Red Pepper's Venezuela Blog

Without Workers Management There Can Be No Socialism

[Venezuelanalysis.com's Kiraz Janicke reports on a two day conference on Worker's Management: Theory and Practice, as part of a program, "Human Development and Transformative Praxis," run by Canadian Marxist academic Michael Lebowitz at the International Miranda Center in Caracas.]
A worker at the worker-controlled Inveval factory, an hour east of Caracas in the satellite town of Carrizal, state of Miranda. January 2006. Credit: Gustavo Marcano.

Venezuela and Europe: Towards a Different Kind of Politics

[Venezuelanalysis.com's Liza Figueroa-Clark and Pablo Navarrete interview Rodrigo Chaves, Venezuela's former Vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs for Europe, during a June visit by Chaves to Europe.]
Former Vice-minister of Foreign Affairs for Europe, Rodrigo Chaves

The Gender Agenda of the Pink Tide in Latin America

[With the election of leftist leaders in many parts of Latin America, the subject of women seems to be coming up more frequently in public discourse. Sujatha Fernandes asks what the impact is of this increased visibility on the lives and opportunities of women from diverse class and racial backgrounds? How do the more left wing and radical leaders differ from moderate leaders of the pink tide in their approach to issues of women’s rights?]

Rosa Mendoza, left, and Paula Lopez, right, two members of the Las Arañitas textile cooperative in San Felipe, state of Yaracuy, at MINEP's 4th School Fair for Popular Economy held in Caracas, Venezuela, Sep. 17, 2006. Credit: Pablo Navarrete   

Revised Venezuelan Constitutional Reform Proposal Presented to Legislature

[Venezuelanalysis.com's Michael Fox reports on the Extraordinary Session held on Monday by   Venezuela's National Assembly to present the findings of the Commission tasked to review the Constitutional Reform Proposal. Towards the end of the public event a scuffle broke out between opposition supporters and Chavez supporters.] 

Cuba and Venezuela Deepen Alliance with More Accords

[Venezuelanalysis.com's Chris Carlson reports on this week's signing of several bilateral economic agreements between Cuba and Venezuela. Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez and Cuban leader Raul Castro met in Havana on Monday to discuss a number of joint projects as  part of the Bolivarian Alternative for the Americas (ALBA), and President Chavez proposed a future joining of the two countries into a confederation.] 

Party Disciplinarians: The Threat to Dissidence and Democracy in the United Socialist Party of Venezuela

[For Edgardo Lander, a Professor of Social Studies at Caracas' Central University, the establishment of a disciplinary tribunal in Chavez’s new socialist party before it even has statutes and structures is a worrying sign for those committed to radical democracy in Venezuela. Click here to view a Spanish version of this article.]

President Chavez Swears-In PSUV Spokespersons

[Venezuelanalysis.com's Chris Carlson reports on Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez's swearing in of more than 14,000 spokespersons for the new United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV) in Caracas last week.]
Thousands of PSUV spokespersons meet in Caracas for a swearing-in ceremony. Credit: ABN 

Chavez Outlines Proposed Social and Economic Structure for Venezuelan Socialism

[Venezuelanalysis.com's Chris Carlson reports on the recent statements by Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez regarding his conceptions of how his constitutional reform proposal would change the political and territorial organisation of the country and provide more political power to community organisations.]

Chavez Views Presidency As Epic Struggle

[AP's Ian James spends a day driving across the plains of Venezuela with Hugo Chavez. For  James, underneath the fiery persona is a man who both firmly believes in his vision and is shrewd enough to know how to sell it. Chavez sees the world in black and white and casts himself as crusader, a role that is at once genuine and expedient. He truly empathises with the common people of Venezuela, but it is also vital for him to hear their cheers, be their hero and feel the power.]

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez's silhouette is seen as he speaks to the crowd after holding talks on energy cooperation with his Panamanian counterpart Martin Torrijos at the start of his two-day visit to Panama, June 22, 2006. Credit : Jorge Silva/Reuters

Constitutional Reform to Construct a New "Bolivarian" Democracy in Venezuela

[Venezuelanalysis.com report on last Sunday's announcement by President Hugo Chavez that his proposed reforms to the national constitution have the intention of constructing a new "Bolivarian" democracy in the country. During his Sunday TV and radio program Aló Presidente, President Chavez emphasised that increased power and participation from the people, as well as a change in the organisational structure of the country are important reforms in the construction of a new model of democracy.]