By Gregory Wilpert – Venezuelanalysis.com, Aug 23rd 2005
The Venezuelan government under President Hugo Chavez is the only government in Latin America, and perhaps even in the world, that is currently trying to pursue an ambitious land and agrarian reform program. A review and assessment of the land reform program's strengths and weaknesses.
In the same way that Marx was prepared to change his own views in the light of the Paris Commune, we have to think about socialism now in the light of the experiences of the 20th Century. Many of these lessons have been learned and are embodied in the Bolivarian Constitution of Venezuela.
Since its inception in May 2003, the UNT has been at the center of debates surrounding the advances of Venezuela’s revolution in the labor arena. At root, these debates turn on issues of worker control: over their factories and over their unions. Democracy is at the heart of the attempt by Venezuelan workers to reinvent a labor movement long characterized by corruption and class collaboration.
By Sarah Wagner – Venezuelanalysis.com, Jun 24th 2005
Mercal is the new subsidized supermarket and food distribution network that the Venezuelan government set up in the wake of the December 2002 to January 2003 "general strike." It has now become one of the government's most popular and widely used social programs, providing food to over 30% of the population. What is its background and what are its effects?
By Gregory Wilpert - Socialism and Democracy, Jun 15th 2005
There is a strong progressive, redistributive, and participatory democratic impulse in the Chávez government, which is, at heart, the reason for Chávez's success. However, Chávez's emotive leadership style and personality cult, a burgeoning in-group culture, and external resistance threaten to derail the project.
By Jonah Gindin – Venezuelanalysis.com, Jun 13th 2005
William I. Robinson has been studying, investigating and theorizing a new kind of U.S. imperialism since its birth in the early 1980s, known as “democracy promotion.” This relatively recent strategy may have “democracy” as its banner and “civil society” as its sword, but the last thing on its mind is genuine democracy, warns Robinson.
Minister of Energy and Petroleum Rafael Ramirez held a landmark speech to Venezuela's National Assembly a few weeks ago, in which he outlined how the state-owned oil company PDVSA has become a new company and what was wrong with the old PDVSA.
Aporrea.org has become perhaps the single most important alternative source for information on Venezuela in Spanish. Since the April 2002 coup it has played a crucial role in keeping people informed despite the distortions of Venezuela's private media. Yesterday Aporrea celebrated its third anniversary.
In Venezuela, the war for the hearts and minds of its citizens is now in full swing. With the imminent launching of the government-sponsored Televisora del Sur (Telesur), network control of the country’s existing media, including Univisión and CNN en Español, might sorely be put to the test.
By Sarah Wagner – Venezuelanalysis.com, Apr 21st 2005
The 8th graduation of Mission Robinson, the program to teach Venezuelans to read and write, honored the 32,509 participants of the program and brought Venezuela a step closer to being a "territory free of illiteracy." A report on the program, its context, and its impact.
By Jeroen Kuiper - Venezuelanalysis.com, Mar 18th 2005
Gold mining and logging are destroying huge parts of the Imataca forest reserve in Eastern Venezuela. Critics say the mining and logging activities are illegal and profits mainly flow to multinational companies abroad. It all has to do with Decree 3,110, which President Chavez issued half a year ago.
Led by editorials by Mary Anastasia O'Grady, the WSJ has repeatedly published unbalanced and inaccurate information on the political and economic situation of Venezuela, and about President Chavez
By Eva Golinger - Venezuelanalysis.com, Sep 25th 2004
Public access to media and diversity of voices have been usurped by private media moguls in Venezuela propagating their own political and economic aims. A review of U.S. media regulation and recent Venezuelan media history.
By Gregory Wilpert – Venezuelanalysis.com, Sep 15th 2004
Venezuela’s presidential recall referendum was one of Latin America’s most historic electoral events of the past twenty five years. The vote contributes to the future direction of other progressive projects throughout the world because Chavez and his Bolivarian Project have, despite their flaws, opened the door for a progressive alternative to neo-liberal globalization.
For the opposition it is obvious that it’s absolutely impossible that the Chavez’s government can count on the support of the majority of the population. It is simply a matter of an epistemological impossibility.
