Venezuela Analysis: Opinion & Analysis

Venezuelan Elections Will Put Chávez to the Test

Humberto Marquez - IPS — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 12:22:08 -0430

As if his post were at stake, Venezuela's left-wing President Hugo Chávez is showing up all over the country at election rallies, caravans, public works inaugurations, nationally televised public events and highly publicised midnight calls to his party's local offices in remote towns. By Humberto Marquez - IPS

Venezuela's Tupamaros on the Side of the Law

Martin Markovits, Vincent Bevins - San Francisco Chronicle — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 12:12:17 -0430

In several slums of this Andean capital, an armed guerrilla group wearing black ski masks teaches arts and crafts to local children, goes door-to-door to get the vote out during elections and protects residents from local criminals. By Martin Markovits, Vincent Bevins - San Francisco Chronicle

Venezuela’s Bolivarian Revolution in the Post (neo)Liberal Constellation

Donald Kingsbury — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 23:06:23 -0430

The Bolivarian Revolution is in the process of building a new type of state power in Venezuela, one that represents one of the most progressive poles in the postliberal constellation. By Donald Kingsbury

South America: Recession Can Be Avoided

Mark Weisbrot - Pagina/12 — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 18:31:21 -0430

The old adage that "When America gets a cold, Latin America catches pneumonia" has been widely cited. However, there is good reason to believe that South America, in particular, can weather this storm with minimal damage if it adopts the right macro-economic policies. By Mark Weisbrot - Pagina/12

Targeting Hugo Chavez

Stephen Lendman — Sat, 15 Nov 2008 15:03:04 -0430

Since taking office in February 1999, America's dominant media have relentlessly attacked Chavez because of the good example he represents and threat it might spread in spite of scant chance it will in today's climate. By Stephen Lendman

A Crucial Test for Venezuela's Bolivarian Revolution

América XXI — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 20:49:03 -0430

While on the surface it may appear to be a simple electoral battle, something much different is at stake on November 23. Once again, the intricate process of the Bolivarian revolution will put its strengths and weaknesses in play in the form of an electoral contest.

By América XXI

Budgets in Venezuela Take On a Woman’s Face

Humberto Marquez - IPS — Sat, 08 Nov 2008 14:36:16 -0430

As Venezuela increasingly incorporates a gender perspective in its public budgets, issues like the paving of roads and the construction of schools are being joined by new priorities such as teen pregnancy and domestic violence prevention programmes when it comes to spending. By Humberto Marquez - IPS

Colombia’s Magic Laptops

Daniel Denvir - NACLA.org — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 19:01:56 -0430

Three laptops supposedly belonging to the Colombian FRC guerillas are the gift that keeps on giving. In May, Colombian prosecutor-general Mario Iguarán announced that he was formally investigating several people, including Liberal Party senator Piedad Córdoba, U.S. development consultant Jim Jones, and Telesur reporter William Parra, of FARC ties. By Daniel Denvir - NACLA.org

Venezuelan Labor Leader: "Our Votes are for Chavez and the Revolution"

Federico Fuentes - Green Left Weekly — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 13:41:35 -0430

“On November 23, we will not just be voting for this or that governorship, we will be deciding the destiny of this revolutionary process”, says Stalin Perez Borges, a national coordinator of the National Union of Workers (UNT) and United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV) militant. By Federico Fuentes - Green Left Weekly

Over 360 Latin America Experts Call on Obama to Improve U.S.-Latin American Relations

Various Authors — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 11:41:18 -0430

Anticipating a democratic victory in the November 4 presidential elections, 368 academics specializing in Latin America recently sent a letter urging Senator and presidential candidate Barack Obama to become a partner, rather than an adversary, concerning changes already under way in Latin America. By Various Authors

Concern Over Venezuela's Russian Arms Purchases Could Be Misplaced

Anastasia Moloney - World Politics Review — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 11:33:23 -0430

Venezuela's strengthening military and diplomatic ties with Russia have led to alarmist headlines announcing the return of a Cold War standoff, and raising questions about the impact of Hugo Chávez's arms shopping spree on the regional balance of power.
By Anastasia Moloney - World Politics Review

The Inspiring Voices of an Awakening People

Dick Nichols - Green Left Weekly — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 11:48:28 -0430

Coral Wynter and Jim McIlroy's book Voices from Venezuela tells us why we should pay attention to Venezuela, and does it in the best possible way - by handing a microphone to a wide range of Venezuelans, participants in the excitement, stress and strain of the "Bolivarian revolution." By Dick Nichols - Green Left Weekly

Latin American’s ‘New Left’ In Crises As the ‘Free Market’ Collapses

James Petras — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 11:29:18 -0430

The uniformity of the collapse of Latin American economies raises important questions about the changes and claims of independence, decoupling and post-liberal models, which many regime leaders, ideologues and progressive US-European Latin American writers made over the past several years. By James Petras

Venezuela Between Assassination Plots and Abstention

Federico Fuentes - Green Left Weekly — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 10:48:09 -0430

Talk of assassination plots and rising concerns about a high abstention rate have marked the beginning of the November 23 regional elections race. By Federico Fuentes - Green Left Weekly

Valijagate Trial Update VIII: And Now, The End Is Near

Revolter - BoRev.net — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 09:58:01 -0430

Can it be? This strange Miami suitcase trial has come to its last stage. The prosecution and the defense have made their closing arguments, and Friday the jury began deliberations on whether to send Franklin Duran to prison for "acting as an unregistered agent" of the government of Venezuela. Weeks of headlines, and still nobody knows what that means. By Revolter - BoRev.net

Oil-Rich Venezuela Meets Oil-Hungry China

Iris Liu - COHA — Fri, 24 Oct 2008 13:02:04 -0430

In an era when energy and other natural resources are weighed with great importance, it is inconceivable for any country to claim that its motivation is plainly economic without any strategic or security concerns. This is especially true for developing countries which are hungry for natural resources in order to promote their growth. By Iris Liu - COHA

Obama on Latin America

Larry Birns - COHA — Mon, 20 Oct 2008 21:13:42 -0430

U.S. policy toward Latin America has been notoriously absent from figuring in recent presidential debates or stump speeches, as both candidates seek to win over last-minute voters by reiterating their campaign platforms on domestic and foreign policy topics of high public concern. By Larry Birns - COHA

Smoke and Mirrors: An Analysis of Human Rights Watch’s Report on Venezuela

Gregory Wilpert - Venezuelanalysis.com — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 11:44:00 -0430

The September 18, 2008 Human Rights Watch report, “A Decade Under Chavez,” raises a few problems with regard to the protection of political rights in Venezuela, but the few places where it is on target are almost completely drowned in a sea of de-contextualization, trumped-up accusations, and a clear and obvious bias in favor of the opposition and against the government.

By Gregory Wilpert - Venezuelanalysis.com

Responses from the South to the World Economic Crisis [Revised]

Various Authors — Thu, 16 Oct 2008 11:22:55 -0430

Final Declaration of "The International Conference on Political Economy: Responses from the South to the World Economic Crisis," which took place in Caracas, Venezuela from October 8-11, 2008, and was attended by academics and researchers from 18 countries around the world. By Various Authors

“To Destroy the Municipal Government” – Interview with PSUV Mayoral Candidate

James Suggett - Venezuelanalysis.com — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 15:49:40 -0430

An interview Pedro Álvarez, the candidate for mayor from the United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV). Álvarez spoke about his vision for a new type of local government in which the communities have more direct involvement in the decision making process. By James Suggett - Venezuelanalysis.com

Unanswered Phone Calls in Venezuela: Human Rights Watch Exposes Hugo Chavez Yet Again

Joe Emersberger - HaitiAnalysis.com — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 13:43:30 -0430

Now that HRW has blown the lid off the grave human rights abuse of unanswered questions in Venezuela, perhaps they can finally respond to some questions posed to them. By Joe Emersberger - HaitiAnalysis.com

How and Why Venezuela Will Weather the Financial Crisis

Martin Saatdjian — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 11:56:48 -0430

Regardless of the impact of the existing economic meltdown, the Venezuelan government has taken important economic decisions, even before the crisis was even known, that now benefits and secures its economy against the financial crisis. By Martin Saatdjian

Interview On Venezuelan Workplaces with Carlos Lanz

Michael Albert - ZNet — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 13:14:28 -0430

An interview with Carlos Lanz, one of Venezuela's main socialist intellectuals and leaders, who pioneered worker management in one of Venezuela's largest state-owned companies, the Aluminum processing plant Alcasa. He talks to Michael Albert about how the workplace of the future would be organized, among other things. By Michael Albert - ZNet

The New York Times' Real Feelings on Term Limits

Jim Naureckas - FAIR — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 18:45:09 -0430

Less than a year ago The New York Times described ending term limits is not as an attempt to "serve the larger cause of democracy" as it is when Bloomberg tries to do it, but rather said Chavez is seeking "the option to stand for re-election as many times as he wants" as part of "his plan to become president for life."

By Jim Naureckas - FAIR

Latin American and Caribbean Unity

Noam Chomsky — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 11:55:37 -0430

During the past decade, Latin America has become the most exciting region of the world. The dynamic has very largely flowed from right where you are meeting, in Caracas, with the election of a leftist president dedicated to using Venezuela's rich resources for the benefit of the population rather than for wealth and privilege at home and abroad. By Noam Chomsky

The South American Defense Council and the Region’s Political Process

Alex Sánchez - COHA — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 21:37:27 -0430

The most ambitious and significant recent project undertaken by South America's armed forces has been the creation of Conselho Sul-Americano de Defesa (South American Defense Council - CSD), an agency of the Union of South American Nations (UNASUR). By Alex Sánchez - COHA

Capitalist vs. Socialist State Intervention of the Economy

Martin Saatdjian — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 21:33:50 -0430

It is not that pure capitalist politicians are all against the state intervention in the economy, they just want that the money go straight into very rich people, this time for the amount of $700 billion dollars. On the other hand, socialist state intervention prioritizes the most basic needs of people. By Martin Saatdjian

Venezuelan State Oil Company's Growing Presence in Latin America

Humberto Marquez - IPS — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 11:34:32 -0430

Central America, Cuba, the Dominican Republic and islands in the eastern Caribbean are receiving more and more oil from Venezuela, while major refineries are planned in South America -- at Pernambuco in northeastern Brazil, and at El Aromo, on Ecuador's Pacific coast. By Humberto Marquez - IPS

Human Rights Watch in Venezuela: Lies, Crimes and Cover-ups

James Petras — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 22:22:45 -0430

A close reading of the recent Human Rights Watch "Report" on Venezuela reveals an astonishing number of blatant falsifications and outright fabrications, glaring deletions of essential facts, deliberate omissions of key contextual and comparative considerations and especially a cover-up of systematic long-term, large-scale security threats to Venezuelan democracy posed by Washington. By James Petras

Human Rights Watch and elections in Venezuela

Francisco Domínguez — Sun, 28 Sep 2008 16:20:06 -0430

Although Venezuela under President Chavez is by no means perfect, it bears no relation to the country depicted in HRW’s 2008 Report. By Francisco Domínguez