By Rachael Boothroyd - Venezuelanalysis.com, Feb 1st 2012
Even in a regulated economy such as Venezuela, financial traders and the commercial elite, the same bourgeoisie which Carroll continues to cite as a reliable source on all things Venezuelan at the expense of engaging with ordinary citizens, have found a way of speculating and exploiting the economic situation whilst giving the proverbial finger to the majority of Venezuelans and the national government.
Since the early days of the presidency, the adversarial position of the media, both within Venezuela and abroad, has evolved to become less overt. Reference is no longer made to a 'dictatorship'; it seems that this battle has, for the most part, been lost. Instead, we now see an apparent balance which presents the views of both supporters and opponents...
By Hugh O'Shaughnessy, The Guardian UK, Jan 12th 2012
The arrival of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in the Venezuelan capital Caracas on Sunday was an interesting but minor item in the process of what has become known as "south-south relations". It will strengthen western myth-makers – the same ones who brought us Saddam Hussein's weapons of mass destruction – on the story of Venezuela as a modern day Cave of the 40 Thieves with Hugo Chávez cast as the wicked and wily Ali Baba.
"One of the most visible, vocal and controversial leaders in Latin America" (according to the BBC), Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez receives much attention from the British media. Frequent news reports, alluding to government 'attacks' on democracy and press freedom, and discussing the nationalisation of assets, create an impression of a 'regime' which asserts too much power.
Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez has condemned the United States’ decision to expel the Venezuelan consul general in Miami as “arbitrary and unjustified” this past Monday, and derided the move as “another demonstration of the arrogance of ridiculous imperialism”.
By Correo del Orinoco International, Dec 16th 2011
This week Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez called on friends and allies to “be attentive” after mainstream media outlets in the United States released uncorroborated evidence accusing Venezuela, Cuba, and Iran of holding “secret meetings” in Mexico to plan terrorist attacks against “US interests”.
“2012 is going to be a decisive year. There will be various elections, including the presidential elections in October. That means that the manipulations, lies, and distortions by both Venezuelan and international private media will be even more intense than usual,” said VA writer Tamara Pearson.
By Correo del Orinoco International , Oct 30th 2011
Corporate media networks and their owners in the Americas issued fresh attacks against Venezuela last week during a meeting of the US-based Inter-American Press Association (IAPA).
By Jorge Martín - In Defence of Marxism, Aug 26th 2011
While I was in Venezuela a number of comrades asked me about some manifesto against “Chavez's attacks on trade union rights” and also about the controversy over a letter Noam Chomsky had signed which the bourgeois media had used in their campaign in defence of “human rights” in Venezuela.
In this open letter to The Economist, Venezuela's Mario Silva responds to a recently published article that included numerous personal and professional attacks on Silva's work as a leftist political commentator and news analyst.
