By Seumas Milne & Jonathon Watts- The Guardian, Apr 8th 2014
In an exclusive interview with the Guardian, Venezuela's president claims the Obama administration is fomenting unrest with the aim of provoking a Ukraine-style 'slow-motion' coup.
Alí Rodriguez Araque, general secretary of the Union of South American Nations (UNASUR) details the core values of the UNASUR trade bloc, noting the paradox between the extensive reserves of valuable natural resources and the 130 million living in poverty throughout represented nations. Last week UNSAUR sent a delegation to discuss recent conflict and possible resolution in petroleum-rich Venezuela- this statement provides a basis of understanding for UNSAUR's position on Venezuela and their rejection of possible U.S. sanctions.
Some days ago a meeting was held in Caracas to debate the relationships between movements and states, and how autonomy and popular power can build alternatives to development that is dependent on the extraction [of oil and minerals] model.
By Federico Fuentes – Green Left Weekly, Jul 8th 2013
With Venezuela’s inflation rate for May soaring to 6.1%, first quarter growth stagnating at 0.7%, and shortages afflicting a number of basic goods, speculation has been rife regarding the country’s economic future.
By CARLES MUNTANER, JOAN BENACH, MARIA PAEZ VICTOR - Counterpunch, Dec 20th 2012
One of the main factors for the popularity of the Chávez Government and its landslide victory in October 2012 is the reduction of poverty, made possible because the government took back control of the national petroleum company PDVSA, and has used the abundant oil revenues to build needed infrastructure and invest in the social services that Venezuelans so sorely needed.
By Yuleidys Hernandez Toledo – Ciudad CCS / CdO International , Dec 7th 2012
Building nearly a million homes, strengthening the national healthcare system, and creating productive sources of new employment are just a few of the things the national government could have done with the $20 billion dollars lost during the oil lockout launched by the Venezuelan opposition on December 2, 2002.
By Sam McGill - Revolutionary Communist Group, Oct 19th 2012
The PDVSA Gas Communal 'Ambrosio Plaza' plant in Las Guarenas, Miranda State, produces over 1,000 gas cylinders each day, contributing to guaranteeing the supply of subsidised gas for domestic use to the Venezuelan population. 90% of families use this gas for cooking and for their household needs.
By Pablo Gimenez and Revolutionary Communist Group, Oct 16th 2012
Pablo Gimenez is a Professor of political economy at the Bolivarian University of Venezuela (UBV) in Caracas. He spoke about the challenges posed by Venezuela’s oil-dependent economy and about the difficulties involved in trying to forge a new way of teaching political economy in the context of the Bolivarian Revolution.
Here, Venezuelanalysis.com translates an article from the Venezuelan News Agency (AVN) examining the circumstances before and after the tragedy that have been fuelling speculation over possible sabotage at the Amuay refinery.
By Correo del Orinoco International , Aug 31st 2012
In the aftermath of this weekend’s tragic oil refinery explosion, the Venezuelan opposition and its allies in the private media issued a series of baseless claims aimed at fomenting fears and winning over voters.
By Correo del Orinoco International , Apr 28th 2012
Venezuela was the first to express its full “support and solidarity” for Argentina as President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner decided to assert greater control over the country’s natural energy resources.
A look at the recent regional shift towards ALBA, and organisation which the author feels has become a more dynamic alternative to CARICOM. Many Caribbean countries, as neoliberalism hits hart, are also looking more towards Venezuela than the US for alliances.
Environmentalists seem to realize that they have some stake in a fight such as the Ecuador-Chevron lawsuit...But what about fights between multinational oil giants and the governments of oil-producing states over control of resources?
"We have to get out of ICSID" proclaims Hugo Chavez Frias during ´Hello, President´ on the 8th of January 2012. To understand why, let´s recap. States are sovereign. A state cannot be judged by other states or organisms, because it has jurisdictional immunity, which is inalienable. To hand that over is to loose sovereignty
Before the Bolivarian Revolution, Petróleos de Venezuela, S.A. (PDVSA) the Venezuelan state-run oil company, was completely cut off from society and its needs. The strategic guidelines of the country’s oil industry were set abroad to favour large multinationals such as Exxon and Shell, among others.
