[Znet's Justin Podur on the context of the recent release of the Colombian FARC hostages Clara
Rojas and Consuelo Gonzalez and what Chavez was, and is, probably
trying to achieve with his involvement in the negotiations.]
[Pascual Serrano reports on the NGO Latinobarómetro's annual poll surveying the development of democracies, economies, and societies in Latin America, which shows that Venezuelans view their economy and democracy more positively than other Latin Americans. For a Spanish version of this article click here.]
[The following post on the Media Lens message board takes issue with the BBC's Venezuela correspondent James Ingham's reporting on last week's proposal by Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez and Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega that Latin American
countries form a joint military force to defend against outside intervention. For the post's author, the BBC "again refers to Chavez with
the now obligatory prefix, the 'vehemently anti-US leader'. The effect
is to caricature him and predispose people against taking him
seriously." The post also argues that "you'd never hear Bush described as
a 'vehemently anti-Venezuelan leader', even though the description is
far more appropriate in his case." To read James Ingham's BBC article click here.]
[Letting the grassroots lead is the only way forward from referendum defeat, says Reinaldo Iturriza Lopez. For a Spanish version of this article click here. This article is one of two included in the February/March 2008 issue of Red Pepper magazine that analyses the prospects for the Bolivarian process following the narrow defeat of President Hugo Chávez’s constitutional reform proposals in December’s referendum.]
[Venezuelanalysis.com's Chris Carlson reports on last week's proposal by Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez and Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega that Latin American
countries form a joint military force to defend against outside intervention.] Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez and Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega
during the inauguration of a corn processing plant on Sunday. Credit: LA
PRENSA
[Venezuelanalysis.com's Kiraz Janicke reports on the 6th Summit of the Bolivarian Alternative for Latin America (ALBA), held last week in Venezuela. The summit concluded with the founding of a new Bank of
ALBA and the signing of a series of economic and social agreements
between the member nations. Dominica also became the latest country
to join the regional fair trade bloc.] Conclusion of the ALBA Summit in Caracas. Credit: Telesur
[Writing in the New Statesman, Venezuela-based economic advisor and analyst, Stephanie Blankenburg, argues that unless pro-Chávez candidates win the regional and municipal
elections scheduled for November 2008, Venezuela might well have a new
president before the year is out.]
[Venezuelanalysis.com's Michael Fox reports an unprecedented 2-day long grassroots assembly held last weekend in the Southern Caracas barrio of El Valle. At the assembly hundreds of representatives of Venezuela's grassroots social movements
hashed
out plans for the formation of the Revolutionary Grassroots Front of
the South - a new united movement through which they hope to combat the
growing bureaucracy within the Chavez government, and to push their own
grassroots agenda.] Grassroots leaders meet in El Valle to discuss a unitary platform. Credit: Michael Fox
[Venezuelanalysis.com's Kiraz Janicke reports on statements made by Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez on Sunday in which he compared his Colombian counterpart
Alvaro Uribe to a Mafia boss and accused him of being a "sad pawn of US
imperialism". Chavez's statements followed what he called a "Colombian media
offensive" and the recent visit of top US authorities to Colombia.]
[The Oil Wars blog argues that a video showing recent moves by Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez to pay close attention to his supporters' complaints show the best and worst of Chavez. The blog argues that after watching the videos it is easy to understand why Chavez is loved by millions, but also to see why Chavez's entire project is likely to end in failure.]
