News: Politics

Venezuelan Opposition Candidate’s Campaign “Stagnating”, Journalists Attacked

May 16th 2012

Opposition candidates Henrique Capriles in Bogota, Colombia last week (agencies)

Government representatives and private media have said opposition presidential candidate Henrique Capriles’ campaign is “stagnating” as he fails to gain support, while journalists also marched yesterday protesting violent attacks committed against them by Capriles’ supporters.

Chávez Returns to Venezuela after “Successful” Treatment, Riding High in Polls

May 14th 2012

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez speaks on television from the airport upon his return to Venezuela (AVN).

Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez returned to Venezuela on Friday night, announcing a successful conclusion to his radiotherapy treatment in Cuba and his intention to return to the frontline of Venezuelan politics. Meanwhile, polls show him extending his advantage over rival Henrique Capriles Radonski.

Venezuela’s Chavez Designates State Counsel Members

May 3rd 2012

The counsel’s main responsibility will be to recommend policies to the executive which are deemed to be in the national intere

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez has named his five delegates who will make up the country’s new “State Counsel,” after announcing in February that he would create the body.

Venezuela’s Chavez Criticises Media Rumours That He Had Died

Apr 24th 2012

President Hugo Chavez (right) with newspapers to prove the date of the photo (Presidential Press)

Yesterday President Hugo Chavez phoned the state television channel VTV in order to dispel the rumours created by the opposition and private media that, following nine days of “absence” from public life while receiving radiotherapy in Cuba, he had “died” or had experienced a medical emergency.

1.3 Million More People Join Venezuela’s Electoral Register, Funding Allocated

Apr 18th 2012

CNE director Sandra Oblitas (archive).

After nine months campaigning for people to sign up for the electoral register, the CNE has closed the process, seeing non-registered voters reduced to 3.5% of the population. President Hugo Chavez also approved financial resources for the upcoming elections, as well as extra resources for state governments and for housing.

Venezuelan Communist Party Warns of Opposition Destabilisation Plans, Possible Foreign Intervention

Apr 5th 2012

Pedro Eusse (centre) of Venezuela’s Communist Party warned of opposition plans to destabilise the government in the wake of th

The National Secretary of Venezuela’s Communist Party, Pedro Eusse, has warned that the opposition coalition, the Roundtable of Democratic Unity (MUD), is laying the foundations to dispute the results of this year’s presidential elections in October, as well as to possibly incite violence.

Venezuela’s Electoral Body Officially Sets Dates of 2012 National Elections

Mar 30th 2012

Venezuela’s National Electoral Council (RNV).

Venezuela’s National Electoral Council (CNE) has made official the dates for the national elections to be held in the country later this year, while calling on all candidates to make a public commitment to recognise the results.

Venezuela’s Chavez Warns of Plot against Opposition Candidate

Mar 21st 2012

Opposition presidential candidate Henrique Capriles Radonski (AVN)

President Hugo Chavez announced last night that “external groups or sectors” were planning an attempt on the life of Henrique Capriles Radonski, the opposition’s presidential candidate and current governor of Miranda state.

Venezuela’s Social Movements Condemn Private Media’s Attempts to Provoke Violence

Mar 13th 2012

Members of the neighbourhood’s collectives protested outside of Globovision headquarters last Saturday evening (Aporrea)

Over 53 social collectives from the Caracas neighbourhood, 23 Enero (23 January) have protested against what they describe as a corporate media attempt to generate violence in the area, after media outlets such as Ultimas Noticias and Globovision reported that there was a “war” between revolutionary groups in the working class neighbourhood.

Venezuela’s Supreme Court Fines Opposition Electoral Committee

Feb 27th 2012

The coordinator of MUD’s primary elections, Teresa Albanez, has been fined over 15,000 bolivars by the country’s Supreme Cou

The president of the Venezuelan opposition’s electoral committee has been fined for violating a court order halting the destruction of electoral material following the opposition’s primaries earlier this month.

Venezuela’s Chavez News of Second Operation Provokes Opposition and Press Rumours

Feb 22nd 2012

President Hugo Chavez will go to Cuba for the operation (archive).

Yesterday Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez announced that he would require another operation, this time to extract a lesion from the pelvic region of his body. Opposition spokespeople and international press have speculated about the seriousness of the surgery, suggesting “uncertainty” before the presidential elections.

Chavez: Opposition Candidate Is Going to Have to Confront Me with Ideas

Feb 17th 2012

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez (AVN)

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez called on opposition presidential candidate Henrique Capriles Radonski to start debating ideas with him “or to run away,” as he set his tone toward his opponent in October’s presidential elections.

New Poll Reveals Majority Support for Socialism in Venezuela

Feb 17th 2012

The International Consulting Services (ICS) poll revealed that if the presidential elections were held tomorrow in Venezuela, 58

A January study by polling firm International Consulting Services (ICS) has shown that 53% of Venezuelans think that the kind of socialism promoted by the current president Hugo Chavez is a political and economic system that guarantees the development of the country. Meanwhile, the same polling organisation found if the 7 October presidential elections were held tomorrow Chavez would be re-elected with 58.2% of the vote.

Venezuelan Workers Organise, Draft Proposals for New Labour Law

Feb 2nd 2012

A banner from the National Union of Workers (UNT), demanding: “New Revolutionary Labour Law Now! Vital Instrument for the Work

The reduction of the working day to a maximum of 7 hours, eliminating subcontracted work and increasing maternity leave to a period of 5 months are some of the proposals which have been put forward by thousands of workers across Venezuela in an effort to write the country’s new Labour Law, said President of the Socialist Bolivarian Workers’ Central, Will Rangel on Monday.

Great Patriotic Pole to Construct New Hegemony within Bolivarian Revolution

Jan 31st 2012

Picture caption: The GPP "patriotic assemblies" will take place throughout the country until March (AVN)

The purpose of the recently formed Great Patriotic Pole (GPP) will be to establish a “new hegemony” within the Bolivarian revolution, said the Vice-president of the United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV), Francisco Arias Cardenas this past Saturday.