While the shortages and long-lines are creating serious inconveniences and undeniable burdens on most Venezuelans, beyond the frustration, the voices of grassroots Venezuelans are getting lost beneath negative predictions of macroeconomic collapse. In this oral history collage, members of the Venezuelan grassroots and popular movements speak for themselves about the roots of the economic war, their strategies in the face of it, and the solutions that they propose.
VA.com publishes this open letter by a number of scholars and activists who warn about recent judicial attacks on commune activists in Venezuela, and encourage support for the country’s commune movement.
By Rachael Boothroyd- TeleSUR English, Nov 26th 2014
Telesur’s Rachael Boothroyd interviews vanguard activists who dedicated their lives to the struggle for democracy during the era that preceded Hugo Chavez. Their testimonies recall aerial bombardments and routine disappearances of students and activists, while their actions today highlight the importance of preserving collective memory.
By Z.C. Dutka / various - Venezuealanalysis.com, Nov 5th 2014
Early last month, five men were shot dead in a high-rise building at the center of Caracas during an early morning standoff between special intelligence police (CICPC) and armed members of revolutionary collectives. While the circumstances leading up to the event are still unclear, the so-called Quinta Crespo Massacre created a ripple effect within the Venezuelan left that quickly highlighted a growing rift between the revolutionary left and the Bolivarian government.
By Gonzalo Gomez / Vaness Davies - Union Radio, Oct 27th 2014
In this interview, Gonzalo Gómez, founder of leftist Venezuelan website Aporrea.org and militant of Marea Socialista (Socialist Tide) criticizes the PSUV for stifling political debates. He also expresses regret for participating in a debating panel with members of the right-wing opposition, and defends Aporrea from claims that it is financed by the CIA.
By George Ciccariello-Maher - Jacobin , Oct 23rd 2014
If recent years have marked not the establishment of a socialist country but the appearance of the poor in the public life of the nation, then it is clear that some nostalgically wish that they would once again disappear, retreat into the shadows, or be compelled to withdraw.
Reinaldo Iturriza was iconic as Communes Minister, and has long been an important revolutionary voice within the government. Yesterday, as per Nicolas Maduro's cabinet "shakeup", Iturriza was reappointed as Minister of Culture. This discerning look at the place communes hold within the Bolivarian process, written only hours before that switch, stands as a testament to his efforts in that area.
By Federico Fuentes - Green Left Weekly, Jul 30th 2014
One of the most important public debates over the future of Venezuela's revolutionary process has opened up after the publication of a document by recently ousted planning minister Jorge Giordani.
By Arlene Eisen - Venezuelanalysis.com, Jul 30th 2014
At the local level, a movement of communal justice is gradually spreading an alternative to the traditional adversarial court system to settle civil disputes.
By Arlene Eisen - Venezuelanalysis.com, Jun 21st 2014
On June 7, President Maduro issued a call to each grassroots unit of the United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV) to submit 10 concrete proposals for ways to improve how the Bolivarian government functions. In response, throughout Venezuela, local units of PSUV militants, known as Battle Units Bolivar-Chavez (UBCh), devoted their weekly meetings to lively debates analyzing political problems and attempting to reach consensus on solutions.
By Dada Maheshvarananda – Prout Institute, May 16th 2014
On only 3.5 hectares (8 acres) of fertile land near San José de Barlovento in the state of Miranda, a two-hour drive from Caracas, this holistic farm integrates fruit trees, vegetables, medicinal plants, bee-keeping, fish ponds, egg-laying chickens, worm production and a commercial guava nursery.
These interviews reflect what is at stake for Venezuela’s working classes as destabilisation attempts continue and international concern mounts. The significant achievement of the Bolivarian Revolution is in progressive legislation and in writing new national narratives, oriented to reflect the concerns and stories of the previously excluded.
Venezuelan social movement activist Arlenys Espinal argues that the current opposition offensive should be combated by grassroots organizing rather than giving “triumphalist” support to the government.
