Venezuela Analysis: Opinion & Analysis

Being a Good Sport in Venezuela’s Bolivarian Revolution

Tamara Pearson - Venezuelanalysis.com — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 15:09:31 -0430

Something you wouldn’t see at the Olympics: Teams of laughing and cheering teenagers and young adults throwing water-filled-condoms at each other, catching them in towels held by one person on each corner, as rain drenches the condom covered ground. By Tamara Pearson - Venezuelanalysis.com

Boss's Campaign of Terror Against Venezuelan Unionists

Federico Fuentes & Kiraz Janicke - Green Left Weekly — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 20:49:01 -0430

The owner of Fundimeca, an air conditioning factory in Valencia, Carabobo, is waging an intense campaign of terror and intimidation against the factory’s work force, which is fighting to ensure that the company complies with Venezuela’s constitution and labour laws. By Federico Fuentes & Kiraz Janicke - Green Left Weekly

Should Obama, If Elected, Make a Clean Break With Bush's Latin America Policy?

Mark Weisbrot - McClatchy Tribune — Fri, 22 Aug 2008 16:46:32 -0430

The Bush administration's "divide and conquer," Cold War strategy in Latin America has only succeeded in further reducing Washington's standing in the region, which is now lower than it has ever been. Obama would have a chance to make a fresh start. But would he? So far there has been little indication that he would. By Mark Weisbrot - McClatchy Tribune

Would There Be Change in Obama's Americas Policy?

Laura Carlsen - CIP — Fri, 22 Aug 2008 16:03:57 -0430

Obama heads to Denver this month to become the Democratic Party candidate for the presidency. Opinion divides sharply on whether his platform for U.S. policy in Latin America is really a "Change We Can Believe In." Obama's approach, more than the policies themselves, gives us much to work with in turning disaster into a genuine good neighbor policy for the region. By Laura Carlsen - CIP

The Bolivarian Process Revealed in a Place Called Chuao

Larry Hales — Fri, 22 Aug 2008 16:01:20 -0430

One judge of the revolutionary process ongoing in the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela is how far it reaches. To understand how deep the process is, how far and wide-reaching the aspirations of the Venezuelan people are, one needs to look in remote areas long neglected before the revolution began. One needs to seek out a little town called Chuao. By Larry Hales

Book Review: Rethinking Venezuelan Politics

Kim Scipes - MRZine — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 17:32:20 -0430

Unlike the large majority of the writing on Venezuela in the Chavez era, which focus on Chavez’ “style” or personality, Ellner focuses on substantive issues, especially around class and race. By Kim Scipes - MRZine

The Nationalization of Banco de Venezuela

Alan Woods — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 12:28:39 -0430

The attempt of the Venezuelan government to regain control over the resources of the country is entirely justified. Yet it has been met by howls of protests from the multinationals. How can these gentlemen speak of the so-called efficiency of the private bankers? By Alan Woods

The United States and Venezuela: More Than Just A Gun Show

Monica Narula and Michelle Quiles - COHA — Fri, 15 Aug 2008 13:10:32 -0430

Only when Chávez became the leader of what was beginning to become an important trading partner and threatened to destabilize a status-quo that was not in Venezuela’s favor, did the United States express much concern over the well-being of the latter’s population. The sudden intense concern that then followed seems directly tied to the U.S.’s economic interests. By Monica Narula and Michelle Quiles - COHA

Corporate Media Bashes Venezuelan Government's Law Decrees

Stephen Lendman — Fri, 15 Aug 2008 11:53:04 -0430

Chavez critics don't explain Venezuelan law or how Supreme Court rulings interpret it. Nor do they report how the Enabling Law works, that the nation's Constitution authorizes it, that four other presidents used it, among many other things. How can they? It would expose their false accusations and discredit their entire argument. By Stephen Lendman

Danny Glover, Haiti, and the Politics of Revolutionary Cinema in Venezuela

Nikolas Kozloff - NACLA — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 15:42:23 -0430

Since the inception of the oil industry in the early twentieth century, Venezuela has had strong cultural ties to the United States. President Hugo Chávez however has sought to change this by cultivating a sense of cultural nationalism in his country. By Nikolas Kozloff - NACLA

International Crisis Group Report On Venezuela: Short On Facts, High On Bias

Venezuela Information Office — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 18:19:25 -0430

International Crisis Group (ICG), issued a report on Venezuela entitled, “Venezuela: Political Reform or Regime Demise?” Considering that the ICG is recognized today as one of the leading sources for the prevention and resolution of violent conflict in the world, the report is underwhelming in the amount of factual information and objective sources it utilizes. By Venezuela Information Office

Land Reform Conflict in Venezuela’s Strategic Water Source

James Suggett - Venezuelanalysis.com — Mon, 11 Aug 2008 18:08:48 -0430

Cooperativist ecological farmers supported by the Venezuelan government’s land reform programs were attacked last Thursday by armed and masked men who, the farmers say, were hired by large estate owners in the area to cut short the changes heralded by the “Bolivarian Revolution” in their rural Andean Mountain valley. By James Suggett - Venezuelanalysis.com

ALBA: A Hope for the Poor, A Challenge to Élites

Jorge Martinez Gonzalez and Lic. Armando Chible Sandoval - Tortilla con Sal — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 12:45:27 -0430

Caruna is the body that administers funds made available for development projects in Nicaragua within the framework of the Bolivarian Alternative for the Americas (ALBA). Nicaragua's experience is important as an example and model of the economic alternative based on solidarity and fair terms of trade that ALBA represents. By Jorge Martinez Gonzalez and Lic. Armando Chible Sandoval - Tortilla con Sal

State Alliance with Employers Puts Brakes on March Towards Socialism

Stalin Perez Borges — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 12:02:51 -0430

On June 11, President Chavez, accompanied by several of his principal ministers, met with the 500 most important employers in Venezuela. He called there for "national unity". The socialist journal Marea Socialista asked Stalin Perez Borges to evaluate this meeting in the present Venezuelan context. By Stalin Perez Borges

Barrio Adentro As Seen from the Perspective of a U.S. Health Professional

Dr. B. Padma — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 21:47:42 -0430

The process of change that is being brought about in Venezuela and its positive results in the social area, supported by international organizations is becoming a constant motive for study in academic circles in the United States. An interview with a U.S.-Indian Doctor who visited Venezuela's Barrio Adentro mission.
By Dr. B. Padma

The Bolivarian Revolution at the Crossroads

Fernando Esteban - International Viewpoint — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 16:29:41 -0430

The defeat of President Hugo Chavez in the referendum last December marks an important turning point in the Bolivarian process, which began more than ten years ago. Following this defeat a crucial choice arises: to accelerate the process towards a socialist society or on the contrary to prefer the status quo by centring the revolution solely around the image of the president. By Fernando Esteban - International Viewpoint

The “Bridge” in the Coup: the IRI in Venezuela

Sarah Hamburger - COHA — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 11:47:57 -0430

The International Repulican Institute (IRI) was the main grantee in Venezuela before and after the 2002 coup attempt and its connections to Republican Party presidential nominee John McCain are worrisome, especially given McCain’s claims regarding his “hands-on” position as Chairman of the Board of the organization. By Sarah Hamburger - COHA

Debate on the Albert Einstein Institution and its Involvement in Venezuela

Stephen Zunes, George Cicariello-Maher & Eva Golinger — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 12:13:50 -0430

An exchange on the merits and demerits of the Albert Einstein Institution (AEI) and its director Gene Sharp. The occasion of the exchange is, among other things, a series of articles that appeared in Venezuelanalysis.com over the years, criticizing the AEI for its involvement in Venezuela. By Stephen Zunes, George Cicariello-Maher & Eva Golinger

What is the Venezuelan News Media Actually Like?

Andrew Kennis - Narco News — Mon, 04 Aug 2008 13:09:04 -0430

A careful and sober account of Venezuelan media that focuses on the most basic and uncontroversial facts of what constitutes the Venezuelan media today has been non-existent in mainstream U.S. media. Such reporting could present a more accurate picture of the actual situation of freedom of expression in Venezuela. By Andrew Kennis - Narco News

Venezuelan Youth: A Potential Antidote to the Weaknesses of the Revolution

Tamara Pearson - Upside Down World — Thu, 31 Jul 2008 16:42:05 -0430

In the creation of a new society based on new ideas and ways of organising, the youth, not yet completely adjusted to the present world, are in a special position. In Venezuela, the organised revolutionary youth have the potential to be an antidote to the old capitalist habits of corruption, bureaucracy, competition, and individualism. By Tamara Pearson - Upside Down World

Latin America’s Struggle for Integration and Independence

Federico Fuentes - Green Left Weekly — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 19:30:30 -0430

Commenting on how much the two had in common — same age, three children, similar music tastes — Ecuadorian President Rafael Correa said to Mexican President Felipe Calderon on April 11 that “perhaps we represent the new generation of leaders in Latin America”. He added, however, that one difference still remained: Calderon had still not become a socialist. By Federico Fuentes - Green Left Weekly

Venezuela: Amateur Dramatics, False Witness

toni solo — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 22:52:08 -0430

Shakespeare foresaw Thomas Shannon's July 17th Statement to Congress on Venezuela by four hundred years. There he was, the Assistant Secretary of State for Western Hemisphere Affairs, mewling about Venezuelan President, Hugo Chavez, giving the United States and him, Poor Tom, a hard time. By toni solo

Which Way Venezuela?

Michael Albert - ZNet — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 09:54:40 -0430

Misrepresentations of Venezuela abound. Data is limited and people interpret it in quite contrary ways. Information deficit plus skewed interpretations cause many people who ought to support the Bolivarian Revolution to instead doubt or even reject it. Useful lessons from Venezuela go largely unreported and thus have less than their widest possible effect. By Michael Albert - ZNet

The Facts about the List of “Banned Candidates” in Venezuela

Francisco Dominguez - Dissident Voice — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 22:26:06 -0430

Sections of the Venezuelan opposition are opposing a decision by Venezuela’s Comptroller General, who has submitted a list of 386 individuals to be banned from standing for public office for (being guilty of) corruption and/or misuse of public funds. In fact, the Comptroller General is merely implementing existing legislation — a great deal of which precedes the Chavez government. By Francisco Dominguez - Dissident Voice

Encouraging Steps Forward for Venezuela's Union Movement

Federico Fuentes - Green Left Weekly — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 22:21:03 -0430

A series of recent events has opened up a new phase in Venezuela's labor movement. One of the most significant was the government’s decision to re-nationalise the Sidor steel works, one of the most important in Latin America, after an 18-month struggle by its work force. By Federico Fuentes - Green Left Weekly

The Hard Battle for Socialism in Venezuela

Rafael Ramirez - Punto Final — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 22:17:18 -0430

In our country the issue of socialism is very complex. We have always been clear that there are no manuals or pamphlets that can resolve the numerous theoretical and practical problems that the socialist project puts in front of us. Similarly, there are no models, no revolution is identical to another. By Rafael Ramirez - Punto Final

Ten Years On, Bolivarian Revolution at Crossroads

Nikolas Kozloff - NACLA — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 22:09:04 -0430

In 1998, when he was first elected president, Chávez was viewed by many throughout the region as a kind of ideological throwback. But as social movements gained strength over the next several years and new progressive leaders took power in the neighborhood, Chávez seemed to be at the forefront of social struggle against corporate free trade. By Nikolas Kozloff - NACLA

Mercosur Confronts Global Crises

Federico Fuentes - Green Left Weekly — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 20:17:41 -0430

In stark contrast to the thumb-twiddling of the G8 overlords, who decide on taking as little action as possible on climate change and the developing global food and fuel crises, the summit of the Common Market of South America (Mercosur) was one more demonstration of the role being played by Venezuela — together with other South American countries — in charting a way out of these crises. By Federico Fuentes - Green Left Weekly

Venezuela's Women's Development Bank - Creating a Caring Economy

Kristen Walker - COHA — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 13:44:01 -0430

What makes Banmujer unique is that it loans only to women; in fact, it is the only state-sponsored women’s micro-credit bank in the world. Since its inception on March 8, 2001, Banmujer has been commended for its successes in helping women escape poverty and in instilling a new economic model of cooperation instead of competition. By Kristen Walker - COHA

The Spectre of Socialism for the 21st Century Haunts Latin America

Michael Lebowitz - Links — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 15:44:19 -0430

A spectre is haunting capitalism. It is the spectre of socialism for the 21st century. Increasingly, the characteristics of this spectre are becoming clear, and we are able to see enough to understand what it is not. The only thing that is not clear at this point is whether the spectre is real – i.e., whether it is actually an earthly presence. By Michael Lebowitz - Links