Red Pepper's Venezuela Blog

It´s My Party, and I´ll Cry If I Want to": Chavez Moves Forward

[Michael Lebowitz, author of Build It Now: Socialism for the Twenty-First Century, argues that while there may have been plenty of sad faces at a meeting last Friday where Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez called on his followers to dissolve their existing parties and to form a new “United Socialist Party of Venezuela”, this was an occasion for celebration. --Ed]

Chavez Calls for United Socialist Party of Venezuela

[Venezuelanalysis.com's editor Greg Wilpert reports on the call by Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez to his followers to dissolve their existing parties and to form a new “United Socialist Party of Venezuela.” Chavez also explained that the main project for the next term is to “construct socialism from below,” via this new party. To view the speech where Chavez made the call click here. --Ed]

Plans B, C and D: Contingency and Counter-Contingency in Venezuela

[Writing for Counterpunch, George Ciccariello-Maher argues that weeks and months of straightforward campaign rhetoric and poll results has given way to a more sinister tone, as the discussion has shifted away from the voting process on December 3rd and toward what will be done on December 4th. --Ed]

Associated Press Poll Shows Chavez With Strong Lead

[Associated Press' Ian James reports on the results of an AP commissioned poll that shows that the strong majority of Venezuelans plan to cast their ballots for President Hugo Chavez on the December 3rd presidential election. About 59 percent of likely voters said they would vote for Chavez for a third term, while 27 percent said they would support opposition candidate Manuel Rosales. --Ed]

A woman embroiders in a workshop, where workers manufacture t-shirts which will be used during Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez's re-election campaign, in a state-run development project in Caracas November 24, 2006. The t-shirt reads, 'Venezuela now belongs to all'. Credit: Francesco Spotorno/Reuters

Letter From Venezuela: The Land of Chavismo

[In the article below for the US magazine The Nation, Chesa Boudin, author of The Venezuelan Revolution: 100 Questions-100 Answers, argues that as Venezuelans prepare to go to the polls on December 3rd, expectations are that President Hugo Chávez will easily win re-election, thanks to his wide base of support among the country's poor and marginalised majority.  --Ed]

Another Coup In The Making in Venezuela?

[Below is an article from Chris Carlsson for the Gringo in Venezuela blog which reports  on how sectors opposed to the Chavez government are setting the stage for a possible coup in Venezuela following the December 3rd presidential elections. Carlsson provides a link to a You Tube video of a prominent anti-government journalist, Rafael Poleo, outlining a "plan" for the days surrounding the elections which includes a call to the high military command, in the words of Poleo, to "decide if it is going to continue forcing the Venezuelan opposition to put up with an embarrassing regime." The Oil Wars blog also comments on this possible coup plan. --Ed]

A wall with graffiti, referring to the 2002 coup attempt where Chavez was briefly removed from power, which says, "If they dare like they did on the 11th, we'll come out like we did on the 13th."

Poll Gives Venezuela's Chavez 22-Point Lead Ahead of Presidential Vote

[The AP article below reports on a recent poll by U.S.-based pollster Evans/McDonough Company and Venezuelan company Consultores 30.11 which gives Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez a 22-point lead over his leading rival, with less than a month until the Venezuelan presidential elections. --Ed]

Look Who’s a Populist Now: Chavez vs. Rosales

[The following post from the Oil Wars blog takes a critical look at the electoral platform of Manuel Rosales, the opposition candidate in December's presidential election. --Ed] 

Venezuelan Government Announces Offensive Against Paramilitaries

[The following article below by Jim McIlroy and Coral Wynter for the Australian weekly newspaper Green Left Weekly reports on the recent announcement by the government of an offensive against paramilitary groups operating in the country. --Ed]

Venezuela’s Chavez Announces Single “Revolutionary” Party for 2007

[In the article below venezuelanalysis' Michael Fox reports on the proposal made by President Hugo Chavez to form a single united political party of the “Bolivarian Revolution”. The proposal was made during a massive rally held on Saturday in Caracas to swear in Chavez’s electoral campaign workers. To view a short clip of the rally in Spanish click here. --Ed]

Thousands of pro-government marchers rally in Venezuela's capital Caracas on Saturday, Sep. 9, 2006, to hear President Hugo Chavez swear in his electoral campaign workers in advance of December's presidential elections. Credit: ABN