megrahi hangs over Libya’s mass celebration of Gaddafi’s 40 years</em> on 31 August 2009.</p><p>Following calls by Samuel Moncada, the Venezuelan Ambassador in London, for a retraction, Siobhain Butterworth the Guardian Reader’s Editor, has explained that the newspaper has “removed the sentence from the web article and added a footnote documenting the change.”</p><p>This is the second time that a British publication retracts from previous accounts in relation to Venezuela. Last month The Economist retracted from an inaccurate statement about alleged participation of Venezuelan troops in military activities in Bolivia.</p><p>Samuel Moncada said: “I am pleased that The Guardian has retraced its false claim that President Chavez is a pariah. Unfortunately there is too much inaccuracy and distortion in the British media about developments in the Venezuela. There will be ongoing efforts to counter these misrepresentations. Whatever views are held on the changes underway in Venezuela today, these should be reported accurately and honestly to allow the readers to make up their own mind"</p><p><strong><em>Venezuelan Embassy Press Office 18 September 2009</em></strong></p><p><strong>Notes to Editors:</strong> <br />1) The correction can be seen at <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/theguardian/2009/sep/17/corrections-and-clarifications" style="color: rgb(0, 51, 153); text-decoration: none; font-weight: normal; ">http://www.guardian.co.uk/theguardian/2009/sep/17/corrections-and-clarifications</a> <br />2) The correction by The Economist can be found at <a href="http://www.economist.com/world/americas/displaystory.cfm?story_id=14142418" style="color: rgb(0, 51, 153); text-decoration: none; font-weight: normal; ">http://www.economist.com/world/americas/displaystory.cfm?story_id=14142418</a><br />3) For more details, please contact Mr Alvaro Sanchez at 0207-584-4206</p></span>Red Pepper Venezuela Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14818741480151623958noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8811989853542411858.post-37639603285250754912009-09-17T12:09:00.000-07:002009-09-17T12:12:39.404-07:00Militarising Latin America<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(17, 17, 17); font-size: 14px; line-height: 14px; ">[Latin America has retained its primacy in U.S. global planning. If the United States cannot control Latin America, it cannot expect "to achieve a successful order elsewhere in the world." However, recently South America has moved toward integration, a prerequisite for independence; has broadened international ties; and has addressed internal disorders-foremost, the traditional rule of a rich Europeanized minority over a sea of misery and suffering.]</span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(17, 17, 17); font-size: 14px; line-height: 14px;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(17, 17, 17); font-size: 14px; line-height: 14px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: 'Lucida Grande'; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; white-space: pre; ">Militarising Latin America</span><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande'; font-size: 11px; white-space: pre;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande'; font-size: 11px; white-space: pre;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(17, 17, 17); font-family: Georgia; font-size: 12px; line-height: 14px; white-space: normal; "><span class="date">September 13th 2009</span><span class="author">, by Noam Chomsky - In These Times</span></span><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(17, 17, 17); font-size: 12px; line-height: 14px;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(17, 17, 17); font-size: 12px; line-height: 14px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px; "><p style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0.5em; padding-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font-size: 0.9em; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 1.2em; ">The United States was founded as an "infant empire," in the words of George Washington. The conquest of the national territory was a grand imperial venture. From the earliest days, control over the hemisphere was a critical goal.</p><p style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0.5em; padding-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font-size: 0.9em; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 1.2em; ">Latin America has retained its primacy in U.S. global planning. If the United States cannot control Latin America, it cannot expect "to achieve a successful order elsewhere in the world," observed President Richard M. Nixon's National Security Council in 1971, when Washington was considering the overthrow of Salvador Allende's government in Chile.</p><p style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0.5em; padding-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font-size: 0.9em; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 1.2em; ">Recently the hemisphere problem has intensified. South America has moved toward integration, a prerequisite for independence; has broadened international ties; and has addressed internal disorders-foremost, the traditional rule of a rich Europeanized minority over a sea of misery and suffering.</p><p style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0.5em; padding-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font-size: 0.9em; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 1.2em; ">The problem came to a head a year ago in Bolivia, South America's poorest country, where, in 2005, the indigenous majority elected a president from its own ranks, Evo Morales.</p><p style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0.5em; padding-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font-size: 0.9em; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 1.2em; ">In August 2008, after Morales' victory in a recall referendum, the opposition of U.S.-backed elites turned violent, leading to the massacre of as many as 30 government supporters.</p><p style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0.5em; padding-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font-size: 0.9em; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 1.2em; ">In response, the newly-formed Union of South American Republics (UNASUR) called a summit meeting. Participants-all the countries of South America-declared "their full and firm support for the constitutional government of President Evo Morales, whose mandate was ratified by a big majority."</p><p style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0.5em; padding-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font-size: 0.9em; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 1.2em; ">"For the first time in South America's history, the countries of our region are deciding how to resolve our problems, without the presence of the United States," Morales observed.</p><p style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0.5em; padding-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font-size: 0.9em; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 1.2em; ">Another manifestation: Ecuador's president Rafael Correa has vowed to terminate Washington's use of the Manta military base, the last such base open to the United States in South America.</p><p style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0.5em; padding-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font-size: 0.9em; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 1.2em; ">In July, the U.S. and Colombia concluded a secret deal to permit the United States to use seven military bases in Colombia.</p><p style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0.5em; padding-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font-size: 0.9em; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 1.2em; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;">(click <a href="http://www.inthesetimes.com/article/4864/militarizing_latin_america/">here</a> to view entire article)</span></p></span></span></div>Red Pepper Venezuela Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14818741480151623958noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8811989853542411858.post-88333244773653541902009-09-17T11:59:00.000-07:002009-09-17T12:04:40.651-07:00Iniquitous Critics of Hugo Chávez[<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(17, 17, 17); line-height: 15px; font-size:14px;">"In the end", said Martin Luther King, "we will remember not the words of our enemies but the silence of our friends." His words are relevant to every social struggle and are especially pertinent to the ongoing fight for social justice in Latin America, where media manipulation and forces hostile to the positive changes of the last decade conspire to return nations such as Venezuela, Bolivia, Ecuador and Honduras to an imposed neo-liberal economic model.]</span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(17, 17, 17); line-height: 15px;font-size:14px;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(17, 17, 17); line-height: 15px;font-size:14px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); line-height: normal; white-space: pre; font-family:'Lucida Grande';font-size:11px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;">Iniquitous Critics of Hugo Chávez</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(17, 17, 17); line-height: 15px;font-size:14px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(17, 17, 17); line-height: 15px;font-size:14px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" line-height: 14px; font-size:12px;"><span class="date"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;">September 16th 2009</span></span><span class="author"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;">, by Colin Burgon - Tribune</span></span></span><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(17, 17, 17); line-height: 14px;font-size:12px;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(17, 17, 17); line-height: 14px;font-size:12px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" line-height: 21px; font-size:14px;"><p size="0.9em" style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0.5em; padding-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 1.2em; ">"In the end", said Martin Luther King, "we will remember not the words of our enemies but the silence of our friends." His words are relevant to every social struggle and are especially pertinent to the ongoing fight for social justice in Latin America, where media manipulation and forces hostile to the positive changes of the last decade conspire to return nations such as Venezuela, Bolivia, Ecuador and Honduras to an imposed neo-liberal economic model.</p><p style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0.5em; padding-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font-size: 0.9em; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 1.2em; ">The survival of Hugo Chávez' government in Venezuela, the popular elections of Evo Morales in Bolivia and Rafael Correa in Ecuador and the campaign to restore Manuel Zelaya, the democratically-elected leader of Honduras, to power following a right-wing coup have all relied on solidarity at home and abroad and the courage to read between the lines of the disinformation pedalled by corporate media outlets.</p><p style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0.5em; padding-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font-size: 0.9em; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 1.2em; ">The British labour movement has always played its part. From the Spanish Civil War, to the coup in Chile and the apartheid struggle in South Africa, and now the solidarity campaigns around Cuba, Colombia, Venezuela and Honduras, the British left has stood up for democracy and justice. This makes the present media manipulation around Venezuela even harder to stomach.</p><p style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0.5em; padding-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font-size: 0.9em; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 1.2em; ">Against a background of increasing anti-Chávez propaganda an attack on the British left's support of Venezuela's revolution has emanated from Labour's benches in the House of Commons. Denis MacShane's critique in The Guardian (3 August) must be challenged. The Rotherham MP began with a call for all "Hooray Hugos", presumably including more than 50 Labour MPs and many national trade unions, to rethink their support for Venezuela's leader.</p><p style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0.5em; padding-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font-size: 0.9em; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 1.2em; ">According to Denis MacShane: "While the left in Spain, France, Italy and Latin America has always had doubts about the populist, demagogic style of Chavez, he has had a free run in Britain. Ken Livingstone organised meetings to worship him and got involved in a bizarre oil deal. The NUJ [National Union of Journalists] and Labour MPs have made pilgrimages to Caracas to buy the Chávez line."</p><p style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0.5em; padding-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font-size: 0.9em; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 1.2em; ">It was a risible attempt to belittle the work of the solidarity movement which arose in response to the CIA-backed coup against a democratically elected Venezuelan leader, who has made the alleviation of poverty a priority.</p><p style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0.5em; padding-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font-size: 0.9em; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 1.2em; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;">(click <a href="http://www.venezuelanalysis.com/analysis/4797">here</a> to view entire article; click <a href="http://www.vicuk.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=537&Itemid=30">here</a> to view a longer version of this article)</span></p></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(17, 17, 17); font-style: italic; line-height: 14px;font-size:12px;"><br /></span></div>Red Pepper Venezuela Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14818741480151623958noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8811989853542411858.post-68304737912267880102009-09-06T14:51:00.000-07:002009-09-06T14:55:35.084-07:00Honduras: Has Obama Sided with Chávez?<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiRNzj9SpH_G1hDV0UobjrNmBk2McX3LZZuIHg_NlNi15AezMfZo4ULhsEaE0mzNfhX4IIMN_fcxCVktOzrlXQRVp-5qqkdbBFqQogfVFT3B7uylmfOBj2c5ucSHhJa_KAx4UEdpSXmn4/s1600-h/chav_ob.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 127px; height: 85px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiRNzj9SpH_G1hDV0UobjrNmBk2McX3LZZuIHg_NlNi15AezMfZo4ULhsEaE0mzNfhX4IIMN_fcxCVktOzrlXQRVp-5qqkdbBFqQogfVFT3B7uylmfOBj2c5ucSHhJa_KAx4UEdpSXmn4/s400/chav_ob.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5378476302569547858" /></a><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" font-weight: bold;font-family:Verdana;font-size:11px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal; "><span class="red" style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(211, 32, 0); "><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>by Calvin Tucker</span> / September 6th 2009</span><br /></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:Verdana;font-size:11px;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:Verdana;font-size:11px;">http://21stcenturysocialism.com/<br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:Verdana;font-size:11px;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:Verdana;font-size:11px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-size:12px;"><p class="teaser" style="font-size: 11px; font-weight: bold; ">Has Obama sided with Chávez? That’s certainly the view of the leader of Honduran coup regime Roberto Micheletti, whose spokesman angrily denounced the 30 million dollar cut in US aid announced on Thursday.</p><p>Micheletti's spokesman <a href="http://www.tiempo.hn/secciones/crisis-politica/3282-eeuu-se-alio-con-chavez-al-suspender-ayuda-a-honduras-dice-gobierno-" style="color: rgb(211, 32, 0); text-decoration: none; ">added</a> that Obama's decision “condemned the people that struggle against Marxist expansion in Central America”.<br /><br />In the rest of Latin America the <a href="http://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/ps/2009/sept/128608.htm" style="color: rgb(211, 32, 0); text-decoration: none; ">tougher</a> US stance was welcomed, in particular the proposals to revoke the visas of members and supporters of the regime and the indication that the USA will not recognise the outcome of scheduled elections in November.<br /><br />Yet despite coming under pressure from senior members of his own party, Obama has so far resisted calls to formally declare that the June 28 overthrow of President Zelaya was military coup. Were he to do so, the US government would by law be required to make permanent its cuts in aid and suspension of visas.<br /><br />However, a formal declaration would require ratification by Congress, and some analysts have suggested that Obama is desperate to avoid playing into the hands of right wing Republican lawmakers who are busy echoing the claims of the coup leaders that he has allied himself with Venezuela’s socialist president.<br /><br />Whilst this may in part account for Obama’s reluctance to issue a declaration, others in his administration- most notably Secretary of State Hilary Clinton- are opposed in principle.<br /><br />Clinton’s role since the coup has been opaque. She chairs the US government’s Millennium Challenge Corporation, which had continued to fund the regime until Thursday’s announcement prohibited all direct aid. In July, she denounced President Zelaya’s attempt to return to Honduras as “reckless”. And her confidant Lanny Davis, who was chief fundraiser for her presidential campaign, has since been hired as a public relations spokesman for the coup regime.</p><p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;">(click <a href="http://21stcenturysocialism.com/article/honduras_has_obama_sided_with_chvez2_01907.html">here</a> to view entire article)</span></p></span></span></div>Red Pepper Venezuela Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14818741480151623958noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8811989853542411858.post-41067897706182832602009-09-03T09:43:00.000-07:002009-09-03T09:47:32.103-07:00Oliver Stone: 'The truth about Hugo Chávez'[South of the Border is Oscar-winning director Oliver Stone's record of a trip to Venezuela to meet the president, Hugo Chávez. Ahead of the film's premiere at the Venice film festival on Monday, Stone writes about his hopes for the film, and the future of US foreign policy in the region.]<br /><br /><strong>(click <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/film/2009/sep/03/oliver-stone-south-of-the-border-hugo-chavez">here</a> to view entire article)</strong><a class="author-profile-picture" href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/users/space2place"></a>Red Pepper Venezuela Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14818741480151623958noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8811989853542411858.post-327408617507049312009-09-03T09:40:00.000-07:002009-09-06T14:41:22.527-07:00Watch the Trailer for Oliver Stone's South of the Border[South of the Border, which premieres at the Venice film festival on Monday, is the latest documentary in which Oscar-winning director Oliver Stone journeys to South America to see first-hand how their political system functions. In this film, co-written by Tariq Ali, he interviews Venezuelan president Hugo Chávez]<br /><br /><strong>(watch the trailer <a href="http://www.youtube.com/alboradauk#play/all/favorites-all/1/Hwhau48LUAA">here</a>)</strong>Red Pepper Venezuela Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14818741480151623958noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8811989853542411858.post-18250106259834114082009-09-02T00:41:00.000-07:002009-09-02T00:44:52.532-07:00Noam Chomsky Meets with Chavez in Venezuela<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkDT-cm8axuUjtUR2ivx4JYBxEaVmGtR-rMMHPAxi43PrqBihiN0L-ShRhf7YB2M5aSFkhAPpwcD5u56h34OIDcNd5VcLmmrEVEB1FidWe8a5DSZz4LepD_8sxGtxTWF_YaNnlXCwYkiI/s1600-h/chomskychavez.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5376772789260023602" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 267px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkDT-cm8axuUjtUR2ivx4JYBxEaVmGtR-rMMHPAxi43PrqBihiN0L-ShRhf7YB2M5aSFkhAPpwcD5u56h34OIDcNd5VcLmmrEVEB1FidWe8a5DSZz4LepD_8sxGtxTWF_YaNnlXCwYkiI/s400/chomskychavez.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><strong></strong></div><em>Professor Noam Chomsky (at left) and President Hugo Chavez in Caracas on Monday (ABN)</em><br /><div><strong></strong></div><br /><div><strong>Noam Chomsky Meets with Chavez in Venezuela</strong></div><br /><div><strong></strong></div><br /><div><strong>August 28th 2009, by James Suggett</strong> </div><br /><div></div><br /><div>Mérida, August 27th 2009 (Venezuelanalysis.com) -- U.S. author, dissident intellectual, and Professor of Linguistics at the Massachussetts Institute of Technology Noam Chomsky met for the first time with Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez in Caracas and analyzed hemispheric politics during a nationally televised forum on Monday. </div><br /><div><br />Chomsky is well known in Venezuela for his critiques of U.S. imperialism and support for the progressive political changes underway in Venezuela and other Latin American countries in recent years. President Chavez regularly references Chomsky in speeches and makes widely publicized recommendations of Chomsky's 2003 book, Hegemony or Survival: America's Quest for Global Dominance. </div><br /><div></div><br /><div><strong>(click <a href="http://www.venezuelanalysis.com/news/4748">here</a> to view entire article)</strong></div>Red Pepper Venezuela Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14818741480151623958noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8811989853542411858.post-70829273867233146512009-09-02T00:19:00.000-07:002009-09-02T00:27:54.466-07:00A New Model With Rough Edges: Venezuela’s Community Councils[As the community councils gain experience, two processes fraught with tension are under way. First, marginalized and semi-marginalized sectors of the population gain confidence and experience in collective decision making. Second, steps toward institutionalization are designed to create viable mechanisms that monitor and guard against ill-conceived projects and misuse of public funds. But the effort to achieve incorporation, on the one hand, and institutionalization, on the other, is a complicated balancing act.]<br /><br />A New Model With Rough Edges: Venezuela’s Community Councils<br /><br />June 11th 2009, by Steve Ellner - NACLA<br /><br />The main country road that passes by Las Cuadras, a poor rural area in the zone of El Valle, in the Venezuelan state of Mérida, sports a new roofed waiting area and sidewalk. Julio Cerrada, a spokesman for the Las Cuadras community council, shows me these and other recent projects, including a decorative arch at the neighborhood’s entrance and a large metal garbage container. Then Cerrada takes me to the end of the mountain road, where the community council of La Culata has constructed a pathway consisting of two paved tracks extending about 300 yards uphill, which allows potato and carrot farmers to transport their produce by vehicle and also opens the area to tourism. A small cooperative, called Paseos a Caballo de La Culata, takes tourists on horseback up the pathway, whose entrance is now marked by a large plaque celebrating the figure of Simón Bolívar. Cerrada tells me the cooperative is requesting state financing to construct a tourist station at the pathway’s upper end.<br /><br /><strong>(click </strong><a href="http://www.venezuelanalysis.com/analysis/4512"><strong>here</strong></a><strong> to view entire article)</strong>Red Pepper Venezuela Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14818741480151623958noreply@blogger.com1