Venezuela

Posted by: John Phoenix 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. Stephen Lendman In January 2007, Hugo Chavez announced his “Bolivarian Socialism” project for the 21st century and explained its dependence on five revolutionary “motors:” constitutional reform; “Bolivarian popular education;” redefining and changing the organs of state power; an explosion of communal power at the grass roots; and the “mother (Enabling) Law to make all other “motors” possible. Under Venezue...

Posted by: John Phoenix With a few months left in office, the Bush administration may be unleashing its last hurrah in Latin America. A "hail Mary" effort to reclaim the region. Remove its weak democracies in countries like Bolivia and strong ones in Venezuela. Since taking office in January 2001, the Bush administration targeted Hugo Chavez for removal. It tried and failed three previous times: — in April 2002 for two days; aborted by mass street protests and support from many in Venezuela's military, especially from its middle-ranking officer corp; — the 2002 – 2003 general strike and oil management lockout causing severe economic disruption; and — the August 2004 national recall referendum in which Chavez resoundingly prevailed with a 59% majority. Other disruptio...

Chavez in 2012 Posted by: John Phoenix Poll numbers predict a sweep. IVAD has United Socialist Party of Venezuela’s (PSUV) Chavez leading the opposition umbrella group Democratic Unity Table’s (MUD) Henrique Capriles Radonski by a 57.6% to 26.6% margin. Venezuela’s 21st Century Group of Social Investigation, a progressive think tank, predicts a similar result. MUD officials supported the aborted 2002 two-day coup. Closely linked to Washington, democracy is abhorred. It won’t be tolerated under a regime they control. Nor will Bolivarian populism. The Washington Post called Capriles “a charismatic campaigner with a loyal following”. It said he promises to “rebuild democratic institutions”. Maybe April 2002 is his template. The New York Times said he’s “the fresh-faced govern...

Posted by: John Phoenix For 10 years under Chavez, Bolivarianism has flourished, and the greater its success the harsher it's critics. America flounders in corruption, economic chaos and decline. Venezuela's star is rising. Stephen Lendman In November/December 2006, Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting's (FAIR) Steve Rendall explained, "Hugo Chavez never had a chance with the US press." It's been a constant since his December 1998 election, and hasn't let up to this day, with language all too familiar: a "would-be-dictator; an autocratic demagogue; a modern caudillo; a divisive and demagogic leader; a communist; (his) increasingly authoritarian tilt; (his) militariz(ing) the government; (his) terrible human rights record; (his) consolidated one-party...

Posted by: John Phoenix On February 15, Venezuelans voted on whether to let presidents, National Assembly representatives, governors, mayors, and state legislators run indefinitely for re-election after Chavez last December proposed a national referendum for constitutional change - so voters, not politicians could decide. Stephen Lendman On February 15, Venezuelans voted on whether to let presidents, National Assembly representatives, governors, mayors, and state legislators run indefinitely for re-election after Chavez last December proposed a national referendum for constitutional change – so voters, not politicians could decide. Sunday they spoke decisively in favor by a 54.4% to 45.6% margin with over 94% of votes counted. Chavez didn't win. Venezuelans did for Bolivar...

Posted by: John Phoenix At a time of growing US poverty, hunger, homelessness, and despair, imperial wars without end, and the Obama administration even worse than its predecessor, Venezuela is a model participatory democracy. Venezuela holds free, fair and open elections; respects the rule of law, civil liberties, and human rights; champions judicial fairness and the rule of law, and has a model free and open media. Venezuela uses its resources responsibly for the people, and provides essential social services for the needy. Venezuela doesn’t intimidate its neighbors. It wages no foreign wars, doesn’t torture or imprison its adversaries, and conducts effective operations to halt illicit drugs trafficking. It also promotes global peace, solidarity, equality and social just...

Posted by: John Phoenix Washington fears Hugo Chavez for good reason. His "good example" threat raises concerns that other regional leaders may follow. As a result, throughout his tenure, he's been targeted and vilified to discredit, weaken and undermine his government, to destroy Bolivarian benefits millions of Venezuelans now enjoy. Several failed coup attempts included: April 2002 for two days, an effort aborted by mass street protests and support from many in Venezuela’s military, especially from the middle-ranking officer corp; the 2002 – 2003 general strike and oil management lockout, causing severe economic disruption and billions of dollars in losses; and the August 2004 national recall referendum that Chavez won overwhelmingly with a 59% majority. Thereaft...

Posted by: John Phoenix VT Condemns the ETHNIC CLEANSING OF PALESTINIANS by USA/Israel $ 280 BILLION US TAXPAYER DOLLARS INVESTED since 1948 in US/Israeli Ethnic Cleansing and Occupation Operation; $ 150B direct "aid" and $ 130B in "Offense" contractsSource: Embassy of Israel, Washington, D.C. and US Department of State. There aren’t many countries that have been fighting off US aggression for as long as Venezuela. The world’s most belligerent thalassocracy is dead set on destroying the Bolivarian Republic’s much-cherished sovereignty and taking it hostage in order to exploit its massive reserves of natural resources. In line with this, the United States has been trying to weaken Venezuela through subversion and exploitation of its internal divisions. During the f...

by Vijay Prashad Photograph Source: Wilfredor – CC0 On July 28, the 70th birthday of Hugo Chávez (1954-2013), Nicolás Maduro Moros won the Venezuelan presidential election, the fifth since the Bolivarian Constitution was ratified in 1999. In January 2025, Maduro will start his third six-year term as president. He took over the reins of the Bolivarian Revolution after the death of Chávez from pelvic cancer in 2013. Since the death of Chávez, Maduro has faced several challenges: to build his own legitimacy as president in the place of a charismatic man who came to define the Bolivarian Revolution; to tackle the collapse of oil prices in mid-2014, which negatively impacted Venezuela’s state revenues (over 90 percent of which was from oil exports); and to manage a response...