Venezuela
the next steps

Monday 12th May 7pm

Carrs Lane Church Centre
Birmingham B4 7SX

Dr Carolus Wimmer
Vice-President Latin-American Parliament
Head of the International Bureau
Communist Party of Venezuela (PCV)

Carrs Lane Church Centre

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Editor's Comment: We add one important fact in support of the authors' defense of the FARC as a geo-political body that has nothing to do with terrorism. On December 13, 2007, a court in Denmark rendered the first European decision declaring that FARC is not a terrorist organization. Quoting from an Axis of Logic report on that day:

"FARC and PFLP, said the court, were not engaged in 'terrorizing the population,' as is required in Danish law, paragraph 114, to be classified as terrorist, nor was their intent to 'destabilize or destroy the land’s basic, political, constitutional, economic or societal structures'."

This legal decision flies in the face of the listing of FARC as a terrorist organization by the European Union who do so in collusion with the United States. The analysis of J. Brittain and R. James Sacouman, reported below provides a comprehensive defense of FARC as a revolutionary entity within the confines of a single country, Colombia. Quoting US Attorney Paul Wolf, from the Brittain-Sacouman article below:

"Members of the FARC-EP are therefore entitled to the rights of belligerents under international law … there is no rule of international law prohibiting revolution, and, if a revolution succeeds, there is nothing in international law prohibiting the acceptance of the outcome, even though it was achieved by force."

- Les Blough, Editor

Uribe’s Colombia is Destabilizing a New Latin America: A Response to the Murder of FARC Commander Raúl Reyes in Ecuador
By James J. Brittain and R. James Sacouman

A few weeks after the Ecuadorian and Venezuelan state called on the Colombian government to respect the need for peace and negotiation with the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia-People’s Army (FARC-EP), the administration of President Álvaro Uribe Vélez supported an extensive armed air and land assault against the insurgency movement—not within Colombia’s borders, but rather on the sovereign territory of Ecuadorian soil. On March 1, 2008, the Colombian state, under the leadership of Uribe, Vice-President Francisco Santos Calderón, and his cousin Defence Minister Juan Manuel Santos, illegally deployed a military campaign within Ecuador, which resulted in the deaths of Raúl Reyes, Julian Conrado, and fifteen other combatants associated with the FARC-EP. Such actions are a clear display of the US-backed-Colombian state’s open negation of international codes of conduct, law and social justice.

The actions of March 1 took place days before a major international demonstration scheduled for March 6. Promoted by The National Movement of Victims of State-Sponsored Crimes (MOVICE), the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC), and countless social justice-based organizations, March 6 has been set as an international day of protest against those tortured, murdered and disappeared by the Colombian state, their allies within the paramilitary United Self-Defence Forces of Colombia (AUC) and the newly-reformed Black Eagles. Recently, President Uribe’s top political adviser, José Obdulio Gaviria, proclaimed that the protest and protesters should be criminalized. In addition, paramilitaries in the southwestern department of Nariño—not far from where the illegal incursions were carried out in Ecuador—have threatened to attack any organization or person associated with the protest activities.

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We are now recruiting for our 2008 tour of Venezuela over May Day.

This is the latest in our highly successful tours where we have catered for numerous trade unionists and others. Please email us. Only 3 places left – Email VSC for full details.

Visit Venezuela and meet with participants in the Revolution changing the world.

Venezuela, under Chavez, has:

Introduced free health and education for all
Discounted foods and medicines
Provided discounted heating oil
Eliminated Illiteracy
Redistributed land to 100,000s
Increased endogenous food production aiming for
Self-Sufficiency

The Bolivarian Revolution within Venezuela has emerged from enormous struggles over recent years.

They have welcomed expressions of international solidarity and encourage people to visit Venezuela and learn first-hand about their struggles and successes.

On a VSC tour you will meet leaders in the revolution among people in the barrios, small towns, missions and in government. Introduced to "real Venezuelans" who are empowered - people who govern themselves through participatory democracy, unlike anywhere in the world.

Witness for yourself the foreshadowing of this social and political renaissance of the 21st Century.

Normally, visitors from Britain face language difficulties in Spanish-speaking Venezuela. Our interpreters speak superb English and Spanish. They also have excellent relationships inside the government, unions and progressive organisations and a depth of understanding of the Bolivarian Revolution and of Venezuelan history that is unsurpassed.

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HAVANA, Dec. 22 (Xinhua) -- The 4th summit of Petrocaribe, an initiative created by Venezuela to supply oil to Caribbean neighbors at preferential prices, has been used by President Hugo Chavez as another counterweight to U.S. influence in the region, analysts said on Saturday.

    At the summit in Cuba's southern coastal city of Cienfuegos, Chavez won considerable success in rallying around Caribbean neighbors and Central American nations and further consolidating the Petrocaribe pact, they said.

    At the one-day summit on Friday, Chavez proposed a barter scheme to allow Caribbean countries to pay their oil bills with products and services and urged construction of more oil refineries in the Caribbean countries to process Venezuelan oils that would otherwise be sold to the United States.

    He also suggested setting up foundations to help the Caribbean countries develop the solar, geothermal and wind energy and other alternative energy sources.

    Chavez initiated Petrocaribe, a regional energy organization comprising 17 Central American and Caribbean countries, at an energy meeting of the Caribbean nations in La Cruz, Venezuela, in June 2005, with the aim of supplying oil and oil products to Caribbean neighbors at preferential prices.

Petrocaribe boosts Venezuela's clout on oil markets

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By James Petras* - Exclusive!
Dec 4, 2007, 15:57

Venezuela’s constitutional reforms supporting President Chavez’s socialist project were defeated by the narrowest of margins: 1.4% of 9 million voters.  The result however was severely compromised by the fact that 45% of the electorate abstained, meaning that only 28% of the electorate voted against the progressive changes proposed by President Chavez.  While the vote was a blow to Venezuela’s attempt to extricate itself from oil dependence and capitalist control over strategic financial and productive sectors, it does no change the 80% majority in the legislature nor does it weaken the prerogatives of the Executive branch.  Nevertheless, the Right’s marginal win does provide a semblance of power, influence and momentum to their efforts to derail President Chavez’ socio-economic reforms and to oust his government and/or force him to reconcile with the old elite power brokers.

Internal deliberations and debates have already begun within the Chavista movement and among the disparate oppositional groups.  One fact certain to be subject to debate is why the over 3 million voters who cast their ballots for Chavez in the 2006 election (where he won 63% of the vote) did not vote in the referendum.  The Right only increased their voters by 300,000 votes; even assuming that these votes were from disgruntled Chavez voters and not from activated right-wing middle class voters that leaves out over 2.7 million Chavez voters who abstained.

Diagnosis of the Defeat

Whenever the issue of a socialist transformation is put at the top of a governmental agenda, as Chavez did in these constitutional changes, all the forces of right-wing reaction and their (‘progressive’) middle class followers unite forces and forget their usual partisan bickering.  Chavez’ popular supporters and organizers faced a vast array of adversaries each with powerful levers of power. 

Venezuelan Referendum: A Post-Mortem and its Aftermath

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(Revised) By Les Blough in Caracas
Dec 2, 2007, 21:20

The final report by the CNE (Consejo Nacional Electoral) of the vote on the Constitutional Reforms were reported one minute ago. The reforms lost with 88% of the ballots counted.

The referendum was broken into 2 parts for the voter, Block A and Block B. Originally, it was to be presented to the voter for a single vote. However, the opposition wanted it separated into 2 blocks and Chavez' surprised them with his agreement. 

Chavez' 33 articles slated for reform and 11 additional articles proposed by the National Assembly were contained in Block A. 25 additional articles from the National Assembly were contained in Block B. 

Block "A" of the proposal was defeated with 4,504,354 or 50.7% votes against and 4,379,392 or 49.3% of votes in favor of the reform.

Block "B" lost 50.9% to 49.1%.

Abstention was at 44.1%.

Among the many important things that can be said about these results, one will be heard around the world:

The Democracy in Venezuela is the purest form of democracy in the world. All the claims of fraud in Venezuela's electoral process in the past by the Opposition, Washington and their Corporate Media are unfounded and false.

Currently (Sunday night), President Chavez is addressing the nation at Miraflores citing his respect for the integrity of the CNE and calling for all people in Venezuela to respect the constitution, the CNE and the law.

Chavez: "Esta no es una dictadora. Es una Democracia."

We will report more on the aftermath of these results in the near future.

Les Blough in Caracas

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November 28th 2007, by Eva Golinger

Last night CNN en Español aired the above image, which captions at the bottom "Who Killed him?" by "accident". The image of President Chavez with the caption about killing him below, which some could say subliminally incites to assassination, was a "production error" mistakenly made in the CNN en Español newsroom. The news anchor had been narrarating a story about the situation between Colombia and Venezuela and then switched to a story about an unsolved homicide but - oops - someone forgot to change the screen image and President Chavez was left with the killing statement below. Today they apologized and admitted it was a rather "unfortunate" and "regrettable" mistake. Yes, it was.

On a scarier note, an internal CIA memorandum has been obtained by Venezuelan counterintelligence from the US Embassy in Caracas that reveals a very sinister - almost fantastical, were it not true - plan to destabilize Venezuela during the coming days. The plan, titled "OPERATION PLIERS" was authored by CIA Officer Michael Middleton Steere and was addressed to CIA Director General Michael Hayden in Washington. Steere is stationed at the US Embassy in Caracas under the guise of a Regional Affairs Officer. The internal memorandum, dated November 20, 2007, references the "Advances of the Final Stage of Operation Pliers", and confirms that the operation is coordinated by the team of Human Intelligence (HUMINT) in Venezuela. The memo summarizes the different scenarios that the CIA has been working on in Venezuela for the upcoming referendum vote on December 2nd. The Electoral Scenario, as it's phrased, confirms that the voting tendencies will not change substantially before Sunday, December 2nd, and that the SI (YES) vote in favor of the constitutional reform has an advantage of about 10-13 points over the NO vote. The CIA estimates abstention around 60% and states in the memo that this voting tendency is irreversible before the elections.

Officer Steere emphasizes the importance and success of the public relations and propaganda campaign that the CIA has been funding with more than $8 million during the past month - funds that the CIA confirms are transfered through the USAID contracted company, Development Alternatives, Inc., which set up operations in June 2002 to run the USAID Office for Transition Initiatives that funds and advises opposition NGOs and political parties in Venezuela. The CIA memo specifically refers to these propaganda initiatives as "psychological operations" (PSYOPS), that include contracting polling companies to create fraudulent polls that show the NO vote with an advantage over the SI vote, which is false. The CIA also confirms in the memo that it is working with international press agencies to distort the data and information about the referendum, and that it coordinates in Venezuela with a team of journalists and media organized and directed by the President of Globovision, Alberto Federico Ravell.

CIA Operation "Pliers" Uncovered in Venezuela

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John McDonnell has written an Early Day Motion (EDM) supporting Venezuela. Please check to see if your MP has signed and if not, then ask them to. Feel free to copy any correspondence to VSC.

That this House notes the advances made by the Venezuelan people since the election of President Chávez in 1998, particularly in the fields of healthcare, education, land reform and redistribution of wealth;

further notes that the groundwork for these advances was laid by the adoption of the 1999 constitution, the contents of which were ratified by referendum after an intense national debate; applauds President Chávez and his government for seeking to reform this constitution in an open and democratic way, with the maximum involvement of the Venezuelan people;

condemns any interference with this peaceful and democratic process in the lead-up to a referendum on 2nd December, particularly from the country's old elite and their allies in the US Administration; and calls on the Prime Minister and Foreign Secretary to pledge their support for the progressive initatives of President Chávez's government and attempt to improve diplomatic relations, which deteriorated rapidly after the UK Government's tacit support of the failed 2002 coup.

Go to They Work for You to identify your own MP and write to them.

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TO LAUNCH THE 2ND COUP D’ETAT in THE BOLIVARIAN REPUBLIC OF VENEZUELA

By Arturo Rosales in Valencia and Ramon Santiago in Maracay. Axis of Logic Exclusive!
Nov 10, 2007, 16:40Editor’s Note: My two correspondents in Venezuela provided me with the following report based upon their meetings with government officials earlier today.  -LMB

14 DEPUTIES IN NATIONAL ASSEMBLY COME OUT AGAINST THE GOVERNMENT

14 deputies are expected to go to the opposition side in the National Assembly between now and the December 2nd National Referendum to approve the constitutional reforms.

3 LEADERS, FORMERLY LOYAL TO CHAVEZ COME OUT AGAINST HIM

After ex-General and former Defense Minister, Raul Baduel came out against the constitutional reforms earlier this week, the Attorney General, Isaias Rodriguez and Comptroller General of the Republic, Cloudosbaldo Russian are expected to publicly pronounce their opposition to the Constitutional Reform proposals. Such traitorous actions will weaken the cohesive authority of the State and hence Central Government.

VENEZUELAN MILITARY PENETRATED

Raul Isaias Baduel, former Four Star General and Minister of Defense shocked the population when he came out against constitutional reforms last Monday, November 5, and is now working hand-in-glove with Podemos (political party now firmly in the opposition camp). Baduel has now joined forces with Ismael Garcia (General Secretary of Podemos) who consistently opposed the constitutional reforms alleging that they would constitute a single political line of thought in Venezuela. His position clashes with the pluralistic, democratic Articles 1 and 2 of the 1999 Constitution, so prized by the people. Plans have already been laid to launch candidates for mayors and governors in the 2008 local elections. This would be the new opposition to Chavez were it to succeed.

FASCIST CONSPIRACY, FUELED BY U.S. TAX DOLLARS

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By Jesús Moreno, Caracas; Translated for Axis of Logic by Iris Buehler* Tlaxcala. Revised by Les Blough
Oct 26, 2007

Editor's Comment: In recent weeks we have been watching Venezuelan students gathering iin Caracas for noisy protests against the Constitutional Reform slated for a vote on December 2nd. Two days ago they marched to the National Assembly where they presented a paper documenting their rejection of the reforms. While they performed loudly, the demonstration was carried out without violence. The police and national guard quietly provided security on the perimeter of the crowd without any intrusion into the crowd and without any form of suppression. All of this stands in stark contrast to the many anti-war demonstrations in the U.S. where police brutality and oppression of free speech are commonplace. The participants in these protests are primarily drawn from upper middle class and upper class students who otherwise benefit enormously from the Chávez administration. In an Axis of Logic interview yesterday, Venezuelan journalist Arturo Rosales stated, "These are the people who would have been leaders in government had it not been for the defeat of the U.S.-backed oligarchy in the nonviolent, democratic Bolivarian Revolution.

These Constitutional Reforms have been debated and considered in many open, public meetings throughout Venezuela for months with full participation by the people, members of all political parties and the Deputies from the National Assembly, consistent with Venezuela's existing democratic constitution. The student protests are broadcast and magnified on a daily basis on Globo-Vision and other anti-government television stations and print media. Meanwhile, authorities have informed us that the people will respond with a massive pro-government demonstration that will dwarf the few hundred students this Sunday in Caracas. Over a million people are expected in this pro-government march and demonstration but we can rest assured that the anti-government media here and in the U.S. will provide little to no coverage of events.

Go-ahead for sabotage operations against constitutional reform in Venezuela

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VSC presents Banner Theatre
singing

Venezuela

The following article was published on the BBC web site as a "novel" piece to entertain its readers:

Venezuela serves up record stew

Venezuelan chefs have broken the record for the biggest stew in the world, which was enough to feed 70,000 people.

It took 100 people to help prepare the dish, known as a sancocho, on the streets of the capital, Caracas.

The cooks worked on specially-built stoves, throwing in 7,000kg (15,340lb) of vegetables and 5,000kg of meat and chicken to make 15,000 litres of stew.

Guinness World Records officials monitored the record attempt, which was promoted by Venezuela's food ministry.

World records in Venezuela but media hypocrisy and omission still rule

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http://www2.minci.gob.ve/noticiaingles.asp?num=1205

August 20, 2007

Venezuela’s children and youth orchestras became a role model and their model is applied not only in Latin American countries, but also in Great Britain according to Simón Bolívar Youth Orchestra’s Sub-director, Valdemar Rodríguez.

The Venezuelan musician explained that the fate of thousand low-income young Venezuelans has changed thanks to Venezuela’s National System of Children and Youth Orchestras.

Such System of Orchestras was established in 1975 by Venezuelan composer José Antonio Abreu, who saw classic music as an alternative to fight drugs and delinquency in poor communities of Caracas, Venezuela’s capital city.

Rodríguez, who traveled to London with the Simón Bolívar Youth Orchestra, which charmed the audience at the Proms Festival, together with its young director Gustavo Dudamel, stressed that “this experience does not only include Venezuela.”

He highlighted that the System, involving 250,000 young Venezuelans, is been applied as an example in the international sphere.

This Venezuelan social and artistic initiative is inspiring other experiences in many Latin American countries such as Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Colombia, Bolivia, Peru and Ecuador, where dozens of youth orchestras have been created.

Valdemar Rodríguez highlighted that this model is being exported to Europe. Likewise, he confirmed that a project has recently been launched in Scotland in order to rescue hundreds of young people with music.


Bolivarian News Agency (ABN)

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