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Venezuela

Bolivian President Not To Attend Non-Inclusive Americas Summit

Bolivia's President Luis Arce warned that he will not attend the next Summit of the Americas if the United States excludes Cuba, Nicaragua, and Venezuela. “Consistent with the Bolivian Plurinational State's principles and values, I reaffirm that a Summit of the Americas, which excludes American countries, will not be a full Summit of the Americas. If the exclusion of sister nations persists, I will not participate,” Arce tweeted. “Bolivia bases its international relations on the diplomacy of the peoples, with inclusion, solidarity, complementarity, respect for sovereignty, self-determination, and collective construction of a culture of dialogue and peace,” he added. In the past week, President Joe Biden's administration confirmed that he would not invite Cuba, Nicaragua and Venezuela because these countries "do not respect" democracy.

Venezuela And Iran Deepen Cooperation To Overcome US Sanctions

Caracas, Venezuela – Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro held a meeting with Iranian Oil Minister Javad Owji in Caracas to strengthen energy cooperation as the two oil producing countries ramp up efforts to offset US sanctions. On Monday, Maduro hosted Owji and other Iranian officials in Miraflores Palace where they held a “productive meeting" to “deepen the ties of brotherhood and cooperation [between the nations] in energy matters." In a Twitter post, the Venezuelan mandatary expressed his gratitude for Iran’s ongoing support in the Caribbean country’s struggle to recover the economy under US sanctions. President Maduro pledged “to continue advancing along the path of mutual benefit and complementarity for our peoples.”

Biden Vacillates As Venezuela’s Maduro Gains Ground

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro’s repeated calls for dialogue with the U.S. in order to normalize relations seem to be paying off. His openness to rapprochement contrasts with the Biden administration’s nebulousness regarding the degree to which Washington is willing to recognize Maduro as president (full diplomatic recognition is out of the question). Biden’s use of sanctions as a bargaining chip to wrest concessions from Caracas is a harder sell than former President Donald Trump’s regime-change narrative on the basis of the preposterous Responsibility to Protect (R2P) principle, sometimes referred to as “humanitarian intervention.” Over the last two months, the flip flops and timidity of the Biden administration have been put on full display.

On Venezuela, Only Hawkish ‘Dissent’ Allowed

Another NATO war means a media establishment in a propaganda frenzy once again. Corporate media outlets have cheered Washington for throwing fuel to the fire in Ukraine, with some demanding that the administration escalate yet more. Be it through their choice of pundits, or their own reporters haranguing White House officials for not sending enough weaponry, one thing is clear enough: Elite media will only criticize official foreign policy for not being hawkish enough. When it comes to Venezuela, corporate journalists have historically had little to criticize, given Washington’s “maximum pressure” regime-change efforts.  However, a recent unexpected trip by a high-level US delegation to Caracas to meet with Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro opened the spectrum of opinion ever so slightly.

Jump-Starting A Commune: Voices From Monte Sinaí

Monte Sinaí Commune is a young organization working hard to foster communal production and strengthen non-market social relations. This commune’s territory reaches into both Anzoátegui and Miranda states, but has its epicenter in the small town of Santa Bárbara in the Guanape Valley. Various crops, including coffee, cocoa, black beans, diverse tubers, and avocado, all grow in this lush and varied region. Since the coffee trees here are old and low in yield, the commune has built a plant nursery to grow coffee seedlings to replace the old trees. The process of forming the Monte Sinaí Commune began about a year ago. Since then, we have been working very hard. As the saying goes, we are a diamond in the rough, but the beauty of the project is beginning to show. Our parliament meets every Wednesday no matter what. That is where we bring our ideas to the table, debate, and plan.

President Maduro: Duque Plans Military Strikes In Venezuela

The president of Venezuela, Nicolás Maduro, denounced this Saturday in the framework of the V Congress of the United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV), his Colombian counterpart Iván Duque of orchestrating a plan to assassinate police and military in the Caribbean country. "Iván Duque is leaving and is desperate to harm Venezuela, he has activated plans with criminal gangs by states and infiltrating through the border, mafia groups that come to attack police and military, the Venezuelan public force", warned the president. At the same time, the Venezuelan head of state asserted that the intelligence is gathering information and is alert for any attack, "we are behind these plans with strategic, police and popular intelligence", he added.

Self-Government In Times Of Blockade: Luisa Cáceres Commune

Eastern Venezuela is home to extensive petroleum extraction and processing operations which have their hub in the cities of Barcelona and Puerto la Cruz in Anzoátegui state. The Luisa Cáceres de Arismendi Commune, one of the most advanced communes in the country, grew up in the shadow of this multibillion-dollar business in one of Barcelona's working-class neighborhoods. This is a rapidly-growing commune – remarkable because of its success in an urban context – which focuses on recycling and waste disposal to maintain itself. In Part I of this two-part series, Luisa Caceres’ communards explain the challenges of building a commune in a country besieged by US imperialism.

The Venezuela Coup, 20 Years Later

On April 11, 2002, Venezuela’s democratically elected government, headed by Hugo Chávez Frías, was ousted in a military coup d’etat. Then, dramatically, two days later, the coup was overturned by a mass mobilization of Venezuelans. They demanded the restoration of democracy and the return of a government that appeared to be making good on its commitment to redistribute Venezuela’s oil wealth to benefit the country’s most marginalized sectors. These events led to lasting ramifications not just for Venezuela, but for Latin America and the Caribbean as a whole, paving the way for a “pink tide” of progressive movements that took power democratically throughout the region.

Venezuela: Thousands March To Commemorate Coup Defeat Anniversary

Big crowds took to the streets of Caracas on Wednesday, April 13, to mark the twentieth anniversary of a short-lived coup. On April 11, 2002, US-backed civilian and military elites ousted democratically elected President Hugo Chávez following a massive media campaign and false flag violence. A self-proclaimed “transition government” took power the next day and was endorsed by Washington and a handful of other countries. However, a massive popular response in the ensuing 48 hours, especially from popular neighborhoods on the hillsides of the capital, pushed loyal military sectors into action. The coup was defeated and Chávez returned to the presidency in the early hours of April 14, 2002. To commemorate the coup defeat’s twentieth anniversary, two Chavista marches featuring tens of thousands of people were held in Caracas. The mobilizations, which included delegations and high-profile politicians from throughout the country, took off from different points before converging on Miraflores Presidential Palace in the afternoon.

US’s Flaunting Of Diplomatic Immunity Challenged In Court

Venezuelan diplomat Alex Saab’s case took a dramatic turn as his legal defense team denounced the US government’s flagrant failure to respect long-standing diplomatic immunity conventions. Saab’s lawyer, David Rivkin, called the US government’s arguments before the 11th Circuit Court in Miami “utterly dangerous.” “The implication,” he added is that “because you are a disfavored regime, because you're Venezuela under Maduro…we're going to treat you as somehow you lost the Westphalian entitlement to sovereignty.” And with that, Rivkin pretty much summed up the US imperial view of the world. At issue at the April 6 hearing was Saab’s claim to diplomatic immunity under the Vienna Convention on Diplomat Relations.

Venezuela’s Great Housing Mission Achieves Major Milestone

On April 7, the socialist government of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro celebrated the delivery of a record 4 million homes to its citizens as part of a social housing program called the Great Housing Mission of Venezuela (GMVV). During a joint radio and television broadcast, President Maduro emphasized that the handing over of the 4 million homes was a “historic” event and a “world record.” “Nothing and no one is going to stop us,” he added.

Venezuela’s Economy Will Grow 20% In 2022, Despite Illegal US Sanctions

The major Switzerland-based bank Credit Suisse has predicted that Venezuela’s real GDP growth will be 20% in 2022. The prominent Western financial institution also forecasted that Venezuela’s real GDP will increase by an additional 8% in 2023. These predictions come despite an illegal US blockade imposed on Venezuela, which has starved the government of revenue, locked it out of the international financial system, and fueled an economic crisis. The top United Nations expert on sanctions estimated that the Venezuelan government lost 99% of its revenue due to the Western unilateral coercive measures, which are illegal under international law. “Unilateral sanctions increasingly imposed by the United States, the European Union and other countries have exacerbated the [economic crisis],” stated Alena Douhan

Venezuela Demands Recognition Of Alex Saab’s Diplomatic Status

This Wednesday, April 6, Venezuela’s National Assembly (AN) unanimously approved a draft agreement to demand acknowledgement of the diplomatic status of Alex Saab, who has been illegally imprisoned in the United States since October 2021. The AN statement establishes that Alex Saab has been serving as a diplomatic agent since 2018, as a special envoy for Venezuela in Russia and Iran, and since 2020 as ambassador plenipotentiary to the African Union. In addition, he was appointed in 2021 as permanent representative of the national government’s delegation for the Mexico Talks held with the opposition.

Venezuela To ‘Deepen Cooperation’ With ICC After Visit By Prosecutor Khan

Mexico City, Mexico – Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro welcomed the opening of an International Criminal Court (ICC) office in Caracas after a three-day visit by prosecutor Karim Khan. At a joint press conference, Maduro said “the doors of Venezuela were open” to the court’s lead prosecutor and his team. Khan’s visit to the Caribbean country is the second since he announced his decision to open a full-scale investigation into alleged human rights abuses in Venezuela. During his visit in November, the government of Venezuela and Khan signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to facilitate cooperation. Khan announced that as part of efforts to facilitate cooperation, the ICC would open a "technical assistance office" in Caracas.

Illegally Imprisoned Venezuelan Diplomat Faces US Court On April 6

In a world where the US believes it makes the rules and the rest of humanity must follow its orders – what President Biden euphemistically calls the “rules-based order” – Washington has now even appropriated the prerogative to tell other countries who they may appoint as their ambassadors. As a consequence, Venezuelan diplomat Alex Saab is fighting for his freedom before the 11th District Circuit Court in Miami. US economic war against Venezuela Alex Saab was appointed a special envoy with diplomatic credentials by the Venezuelan government on April 9, 2018. The businessman had worked on the government’s food assistance (CLAP) and public housing programs. More importantly, he was assisting the government in trying to circumvent sanctions imposed on Venezuela by the US; sanctions intended to punish the people so that they would be motivated to overthrow their democratically elected government.
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