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ASILurker

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Re: The Empire vs Venezuela - News and History
« Reply #100 on: February 25, 2019, 08:44:11 AM »
Little known facts:

In 1992 when Venezuela announced it would open its oil sector to foreign investment for the first time since 1976 when it nationalized its oil industry
https://www.cfr.org/blog/amid-political-uncertainties-venezuelas-oil-industry-situation-worsens

Venezuela has been open to "oil sector foreign investment" the entire time of the Chavistas Government.

Yes it made some changes - partial Re-Nationalization post-1998 - but that is no different than the UK Labour Party going to the next elections to re-Nationalize the British Rail .. after the disaster that "privatisation" has caused.

Before the late 1990s the entire Electricity system across Australia were a 100% State Government owned enterprise, from generation, fuel supply, train deliveries of coal to power stations, and the electricity Grids from Power Stations to your home or business via the State Govt owned and operated Retailer.

How's that for Socialism at work? No one was offering to invade Australia, institute Regime Change, nor to save the poor people from this evil.

Australia also had the cheapest electricity on Earth - then those Governments sold off those Assets in a Privatization  free-for-all and now the system is one of the most expensive on earth and a totally dysfunctional shit fight. 

ASILurker

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Re: The Empire vs Venezuela - News and History
« Reply #101 on: February 25, 2019, 08:47:21 AM »
AXIOS 24th Feb. 2019

Inside Trump's Venezuela pivot

Many observers see Trump's hawkish approach to Venezuela as a foreign policy aberration. In reality, though, it's pure Trump. Over a week of interviews, people with intimate knowledge of the president's thinking detailed to me why he's taken an unusually interventionist stance toward this country.

The key factors are instincts, personal relationships, aggressive advisers, and political opportunism.

Behind the scenes: A pivotal moment came in early 2017, when Lilian Tintori, the wife of political prisoner Leopoldo Lopez, met Trump in the Oval. The conversation wasn't planned, and the State Department didn't even know she was in the building; she had come for a meeting with Vice President Mike Pence that Sen. Marco Rubio arranged.

    Toward the end of their conversation, Pence said to Tintori, "I want to introduce you to somebody. Come this way," according to a source with direct knowledge. Then he and Rubio walked her into the Oval.

Trump had no idea who she was. But he was taken by their conversation, some details of which The Washington Post first reported. After a short talk, Trump handed his iPhone to his social media guru, Dan Scavino.

    "Take a picture, Dan," he ordered.

Scavino snapped a photo of Trump, Tintori, Rubio, and Pence. Then Trump drafted a caption to accompany the photo for Twitter.

    "What do you think, Marco?" the president asked, handing the phone to Rubio. "You can edit it if you want."
    Rubio eyeballed the tweet — sources dispute whether he changed anything — then handed the phone back to Trump, who hit send. And with that, the United States toughened its stance toward the Maduro regime.
    "At the time, we were like, 'Wow, he just stuck it to Maduro!'" said a source with direct knowledge of the conversation.

https://www.axios.com/venezuela-donald-trump-foreign-policy-strategy-7f04c3da-fd30-4038-8fd1-e057b15c7f83.html

ASILurker

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Re: The Empire vs Venezuela - News and History
« Reply #102 on: February 25, 2019, 09:22:00 AM »
Venezuela and Oil - The Coup in Venezuela, Explained - see graphic below




A pivotal moment came in early 2017, when Lilian Tintori, the wife of political prisoner Leopoldo Lopez, met Trump in the Oval.


Privately, Trump often talks about his fondness for the Venezuelan expats who frequent his golf club in Doral.

    "We have many Venezuelans living in the United States,” he said in a press conference last September 2018. "Many of them live in the Doral area of Miami. I've gotten to know them well. They are great, great people. We are going to take care of those people."

Oh yes, we must care about those Venezuelan Refugees who can still afford to go play a round of Golf at Trump's Mara-a-Lago Resort and Golf Club or at his Trump National Doral Golf Club @$450 per Player Tee Fees. ;)



This next graphic tells the story clear enough I think about August 2017

Rob Dekker

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Re: The Empire vs Venezuela - News and History
« Reply #103 on: February 25, 2019, 09:48:17 AM »
This next graphic tells the story clear enough I think about August 2017


OK. Let's think about what happened in August 2017.
Which US sanctions were imposed in August 2017 which supposedly crashed the Venezuelan oil production ?

OK. Here they are :

https://www.treasury.gov/press-center/press-releases/Pages/sm0145.aspx

Specifically : Sanctions against 8 individuals in the Maduro government.

None of that had any effect on the import of Venezuelan oil into the US :

https://www.eia.gov/dnav/pet/hist/LeafHandler.ashx?n=PET&s=W_EPC0_IM0_NUS-NVE_MBBLD&f=W

Quote
Today, the U.S. Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) designated eight individuals involved in organizing or otherwise supporting the creation of Venezuela's Constituent Assembly (Asamblea Constituyente or AC) and participating in anti-democratic actions pursuant to Executive Order (E.O.) 13692.  The AC, which seeks to rewrite the Venezuelan constitution and dissolve Venezuelan state institutions, was created through an undemocratic process instigated by Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro's government to subvert the will of the Venezuelan people.  OFAC designated President Maduro on July 31, 2017, the day after AC elections were held.  The AC was sworn in on August 4 and, in its first session on August 5, ousted Attorney General Luisa Marvelia Ortega Diaz, who had ordered an investigation into the possible AC election fraud, and replaced her with designated individual Tarek William Saab.

And none of this has anything to do with Venezuela's oil production.
« Last Edit: February 25, 2019, 10:07:02 AM by Rob Dekker »
This is our planet. This is our time.
Let's not waste either.

Neven

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Re: The Empire vs Venezuela - News and History
« Reply #104 on: February 25, 2019, 10:00:27 AM »
So, Rob, are you with Trump or with Putin on this one?  ;D

Nothing to do with oil:
The enemy is within
Don't confuse me with him

E. Smith

Rob Dekker

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Re: The Empire vs Venezuela - News and History
« Reply #105 on: February 25, 2019, 10:20:42 AM »
So, Rob, are you with Trump or with Putin on this one?  ;D

Trump. Putin. Maduro.

Three autocrats in charge of :

- The biggest oil producing country in the world, and
- The biggest oil exporting country in the world, and
- The biggest oil reserves in the world.

I don't like either of these guys.
Not just because they are autocrats, but also because they will die before they would do anything about our addiction to fossil fuels.
This is our planet. This is our time.
Let's not waste either.

ASILurker

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Re: The Empire vs Venezuela - News and History
« Reply #106 on: February 25, 2019, 10:48:39 AM »
And none of this has anything to do with Venezuela's oil production.

You're certainly entitled to your opinion Rob. What I find really sad is how so many people refuse to look past the rhetoric and look into the details and the historical facts about the whole thing. I think it's sad that you might imagine that a single url link is going to change my mind or by itself undermine the hundreds of other facts. Like seriously, are you serious or only playing "forum debating games" again? 

I have collected a fairly large amount of sources on this thread. Both pro and con Maduro etc. Your choice if you wish to look at any of it and think about it deeper or if you wish to invite / bait others into fruitless arguments about what those sources say. They are offered up as a free service for each person to look at and draw their own conclusions. I am not telling other people what they should accept, reject, believe or not believe.

I am not shoving my own personal opinion down people's throats here. I am not seeking to an all out fight over Venezuela or the best ups over what the word "socialism" means and how it MUST be applied and how that should change EVERYONE'S OPINION of how they view Venezuela.

I have already stated clearly in a post above that frankly I do not care what happens in Venezuela. I stated why I am presenting this information though. Very clearly. Do I have to repeat that again and again and again, or could once be enough? :)

If however you have had a "Damascus Moment" and now no longer believe that Trump is a Liar or a Fascist and a Traitor, or that Abrams is a freedom loving hero for Nicaraguans, or ex-CIA Director Pompeo always tells the truth, and that John Bolton is a geopolitical nation building genius equivalent to a Ghandi then nothing will get through to you or the others who believe all the Fake news and outright lies being told about Venezuela.

imho I think everyone on this forum should view this Video. It's the best most balanced, calm, clear, most accurate, most telling summary of the facts I have found so far.
 
« Last Edit: February 25, 2019, 10:55:32 AM by Lurk »

ASILurker

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Re: The Empire vs Venezuela - News and History
« Reply #107 on: February 25, 2019, 10:56:04 AM »
And none of this has anything to do with Venezuela's oil production.

You're certainly entitled to your opinion Rob. What I find really sad is how so many people refuse to look past the rhetoric and look into the details and the historical facts about the whole thing. I think it's sad that you might imagine that a single url link is going to change my mind or by itself undermine the hundreds of other facts. Like seriously, are you serious or only playing "forum debating games" again? 

I have collected a fairly large amount of sources on this thread. Both pro and con Maduro etc. Your choice if you wish to look at any of it and think about it deeper or if you wish to invite / bait others into fruitless arguments about what those sources say. They are offered up as a free service for each person to look at and draw their own conclusions. I am not telling other people what they should accept, reject, believe or not believe.

I am not shoving my own personal opinion down people's throats here. I am not seeking to an all out fight over Venezuela or going to engage in beat ups over what the word "socialism" means and how it MUST be applied and how that should change EVERYONE'S OPINION of how they view Venezuela.

I have already stated clearly in a post above that frankly I do not care what happens in Venezuela. I stated why I am presenting this information though. Very clearly. Do I have to repeat that again and again and again, or could once be enough? :)

If however you have had a "Damascus Moment" and now no longer believe that Trump is a Liar or a Fascist and a Traitor, or that Abrams is a freedom loving hero for Nicaraguans, or ex-CIA Director Pompeo always tells the truth, and that John Bolton is a geopolitical nation building genius equivalent to a Ghandi then nothing will get through to you or the others who believe all the Fake news and outright lies being told about Venezuela.

imho I think everyone on this forum should view this Video. It's the best most balanced, calm, clear, most accurate, most telling summary of the facts I have found so far.
 

ASILurker

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Re: The Empire vs Venezuela - News and History
« Reply #108 on: February 25, 2019, 11:11:59 AM »
The Grayzone
Published on 18 Feb 2019

Venezuela's foreign minister on 'failed' coup, the new Non-Aligned Movement and the UN Charter



Oh, btw there are 155 nations of 200 in the UN who do not recognise Guaido or support this US Empire Coup attempt - that's over 75% nations representing well over 80% of the global population.

ASILurker

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Re: The Empire vs Venezuela - News and History
« Reply #109 on: February 25, 2019, 01:53:05 PM »

OK. Let's think about what happened in August 2017.

Which US sanctions were imposed in August 2017 which supposedly crashed the Venezuelan oil production ?

OK. Here they are :

https://www.treasury.gov/press-center/press-releases/Pages/sm0145.aspx

Specifically : Sanctions against 8 individuals in the Maduro government.

None of that had any effect on the import of Venezuelan oil into the US :

https://www.eia.gov/dnav/pet/hist/LeafHandler.ashx?n=PET&s=W_EPC0_IM0_NUS-NVE_MBBLD&f=W

And none of this has anything to do with Venezuela's oil production.

That's your opinion. You're entitled to it.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/jul/31/us-venezuela-sanctions-nicolas-maduro

https://www.treasury.gov/resource-center/sanctions/OFAC-Enforcement/Pages/20170825.aspx

https://www.treasury.gov/resource-center/sanctions/programs/pages/venezuela.aspx

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-venezuela-sanctions-idUSKCN1B5216

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/08/25/world/americas/venezuela-sanctions-maduro-trump.html

https://ve.usembassy.gov/treasury-sanctions-ten-venezuelan-government-officials-november-9-2017/

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-41056804

https://fas.org/sgp/crs/row/IF10715.pdf

My advice is Research first - Speak second.

Venezuela can not sell it's oil internationally - CITGO outs make no difference - as Venezuela cannot repatriate any Income Revenues from the USA related to CITGO or PDSVA or any other entities or any of it's Assets - Venezuela cannot access it;s $2.4 Billion in Gold Bullion to pay for imports or other Govt debt obligations while it's income has been slashed due to sanctions and sanctions related constraints - Venezuela is unable to raise capital/loans - Venezuela is unable to operate in the global financial system or trade system as a direct impact of US initiated Sanctions beginning when Obama was still in Office that have become increasingly more draconian.

Venezuela Oil production is falling for multiple reasons, incl. but not limited to inability to import maintenance/repair equipment or parts inability to import special products to "thin" oil in pipelines and refining etc. There is no ppoint fixing breakdowns to increase production when one cannot export it, or if they do export it they cannot recieve payment for that exp[orts. Multinational Oil Companies partners be they US, Russian or Chinese or European firms are not going to sink funds into maintenance, repairs, or keep pumping Oil and so on when Venezuela cannot export it's primary product Oil.

Therefore Venezuela can continue to export it's oil/petrol to the USA and sell it via Citgo but it is blocked from repatriating any of that US Income. Storage facilities for Oil and petroleum in Venezuela is now maxed out, meaning production will need to be cut further as they cannot export those current reserves anywhere in any significant volume and receive timely payments for the exports.

Venezuela has been financially and economically and Oil Export wise been strangled by the cumulative US originated Sanctions.

Others can feel free to make up things as they go and/or believe something is 'reality'.

Fine by me.

imho this video presentation below is the best summary of what Venezuela is dealing with now and the related political and economic hiostory.  It's the best most balanced, calm, clear, most accurate, most telling summary of the facts I have found so far on  Venezuela. imho I think everyone on this forum should view this Video should want to have a more rounded holistic knowledge of Venezuela and the USAs direct role in this 'crisis'.


ASILurker

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Re: The Empire vs Venezuela - News and History
« Reply #110 on: February 25, 2019, 01:59:28 PM »

OK. Let's think about what happened in August 2017.

Which US sanctions were imposed in August 2017 which supposedly crashed the Venezuelan oil production ?

OK. Here they are :

https://www.treasury.gov/press-center/press-releases/Pages/sm0145.aspx

Specifically : Sanctions against 8 individuals in the Maduro government.

None of that had any effect on the import of Venezuelan oil into the US :

https://www.eia.gov/dnav/pet/hist/LeafHandler.ashx?n=PET&s=W_EPC0_IM0_NUS-NVE_MBBLD&f=W

And none of this has anything to do with Venezuela's oil production.

That's your opinion. You're entitled to it.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/jul/31/us-venezuela-sanctions-nicolas-maduro

https://www.treasury.gov/resource-center/sanctions/OFAC-Enforcement/Pages/20170825.aspx

https://www.treasury.gov/resource-center/sanctions/programs/pages/venezuela.aspx

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-venezuela-sanctions-idUSKCN1B5216

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/08/25/world/americas/venezuela-sanctions-maduro-trump.html

https://ve.usembassy.gov/treasury-sanctions-ten-venezuelan-government-officials-november-9-2017/

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-41056804

https://fas.org/sgp/crs/row/IF10715.pdf

My advice is Research first - Speak second.

Venezuela can not sell it's oil internationally - CITGO outs make no difference - as Venezuela cannot repatriate any Income Revenues from the USA related to CITGO or PDSVA or any other entities or any of it's Assets - Venezuela cannot access it;s $2.4 Billion in Gold Bullion to pay for imports or other Govt debt obligations while it's income has been slashed due to sanctions and sanctions related constraints - Venezuela is unable to raise capital/loans - Venezuela is unable to operate in the global financial system or trade system as a direct impact of US initiated Sanctions beginning when Obama was still in Office that have become increasingly more draconian.

Venezuela Oil production is falling for multiple reasons, incl. but not limited to inability to import maintenance/repair equipment or parts inability to import special products to "thin" oil in pipelines and refining etc. There is no point fixing breakdowns to increase production when one cannot export it, or if they do export it they cannot receive payment for that exports. Multinational Oil Companies partners be they US, Russian or Chinese or European firms are not going to sink funds into maintenance, repairs, or keep pumping Oil and so on when Venezuela cannot export it's primary product Oil.

Therefore Venezuela can continue to export it's oil/petrol to the USA and sell it via Citgo but it is blocked from repatriating any of that US Income. Storage facilities for Oil and petroleum in Venezuela is now maxed out, meaning production will need to be cut further as they cannot export those current reserves anywhere in any significant volume and receive timely payments for the exports.

Venezuela has been financially and economically and Oil Export wise been strangled by the cumulative US originated Sanctions.

Others can feel free to make up things as they go and/or believe something is 'reality'.

Fine by me.

imho this video presentation below is the best summary of what Venezuela is dealing with now and the related political and economic history.  It's the best most balanced, calm, clear, most accurate, most telling summary of the facts I have found so far on  Venezuela. imho I think everyone on this forum should view this Video should want to have a more rounded holistic knowledge of Venezuela and the USAs direct role in this 'crisis'.


ASILurker

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Re: The Empire vs Venezuela - News and History
« Reply #111 on: February 25, 2019, 02:00:55 PM »

OK. Let's think about what happened in August 2017.

Which US sanctions were imposed in August 2017 which supposedly crashed the Venezuelan oil production ?

OK. Here they are :

https://www.treasury.gov/press-center/press-releases/Pages/sm0145.aspx

Specifically : Sanctions against 8 individuals in the Maduro government.

None of that had any effect on the import of Venezuelan oil into the US :

https://www.eia.gov/dnav/pet/hist/LeafHandler.ashx?n=PET&s=W_EPC0_IM0_NUS-NVE_MBBLD&f=W

And none of this has anything to do with Venezuela's oil production.

That's your opinion. You're entitled to it.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/jul/31/us-venezuela-sanctions-nicolas-maduro

https://www.treasury.gov/resource-center/sanctions/OFAC-Enforcement/Pages/20170825.aspx

https://www.treasury.gov/resource-center/sanctions/programs/pages/venezuela.aspx

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-venezuela-sanctions-idUSKCN1B5216

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/08/25/world/americas/venezuela-sanctions-maduro-trump.html

https://ve.usembassy.gov/treasury-sanctions-ten-venezuelan-government-officials-november-9-2017/

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-41056804

https://fas.org/sgp/crs/row/IF10715.pdf

My advice is Research first - Speak second.

Venezuela can not sell it's oil internationally - CITGO outs make no difference - as Venezuela cannot repatriate any Income Revenues from the USA related to CITGO or PDSVA or any other entities or any of it's Assets - Venezuela cannot access it;s $2.4 Billion in Gold Bullion to pay for imports or other Govt debt obligations while it's income has been slashed due to sanctions and sanctions related constraints - Venezuela is unable to raise capital/loans - Venezuela is unable to operate in the global financial system or trade system as a direct impact of US initiated Sanctions beginning when Obama was still in Office that have become increasingly more draconian.

Venezuela Oil production is falling for multiple reasons, incl. but not limited to inability to import maintenance/repair equipment or parts inability to import special products to "thin" oil in pipelines and refining etc. There is no point fixing breakdowns to increase production when one cannot export it, or if they do export it they cannot receive payment for that exports. Multinational Oil Companies partners be they US, Russian or Chinese or European firms are not going to sink funds into maintenance, repairs, or keep pumping Oil and so on when Venezuela cannot export it's primary product Oil.

Therefore Venezuela can continue to export it's oil/petrol to the USA and sell it via Citgo but it is blocked from repatriating any of that US Income. Storage facilities for Oil and petroleum in Venezuela is now maxed out, meaning production will need to be cut further as they cannot export those current reserves anywhere in any significant volume and receive timely payments for the exports.

Venezuela has been financially and economically and Oil Export wise been strangled by the cumulative US originated Sanctions.

Others can feel free to make up things as they go and/or believe something is 'reality'.

Fine by me.

imho this video presentation below is the best summary of what Venezuela is dealing with now and the related political and economic history.  It's the best most balanced, calm, clear, most accurate, most telling summary of the facts I have found so far on  Venezuela. imho I think everyone on this forum should view this Video should want to have a more rounded holistic knowledge of Venezuela and the USAs direct role in this 'crisis'.


ASILurker

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Re: The Empire vs Venezuela - News and History
« Reply #112 on: February 25, 2019, 02:09:46 PM »
This is what comes from the mind of Psychopath who does not see anything wrong in doing what he just did. All his Psychopathic friends and associates in the WH and Congress also think it was great and can't see what the problem is. That's because this is how Psychopaths think.


 ‘Sick & twisted’: US Senator Rubio tweets picture of Gaddafi’s murder as a threat to Maduro
Published time: 25 Feb, 2019

 US Senator Marco Rubio has posted a picture of the brutal murder of late Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi in a less-than-subtle threat to Venezuela’s Maduro. Twitter blasted Rubio as a manic warmonger… who has extremely poor taste.

The two pictures –one showing Gaddafi while still in power, the other showing the Libyan leader being tortured minutes before his brutal murder– were posted by Sen. Rubio (R-FL) on Twitter without any caption. Yet, given his open calls for an armed insurrection in the Latin American country to depose President Nicolas Maduro, the message was clear.

    Because nothing says human rights like gloating over a human being getting sodomized to death with a bayonet.
    — WikiLeaks (@wikileaks) February 24, 2019

while a few Twitteratti supported Rubio's vision of Maduro's demise, the majority blasted the senator over an extreme lack of taste or decency.

    The Venezuelan opposition's most ardent cheerleader is a bloodthristy crackpot. For most of the peoples of the world this pic represents the destruction of a nation, slave auctions, civil war. For Rubio it's a gloating message 2 Venezuela. Toe the line or we'll do this to you too pic.twitter.com/hi3O0Cpqza
    — Lizzie Phelan (@LizziePhelan) February 24, 2019

    .@marcorubio horrifically tweets images of revolutionary leader Muammar Gaddafi’s brutal execution at hands of US-backed jihadis in Libya just one day after the US failed to invade VZ under the pretext of humanitarian aid.

    The Bolivarian Republic is resisting his sick plan. https://t.co/NY5X91Dq3f
    — Anya Parampil (@anyaparampil) February 24, 2019

    Marco Rubio just posted a violent, graphic death threat. If any of the rest of us posted this, we'd be suspended for it. https://t.co/bia3w1XCwA
    — Palmer Report (@PalmerReport) February 24, 2019

    Marco Rubio's feed has become like a manic, paranoid, regime-change-demanding bot account. Would probably be investigated for suspicious activity by the Twitter authorities if he was not a US Senator pic.twitter.com/sTFfh7QQpZ
    — Michael Tracey (@mtracey) February 24, 2019

Many noted that Libya is not the best example of the US bringing its democracy overseas, but arguably the worst one. With the slave trade there on the rise, the country is effectively fractured into several warring statelets, with gangs of armed ‘democrats’ fighting for control.

    Muammar Qadhafi was brutally murdered (sodomized with a bayonet) by Salafi-jihadist NATO proxies (one of whom later blew himself up in Manchester, England, massacring dozens)
    Rubio is openly threatening to do the same to the elected president of Venezuela
https://t.co/urpFHaCJlI
    — Ben Norton (@BenjaminNorton) February 24, 2019

    Marco Rubio just posted photos of Gaddafi being lynched in an open death threat to Maduro. Libya is now a slave state thanks to US. Fuck you Marco, you’re a deranged piece of shit who should immediately resign https://t.co/h0hfseEKJl
    — Abby Martin (@AbbyMartin) February 24, 2019

Via Twitter and RT
https://www.rt.com/news/452329-rubio-gaddafi-venezuela-tweet/

ASILurker

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Re: The Empire vs Venezuela - News and History
« Reply #113 on: February 25, 2019, 04:06:21 PM »
Psychopath, sociopath, narcissist, idiot, arrogant egotistical self-righteous creep; what difference does it make which words are used?  He will still be living in denial and Americans will continue to re-elect him for years to come.

ASILurker

  • Guest
Re: The Empire vs Venezuela - News and History
« Reply #114 on: February 26, 2019, 03:41:22 AM »
Democracy Now!
Published on 22 Feb 2019

"This Is Not Humanitarian Aid"

A Maduro Critic in Venezuela Slams U.S. Plan to Push Regime Change

24 minutes

ASILurker

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Re: The Empire vs Venezuela - News and History
« Reply #115 on: February 26, 2019, 03:44:57 AM »
Democracy Now!
Published on 25 Feb 2019

The Coup Has Failed & Now the U.S. Is Looking to Wage War: Venezuelan Foreign Minister Speaks Out

We go to Caracas, Venezuela, for an update on the escalating stand off between President Nicolás Maduro and opposition leader and self-proclaimed president Juan Guaidó. Guaidó claims he is preparing to deliver humanitarian aid from the Colombian border Saturday. Maduro has rejected the plan, saying the effort is part of a broader attempt to overthrow his regime.

This comes as Trump’s special envoy to Venezuela and right-wing hawk, Elliott Abrams, is leading a U.S. delegation traveling by military aircraft to the Colombian border, supposedly to help deliver the aid.

The United Nations, the Red Cross and other relief organizations have refused to work with the U.S. on delivering that aid to Venezuela, which they say is politically motivated.

We speak with Venezuelan sociologist Edgardo Lander, a member of the Citizen’s Platform in Defense of the Constitution. “This certainly is not humanitarian aid, and it’s not oriented with any humanitarian aims,” Lander says. This is clearly a coup carried out by the United States government with its allies, with the Lima Group and the extreme right wing in Venezuela.”


ASILurker

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Re: The Empire vs Venezuela - News and History
« Reply #116 on: February 26, 2019, 04:03:50 AM »
From the Democracy Now! video above
A Maduro Critic in Venezuela Slams U.S. Plan to Push Regime Change

Quote
We speak with Venezuelan sociologist Professor Edgardo Lander, a member of the Citizen’s Platform in Defense of the Constitution.

6.00 ".... If the United States Government were really interested in democracy, in human rights, and the humanitarian situation of the Venezuelan population the first thing they will have to do is to stop the blockade that's impacting the Venezuelan people enormously.

As the Venezuelan government has extreme difficulties in gaining access to foreign markets it's trade is made extremely difficult because the whole financial system is in one way or another controlled by the United States and this blockade limits the possibilities of access to trade
partners etc.

On the other hand enormous amounts of money billions of dollars in USA in Venezuelan assets (Cash in banks) had been taken over by the US government and its absolutely cynical that the US government is claiming to be worried about the humanitarian situation Venezuelans offering a few million dollars [in FOOD AID ] when billions of dollars are being kept away from the Venezuelan government capacity to respond to the deep crisis of the Venezuelans are facing.

There is this threat of going into Venezuela no matter what. The hawks, and in the Neocons that accompany Trump in these policies are well known - these are people like Elliott Abrams or John Bolton that have had well known trajectories of military interventions in different places of the world and obviously there's no concern whatsoever for the lives of Venezuelan people.

The situation is so tense that the trajectories could be the spark that starts a violent even civil war situation in the country. So the absolute need to find some sort of solution some sort of negotiation that would stop this escalation of violence is absolutely critical and this has to be done soon because Saturday is a very critical day."

I am unaware how many times things like this have to said before The Deniers (grin) start listening to what is being said and stop arguing about it by imagineering they know so much more than Professors like this who live there and not Maduro supporters.

Like how can people be so blind and deaf to the mountain of contrary facts that counter Donald Trump's and John Bolton's and Juan Guaido's lying rhetoric? It's truly sad how dumbed down and self-deluded the bulk of the American people (and many in Europe) have become. Even Bernie Sanders is not immune to this sophistry and lies.

People need to see that they are taking the word of and placing the lives of 31 million innocent people into the hands of a pathological manipulative reality TV star! The Cognitive Dissonance must be incredibly overwhelming and possibly pushing some of those people into an almost unbearable unstable state of mind to believe Donald Trump and his disreputable Neocon cronies.
« Last Edit: February 26, 2019, 04:26:12 AM by Lurk »

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Re: The Empire vs Venezuela - News and History
« Reply #117 on: February 26, 2019, 04:56:50 AM »
From the Democracy Now! video above
A Maduro Critic in Venezuela Slams U.S. Plan to Push Regime Change

Quote
We speak with Venezuelan sociologist Professor Edgardo Lander, a member of the Citizen’s Platform in Defense of the Constitution.

17:30 Venezuelan Border Aid attempt and violence:
"One of the first things I like to insist in fact that there certainly is not humanitarian aid and it's not oriented with any humanitarian aims. This is clearly a Coup carried out by the United States government with its allies, with the Lima group and the extreme right wing in Venezuela.

The opposition there, the right-wing opposition in Venezuela, the people who control Parliament and the opposition parties have been weakened over the last few years and they had not been able to agree on any single policy in relation to ways to confront the Maduro government.

But now it's obvious that this very extreme right wing has been in close coordination with the United States government for some time now and this script that has been followed since Guaido self proclaimed himself as president.

It's a script that's basically is a U.S. script and this script is in the works right now
. There's no concern about the situation of the Venezuelan population because as I said before if you take away billions of dollars from capacity of the government in Venezuela to respond to the needs for medicine and food on one hand, and you offer a few million dollars in food and medicine on the Colombian border there's no proportional (comparison) whatsoever and it's clear that the purpose is not to respond to the situation of the Venezuelan population but to create a conflict in the border.

As people have been called by Guaido and his people to concentrate ( VIOLENT THUGS ) at the border and this concert has been organized on the Colombian side of the government this could lead to a confrontation between the two sides."


"The Venezuelan government has announced that it might close the border, it hasn't been decided yet.

But the possibility of the closing of the border means that as there is now Venezuelan military presence on this side of the border, and there's obviously all sorts of paramilitary groups, CIA representatives, members of the Armed Forces of Colombia on the other side.

Anything could spark some violence that could lead to the beginning of a confrontation"/i]

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Re: The Empire vs Venezuela - News and History
« Reply #118 on: February 26, 2019, 05:04:51 AM »
From the Democracy Now! video above
A Maduro Critic in Venezuela Slams U.S. Plan to Push Regime Change

Quote
We speak with Venezuelan sociologist Professor Edgardo Lander, a member of the Citizen’s Platform in Defense of the Constitution.

17:30 Venezuelan Border Aid attempt and violence:
"One of the first things I like to insist in fact that there certainly is not humanitarian aid and it's not oriented with any humanitarian aims. This is clearly a Coup carried out by the United States government with its allies, with the Lima group and the extreme right wing in Venezuela.

The opposition there, the right-wing opposition in Venezuela, the people who control Parliament and the opposition parties have been weakened over the last few years and they had not been able to agree on any single policy in relation to ways to confront the Maduro government.

But now it's obvious that this very extreme right wing has been in close coordination with the United States government for some time now and this script that has been followed since Guaido self proclaimed himself as president.

It's a script that's basically is a U.S. script and this script is in the works right now
. There's no concern about the situation of the Venezuelan population because as I said before if you take away billions of dollars from capacity of the government in Venezuela to respond to the needs for medicine and food on one hand, and you offer a few million dollars in food and medicine on the Colombian border there's no proportional (comparison) whatsoever and it's clear that the purpose is not to respond to the situation of the Venezuelan population but to create a conflict in the border.

As people have been called by Guaido and his people to concentrate ( VIOLENT THUGS ) at the border and this concert has been organized on the Colombian side of the government this could lead to a confrontation between the two sides."


"The Venezuelan government has announced that it might close the border, it hasn't been decided yet.

But the possibility of the closing of the border means that as there is now Venezuelan military presence on this side of the border, and there's obviously all sorts of paramilitary groups, CIA representatives, members of the Armed Forces of Colombia on the other side.

Anything could spark some violence that could lead to the beginning of a confrontation"/i]

Quote
20:35 "..... So we had to confront this supposedly humanitarian aid which is not humanitarian aid. It's just direct intervention in order to have regime change which has been the purpose of the Trump government from the very beginning.

And we know what regime change has meant in other places. We know the experience of regime change in Libya, we know the experience of regime change in Iraq, we know what the people in Syria are facing today as a consequence of this IMPERIAL attempts to have regime change.

So there is no possibility that this so-called humanitarian aid will make any positive contribution to the Venezuelan situation it's just going to make it worse."

imho Bernie Sanders needs to get on the telephone and speak with this guy and many others. In the meantime he should shut his mouth until he has been advised properly as to the real situation in Venezuela.

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Re: The Empire vs Venezuela - News and History
« Reply #119 on: February 26, 2019, 05:06:22 AM »
Bernie Sanders Repeats CIA Talking Points On Venezuela

The Jimmy Dore Show
Published on 25 Feb 2019


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Re: The Empire vs Venezuela - News and History
« Reply #120 on: February 26, 2019, 05:07:51 AM »
The American Destruction of Venezuela - The Real Story

Thom Hartmann Program
Published on 21 Feb 2019

Did America create hyperinflation in Venezuela to start a coup and undermine the Maduro Government? What has America had to do with hyperinflation in Venezuela? Was the destruction of Venezuela an American plan? Economist Dr. Richard Wolff joined Thom to explain.


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Re: The Empire vs Venezuela - News and History
« Reply #121 on: February 26, 2019, 05:09:28 AM »
An Ocean of Lies on Venezuela: Abby Martin & UN Rapporteur Expose Coup

Empire Files
Published on 22 Feb 2019

On the eve of another US war for oil, Abby Martin debunks the most repeated myths about Venezuela and uncovers how US sanctions are crimes against humanity with UN Investigator and Human Rights Rapporteur Alfred De Zayas.


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Re: The Empire vs Venezuela - News and History
« Reply #122 on: February 26, 2019, 06:25:46 AM »
From the Democracy Now! video above
A Maduro Critic in Venezuela Slams U.S. Plan to Push Regime Change

Quote
We speak with Venezuelan sociologist Professor Edgardo Lander, a member of the Citizen’s Platform in Defense of the Constitution.

21:40 ".... so the need for some sort of negotiation or putting a stop to this escalation and to put the blame on one hand on Maduro's responsibility for having throughout this six years of government created such an incredible collapse of the Venezuelan economy.

Today the economy is half of what it used to be when Maduro came to power and this is basically the government's responsibility. US sanctions against Venezuela Trump's sanctions against Venezuela started a year and a half ago around mid 2017 but the crisis came from way before.

[Note Obama's sanctions began in ~2014 btw. That 'self-righteous aggression' by Obama did not help Venezuela either ]

US sanctions had deepened the crisis but they are not the main cause of the crisis. The main cause of the crisis is ineptitude and massive corruption by the Maduro Government.

So we in Venezuela are faced with these two evils - with these two confronting enemies - that have the Venezuelan people in between paying for their own ineptitude, for their own violence, for their own political purpose - which are not for the purposes of the Venezuelan population.

We need to have some sort of pressure on the US government to stop this level of intervention, the spread of military intervention and we have to call on the Maduro government to be willing to open up a negotiation.

Because there are a lot of reasons why people in Venezuela don't really trust Maduro when he talks about his willingness to negotiate, because he always says the same thing. But when negotiations are always carried out there are negotiations in which Maduro has not been willing to do anything. He hasn't been willing to cede on any one basic issue."

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Re: The Empire vs Venezuela - News and History
« Reply #123 on: February 26, 2019, 07:54:19 AM »
This next graphic tells the story clear enough I think about August 2017


OK. Let's think about what happened in August 2017.

And none of this has anything to do with Venezuela's oil production.

I would hate to see you having to change your mind or at worst apologize to the people of Venezuela for being another person who is part of the systemic problems of this the world. You say in your reply to Neven that you want something done "about our addiction to fossil fuels" and yet your opinions, beliefs and words about Trump, Putin and Maduro are repeatedly undermining such 'noble' goals and outright denying your stated 'values' and 'political beliefs.'

But you are not alone there. OK? That's my opinion and pov. So while your busy making excuses for Donald Trump, and your own Government, and the Democrat Party too I suspect, please whatever you do do not read any of these website reports/articles nor watch the video.

Quote
    The solution to the Venezuelan “crisis” lies in good faith negotiations between the Government and the opposition, an end to the economic war, and the lifting of sanctions.

    The “crisis” in the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela is an economic crisis, which cannot be compared with the humanitarian crises in Gaza, Yemen, Libya, the Syrian Arab Republic, Iraq, Haiti, Mali, the Central African Republic, South Sudan, Somalia, or Myanmar, among others.


https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Alfred_de_Zayas

Quote
Venezuela: UN independent expert welcomes government action after his visit
GENEVA (28 December 2017)
https://www.ohchr.org/en/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=22569&LangID=E
Quote
UN Independent Expert: Venezuela Sanctions Must be Terminated and Economic War Must End
UN independent expert Alfred de Zayas discusses his recent trip to Venezuela and his impressions of the current situation
Alfred de Zayas   Latin America and the Caribbean   February 28, 2018
https://canadiandimension.com/articles/view/un-independent-expert-sanctions-must-be-terminated-and-economic-war-must-en

Quote
Alfred De Zayas: Venezuela Must Take the US to the International Court of Justice
By Mariela Acuña Orta / Marian Martínez Perdomo ‐ Últimas Noticias
Mar 29th 2018
The sanctions against Venezuela have exacerbated the economic crisis caused by the collapse of oil prices leading to serious shortages of medicines and food.
https://venezuelanalysis.com/analysis/13745

Funny, in another post here I too said that Venezuela should have got their shit together better and taken the USA to to the International court last year and in the years before. Obviously I am as smart, as knowledgeable, and as ethically and legally sound as an expert United Nations Human Rights Rapporteur!  Who knew? :)


Quote
September 11, 2018 alfreddezayas
Successful UN mission to Venezuela
https://dezayasalfred.wordpress.com/2018/09/11/successful-un-mission-to-venezuela/

UN Investigator and Human Rights Rapporteur Alfred De Zayas.
Published on 22 Feb 2019


Rob Dekker

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Re: The Empire vs Venezuela - News and History
« Reply #124 on: February 26, 2019, 08:15:11 AM »
Lurk, you talk a lot, but say very little.

What's your opinion about what should happen in Venezuela right now.
Lander (in your video above) calls for a national referendum.

I think that would be a good first step. Do you agree too ?

And if so, do you think that Maduro will agree as well ?

Or will Maduro do nothing (except for continuing to print more money) ?
This is our planet. This is our time.
Let's not waste either.

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Re: The Empire vs Venezuela - News and History
« Reply #125 on: February 26, 2019, 08:22:15 AM »
From the Democracy Now! video above
A Maduro Critic in Venezuela Slams U.S. Plan to Push Regime Change

 It's truly sad how dumbed down and self-deluded the bulk of the American people (and many in Europe) have become.

When the name calling begins the discourse is over.

But being a "dumb" American I will try anyway. https://forum.arctic-sea-ice.net/Smileys/default/grin.gifI remember back to when this started with Venezuelans rioting over corruption in their government. At the time gas prices were on the rise and the government wanted to increase the subsidized gasoline rate. Locals were upset because they would buy gas there and sell it outside the country for a profit. Chavez was dying and didn't want to be the bad guy so he let the problem get worse. Muduro announced an increase in Venezulan gas prices and rioting broke out. Muduro tried to ride it out but the anger was building. Muduro started blaming the U.S. for why they had financial problems.That is when the U.S. started expressing concern about the situation. There was an upcoming election and Muduro wasn't going to win so he suspended the elections and made some changes to ensure his power. After he eliminated his competition (I think he jailed them for corruption or treason but I forget) he backed off on the gas price increase and had elections.   Eventually the U.S. decided to implement sanctions and not subtly hint that a regime change wouldn't be considered amiss. The country was already in financial distress when the sanctions began that is what kicked off the rioting but those sanctions definitely had bite. While the sanctions started out small and targeted they have increased until now they are widespread. The problem with sanctions though is the rich and powerful don't suffer as much, if at all, as the common person.

If the U.S. wanted their oil we would have used a different approach. This has taken oil off the market not put it on. IDK maybe the goal was to take oil off the market. Ostensibly the stated goal was to push for regime change that is more democratic/friendly to the U.S.

I would also like to comment on the assumption that the american people have much control over policy. We have a duopoly which isn't really a choice because both parties are corrupted through and through. Politicians work for the elite and spend their campaign money to find out what the voters want to hear and tell them what poles indicate they want to hear. As soon as the election is over they go back to work for the elite to get more money to lie to the common person.

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Re: The Empire vs Venezuela - News and History
« Reply #126 on: February 26, 2019, 08:34:03 AM »
I would hate to see you having to change your mind or at worst apologize to the people of Venezuela for being another person who is part of the systemic problems of this the world. You say in your reply to Neven that you want something done "about our addiction to fossil fuels" and yet your opinions, beliefs and words about Trump, Putin and Maduro are repeatedly undermining such 'noble' goals and outright denying your stated 'values' and 'political beliefs.'

Here is my plan for Trump, Putin and Maduro :

I would like all three of these autocrats in the US, Russia and Venezuela and their administrations OUT, and replaced by democratically elected progressive governments who will actually DO recognize the threat of climate change and ACT to phase out fossil fuels over the next few decades.

Yes, I know this is a ludicrous plan, unlikely to happen, but it's mine and you can't have it  ;)

What's YOUR plan ?
 
Incidentally, Maduro is (inadvertently) on track of phasing out fossil fuels, since he is running the entire Venezuelan oil industry into the ground :

« Last Edit: February 26, 2019, 08:57:25 AM by Rob Dekker »
This is our planet. This is our time.
Let's not waste either.

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Re: The Empire vs Venezuela - News and History
« Reply #127 on: February 26, 2019, 08:59:16 AM »
From the Democracy Now! video above
A Maduro Critic in Venezuela Slams U.S. Plan to Push Regime Change

 It's truly sad how dumbed down and self-deluded the bulk of the American people (and many in Europe) have become.

When the name calling begins the discourse is over.

But being a "dumb" American I will try anyway. https://forum.arctic-sea-ice.net/Smileys/default/grin.gif I remember back to when this started with Venezuelans rioting over corruption in their government. At the time gas prices were on the rise and the government wanted to increase the subsidized gasoline rate. Locals were upset because they would buy gas there and sell it outside the country for a profit. Chavez was dying and didn't want to be the bad guy so he let the problem get worse. Muduro announced an increase in Venezulan gas prices and rioting broke out. Muduro tried to ride it out but the anger was building. Muduro started blaming the U.S. for why they had financial problems.That is when the U.S. started expressing concern about the situation. There was an upcoming election and Muduro wasn't going to win so he suspended the elections and made some changes to ensure his power. After he eliminated his competition (I think he jailed them for corruption or treason but I forget) he backed off on the gas price increase and had elections.   Eventually the U.S. decided to implement sanctions and not subtly hint that a regime change wouldn't be considered amiss. The country was already in financial distress when the sanctions began that is what kicked off the rioting but those sanctions definitely had bite. While the sanctions started out small and targeted they have increased until now they are widespread. The problem with sanctions though is the rich and powerful don't suffer as much, if at all, as the common person.

If the U.S. wanted their oil we would have used a different approach. This has taken oil off the market not put it on. IDK maybe the goal was to take oil off the market. Ostensibly the stated goal was to push for regime change that is more democratic/friendly to the U.S.

I would also like to comment on the assumption that the american people have much control over policy. We have a duopoly which isn't really a choice because both parties are corrupted through and through. Politicians work for the elite and spend their campaign money to find out what the voters want to hear and tell them what poles indicate they want to hear. As soon as the election is over they go back to work for the elite to get more money to lie to the common person.

So if I have this correct, you have not had a look at any of the information, data, 'opinions' or the history that's been posted here in the previous 98 Posts before yours? Is that correct?

Sounds to me like you're 'winging' it. Sounds like you are not interested in learning anything new or more accurate than what you presently believe is 'true' or can still 'remember.'   

And for the record saying: "how dumbed down" is not the same as saying something like "interstitial is a dumb American" or "all Americans are dumb."

 That is saying two completely different things which have two completely different meanings.

However if what you intimate above is true " the American people do not have much control over policy" (and it does seem to be the case) then this does not strike me as the American people being intelligent or very smart. Would you at least agree with that statement, if nothing else in the prior 98 posts? 

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Re: The Empire vs Venezuela - News and History
« Reply #128 on: February 26, 2019, 10:42:34 AM »
Excellent idea. Now all we need to do is replicate that in the USA asap. Run the US economy into the ground too. Too easy. :) 

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Re: The Empire vs Venezuela - News and History
« Reply #129 on: February 26, 2019, 10:45:24 AM »


So if I have this correct, you have not had much of a look over the information, data, 'opinions' or the history that's been posted here in the previous posts. fair enough there is a lot. 

And for the record saying: "how dumbed down" is not the same as saying something like "all Americans are dumb"

For that is saying two completely different things which have completely different meanings.

However if what you intimate above is true " the American people do not have much control over policy" (and it does seem to be the case) then this does not strike me as "the American people" being intelligent or very smart. Of course they are not alone in that.

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Re: The Empire vs Venezuela - News and History
« Reply #130 on: February 26, 2019, 10:51:13 AM »
Here's a list of what I think are the most informative and most accurate videos about Venezuela at present. Copy and paste the [ urls ] into your browser

The Coup in Venezuela, Explained
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=STcepwXxwWA]

An Ocean of Lies on Venezuela: Abby Martin & UN Rapporteur Expose Coup
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ii5MlQgGXyk]

This Is Not Humanitarian Aid:
A Maduro Critic in Venezuela Slams U.S. Plan to Push Regime Change
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PH3AfGO-RvU]

Caracas Reporter Says: ‘US Plot in Venezuela failing’
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t45QYujLAWo]

Investigating Venezuela's 'humanitarian crisis':
Max Blumenthal tours a supermarket in Caracas
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mbXqGiNlWWw]

The real Venezuela: From Caracas, Prof. Aline Piva explains US coup attempt
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mRwrHO4Zi1g]

Venezuela, Maduro and Latin America (The History Boys)
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r05IcTGYL_I]

George Galloway on Venezuela (An appeal to Empathy and Justice)
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jsci1IJpG5M]

Noam Chomsky - History of US Rule in Latin America
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NKwJI9axblQ]

I suspect the next thread is likely to be titled "The Venezuelan War"

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Re: The Empire vs Venezuela - News and History
« Reply #131 on: February 26, 2019, 11:27:19 AM »
This thread is a shame that I wish I hadn't had the displeasure to find.
Don't confuse Venezuela with its current Tirano.
People are dying under Maduro's oppression. Migrating to countries like Spain as refugees because they simply don't have Bread to Eat.
I don't understand why this manipulated content is allowed in this forum.
But now that it is allowed: todo el cariño y el ánimo al pueblo venezolano desde Europa! Abajo la tiranía!


The Empire vs Venezuela? Seriously?

Venezuela vs. Reason
Venezuela vs. its own people
Socialism still doesn't work

These 3 are the real subjects, not the above

I am truly amazed by the spread of socilaism in the West especially amongst the youth. It can only happen to those who did not live in a totalitarian-socialist/communist regime. I did. I know how terrible it is and why it does not work. We had a joke: "Introduce socialism in the Sahara and soon sand will be in short supply". These regimes ALWAYS destroy human dignity, lead to opression, suffering, and lowered living standards. I can not comprehend how anyone can take the side of Maduro (Chavez).

The West has lived too well for too long. You do not appreciate what you have, that is why you will lose it and be sorry afterwards but it will be too late by then. Witness the stupidity of Trump and Brexit - the writing is on the wall.



UN Independent Expert: Venezuela Sanctions Must be Terminated and Economic War Must End
UN independent expert Alfred de Zayas discusses his recent trip to Venezuela and his impressions of the current situation

Alfred de Zayas   Latin America and the Caribbean   February 28, 2018

https://canadiandimension.com/articles/view/un-independent-expert-sanctions-must-be-terminated-and-economic-war-must-en

ZiF: What distinguishes the model in Venezuela?

AZ: It is a social model that wants to achieve a fairer distribution of the country’s wealth. Meanwhile, 2 million homes have been handed over to the poorer part of the population. Thus at least 8 million persons have benefitted from affordable apartments. There is also the so-called system of CLAP (Comité Local de Abastecimiento y Producción – Local Committee for supply and production), in which the government distributes food parcels to the poor. Those who cannot pay for the packages, receive them for free, of course.

ZiF: What does such a parcel contain?

AZ: I did open one when I was visiting one of the modern and very clean “Urbanizaciones” (government housing for the poor). There are 16 kg of food in it: sugar, rice, cooking oil, flour, cornmeal, milk powder, etc. A family gets such a parcel twice a month. Therefore, there is no “famine” in Venezuela, despite media reports and generalizations. There is, however, a shortage in several sectors, and some products are hard to get, but the population does not suffer from hunger as for example in many countries of Africa and Asia – or even in the favelas of São Paolo and other urban areas in Brazil and other Latin American countries.

There are mainly problems in the timely distribution of imported products – but this is predominantly the responsibility of the private sector, which often enough deliberately boycotts the distribution, sometimes stocks products in large warehouses and then takes them to the black market instead of delivering them to supermarkets — just to make a higher profit.

ZiF: What is special about the “Bolivarian Revolution”?

AZ: It is an alternative model to capitalism, to unregulated free market economics. It is not “Marxism”, and certainly not “Marxism-Leninism”. It is an attempt to give the capitalist system a humane face. Since 1999, when Hugo Chávez came to power, a certain reorientation of the country took place, which could set a precedent for Latin America and many developing economies.

There are major achievements, which the mainstream media systematically ignores – e.g. illiteracy was eliminated within shortest time (as was the case in Castro’s Cuba). School education is free, from kindergarten to university. There is a system of free medical care, a system of support for young mothers, a major effort at building affordable housing and expanding the public transport system.

ZiF: Today, if you read the New York Times or “inform” yourself about Venezuela on CNN or UN Watch etc., you repeatedly come across the concept of a “humanitarian crisis”.

AZ: I warn against this technical term, because a “humanitarian crisis” can be easily exploited to justify a so-called “humanitarian intervention” or to aim at a “regime change”, under the pretext that the government lets the population starve.

Some states pretend that the Venezuelan government can no longer guarantee the rights of the people. Hence, a humanitarian crisis emerged and now they want to intervene militarily to “save” the Venezuelan people from a failed socialist experiment.

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Re: The Empire vs Venezuela - News and History
« Reply #132 on: February 26, 2019, 12:36:35 PM »
 US issues fresh Venezuela-related sanctions after VP Pence affirms Washington’s support for Guaido
Published time: 25 Feb, 2019

Former Venezuelan vice president Ramon Carrizales and former minister of defense Jorge Garcia Carneiro have both been added to the list, along with Socialist Party politicians Rafael Lacava and Omar Prieto.

Hours earlier, Venezuelan Foreign Minister Jorge Arreaza blasted US actions on Monday and blamed his country’s economic problems on the US financial blockade and economic warfare

Pence also announced other restrictions: “As of today the US will impose additional new sanctions on regimes officials, including three border state governors linked to the weekend violence,” he said.

    Pence at Lima Group meeting on Venezuela: Threats and more targeted sanctions agains Maduro government allies and a lot of blah blah blah. The US and the Venezuelan opposition have no plan to achieve their goal, which is why all their 'false promises' could result in violence.
    — Eva Golinger (@evagolinger) February 25, 2019

Top Venezuelan figures already under US restrictions include Vice President Delcy Rodriguez, Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino Lopez, and Maduro's wife Cilia Adela Flores de Maduro.

But Washington’s sanctions are not just about individuals. The US has been steadily tightening economic sanctions on Venezuela in recent months and in January the Trump administration imposed sanctions on state oil giant PDVSA, freezing $7 billion of the company’s assets. All this added a negative effect to the nation’s wealth in general.

Despite this, independent journalists who have traveled to Venezuela have reported less chaos than has been depicted by Western media.

https://www.rt.com/news/452384-washington-fresh-venezuela-sanctions/

https://www.treasury.gov/resource-center/sanctions/OFAC-Enforcement/Pages/20190225.aspx

ASILurker

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Re: The Empire vs Venezuela - News and History
« Reply #133 on: February 26, 2019, 12:54:36 PM »
Here's a list of what I think are the most informative and most accurate videos about Venezuela at present. Copy and paste the [ urls ] into your browser

The Coup in Venezuela, Explained
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=STcepwXxwWA]

An Ocean of Lies on Venezuela: Abby Martin & UN Rapporteur Expose Coup
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ii5MlQgGXyk]

This Is Not Humanitarian Aid:
A Maduro Critic in Venezuela Slams U.S. Plan to Push Regime Change
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PH3AfGO-RvU]

The Coup Has Failed & Now the U.S. Is Looking to Wage War:
Venezuelan Foreign Minister Speaks Out
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7dim9uOsDuI]

Caracas Reporter Says: ‘US Plot in Venezuela failing’
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t45QYujLAWo]

Investigating Venezuela's 'humanitarian crisis':
Max Blumenthal tours a supermarket in Caracas
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mbXqGiNlWWw]

The real Venezuela: From Caracas, Prof. Aline Piva explains US coup attempt
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mRwrHO4Zi1g]

Venezuela, Maduro and Latin America (The History Boys)
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r05IcTGYL_I]

George Galloway on Venezuela (An appeal to Empathy and Justice)
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jsci1IJpG5M]

Noam Chomsky - History of US Rule in Latin America
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NKwJI9axblQ]


I suspect the next thread is likely to be titled "The Venezuelan War"

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Re: The Empire vs Venezuela - News and History
« Reply #134 on: February 26, 2019, 02:47:39 PM »
A little snippet for our Russian 'partners'

US amasses special ops in Puerto Rico, army in Colombia to oust Maduro – Russian Security Council - Published time: 26 Feb, 2019

Nikolay Patrushev: “We are ready for dialogue with the USA”  02/26/2019
The focus of the Security Council of the Russian Federation is foreign policy crises that may affect Russia. AiF discussed with Security Council Secretary Nikolai Patrushev where threats could come from.

Q: - Probably, the question that worries many today is the future of Venezuela. What is behind the attempts to render humanitarian aid to this country - concern for the Venezuelan people or the beginning of military intervention?

A: - The difficult humanitarian situation to which Washington refers is precisely triggered by US sanctions and an embargo. And in these conditions, humanitarian aid is being imposed. It is assumed that it will be rejected.

By showing sarcasm and arrogance towards the Venezuelan people, the United States is preparing a military invasion of an independent state. The transfer of American special operations forces to Puerto Rico, the landing of US forces in Colombia and other facts clearly indicate that the Pentagon is reinforcing the grouping of troops in the region in order to engage the legally elected incumbent President Maduro. And the Venezuelan people understand this well. Hence, such a reaction, the refusal to accept the goods from the aggressor country and the support of its president.

You can also add that the Americans offered to hold us separate consultations on Venezuelan issues. We agreed. However, after that they, under far-fetched pretexts, move away from holding them, each time postponing the agreed dates.


https://translate.google.com/translate?sl=auto&tl=en&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.aif.ru%2Fpolitics%2Fworld%2Fnikolay_patrushev_k_dialogu_s_ssha_my_gotovy

Original http://www.aif.ru/politics/world/nikolay_patrushev_k_dialogu_s_ssha_my_gotovy

via RT https://www.rt.com/news/452431-venezuela-us-oust-maduro/

Pmt111500

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Re: The Empire vs Venezuela - News and History
« Reply #135 on: February 26, 2019, 03:01:27 PM »
RE: Oil production falling.

How stupid would a country have to be to produce and sell oil if there are no reliable customers?

ASILurker

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Re: The Empire vs Venezuela - News and History
« Reply #136 on: February 27, 2019, 05:46:35 AM »
Venezuela set for more false flags… US puppet Guaido better watch his back.
Finian Cunningham
Published time: 26 Feb, 2019

What could such a shocking event entail? Somebody is telling the Lima Group that Guaido and his family are in grave danger of being assassinated. Guaido’s Popular Will party is known to engage in violent subversion and allegedly has links to the American CIA, as reported by Abby Martin and others.

As easily as they are lionized, US puppets can be just as easily disposed of. Guaido playing the dirty game of regime change with the most criminal organization in the world – the US government – is a very dangerous game. He’d better watch his back.


https://www.rt.com/op-ed/452490-venezuela-guaido-us-false-flag/

ASILurker

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Re: The Empire vs Venezuela - News and History
« Reply #137 on: February 27, 2019, 06:07:11 AM »
RE: Oil production falling.

How stupid would a country have to be to produce and sell oil if there are no reliable customers?

That's a sensible question. :)

The following may all be lies because it's from a Russian funded news service - and everyone  needs to know all Russians are habitual liars who cannot be trusted on anything. It's a DNA hereditary thing some guy in Washington said. (Clapper or the other one?)

Maybe check in with CNN, Bellingcat and the White House before presuming the data is true. (grin)

 Tankers loaded with 8.36 million barrels of crude are reportedly floating off the Venezuelan coast as the sanction-hit country struggles to find buyers for its oil.

The crude is worth upwards of half-a-billion dollars, according to shipping reports and ship-tracking data compiled by Bloomberg. An armada of 16 ships holds cargoes belonging to state oil company Petroleos de Venezuela SA (PDVSA), Chevron, Valero Energy and Rosneft Oil.

Sources told Bloomberg that oil ventures owned by PDVSA with Rosneft, Chevron, Total SA and Equinor ASA, whose upgraders convert tar-like Venezuelan crude into oil that refineries can process, reduced rates this week because they ran out of space to store crude. PDVSA had to put some of that oil onto tankers to clear space and continue to operate at lower rates.

Shipments to the United States, once Venezuela’s largest customer, have dried up, so that the South American nation had to turn its focus to other consumers, including China and India. Imports of Venezuela’s oil by India surged 66 percent in the first half of February to 620,000 barrels a day.

A person with knowledge of the situation said the PDVSA-Rosneft joint-venture, Petromonagas upgrader, isn’t processing oil after running out of space to store their production.

PDVSA-Chevron’s Petropiar venture has reduced output for the same reason, according to sources. They also said that Petrocedeno, a PDVSA-Total-Equinor venture, is running out of oil to process as a ban on sales of heavy naphtha to PDVSA has made it difficult to ship the heavy oil through pipelines from inland fields to the upgrader.

https://www.rt.com/business/452469-venezuela-oil-store-sanctions/

ASILurker

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Re: The Empire vs Venezuela - News and History
« Reply #138 on: February 27, 2019, 06:54:39 AM »
Text and videos from the Real News Network Baltimore ( not Russian Bots - grin )

The “Permanent War State” Aims to Plunder Venezuela – Wilkerson and Jay
February 26, 2019   

Trump promises “democracy and freedom” to Venezuela, delivered by Elliott Abrams who brought you illegal wars, coups, and support for dictatorships; and Mike Pompeo and VP Pence, both with deep ties to the Koch brothers who need Venezuelan heavy crude to feed their Texas refinery – Col. Larry Wilkerson joins TRNN’s Paul Jay
https://therealnews.com/stories/the-permanent-war-state-aims-to-plunder-venezuela-wilkerson-and-jay

Is Participatory Democracy the Solution to Venezuela’s Crisis?
February 25, 2019   

Atenea Jimenez, speaker of a Network of Communes in Venezuela, says that grassroots, collective decision-making is the key to solving Venezuela’s crisis
https://therealnews.com/stories/is-participatory-democracy-the-solution-to-venezuelas-crisis


Massive Protest 'demonstration-of-solidarity' in Support of the Bolivarian Revolution Largely Ignored - Maduro speaks in Public to crowd of ~100,000 (? ? I have no idea how accurate that is)
Published on 25 Feb 2019

While the world’s attention was focused on the Venezuelan opposition, as it tried to transport US aid into Venezuela against the government’s will, a major protest took place in Caracas that was opposed to US intervention in Venezuela.
 


It would be better to find an original video in full of this demonstration and speeches - I will try.
« Last Edit: February 27, 2019, 07:14:08 AM by Lurk »

ASILurker

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Re: The Empire vs Venezuela - News and History
« Reply #139 on: February 27, 2019, 07:08:16 AM »
NEWS FROM VENEZUELA TODAY FEBRUARY 23, 2019 ✅ LAST News today

Chavez leader Diosdado Cabello said Friday that former military counter intelligence leader Hugo Carvajal, who yesterday recognized Deputy Juan Guaidó as interim president of Venezuela, "negotiated" with the United States, a country that had requested it (accused him) for drug trafficking.

"We are not surprised, Carvajal has been gone for a long time, who is capable of negotiating with imperialism," Cabello told reporters from the Táchira state, where a concert against the entry of humanitarian aid is held. Colombian city from Cúcuta to Venezuela.

"I do not know how they do it because he is accused in the United States of drug trafficking (...), I assure you that now the crimes he has in the United States will be forgiven and they will open the doors to him, that is the immorality of US imperialism," he said Barbello the president of the pro-government National Constituent Assembly of Venezuela (ANC).

Alguien habla español aqui?


ASILurker

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Re: The Empire vs Venezuela - News and History
« Reply #140 on: February 27, 2019, 07:11:57 AM »
Venezuelan President Nicolas #Maduro announced he has decided to break all ties with the "fascist government of #Colombia" and gave Colombian ambassadors 24 hours to leave #Venezuela, while speaking at a rally in Caracas on Saturday (23 Feb 2019)







List of what I think are the most informative and most accurate videos about Venezuela
https://forum.arctic-sea-ice.net/index.php/topic,2571.msg190178.html#msg190178

ASILurker

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Re: The Empire vs Venezuela - News and History
« Reply #141 on: February 27, 2019, 07:16:37 AM »
Text and videos from the Real News Network Baltimore ( not Russian Bots - grin )

The “Permanent War State” Aims to Plunder Venezuela – Wilkerson and Jay
February 26, 2019   

Trump promises “democracy and freedom” to Venezuela, delivered by Elliott Abrams who brought you illegal wars, coups, and support for dictatorships; and Mike Pompeo and VP Pence, both with deep ties to the Koch brothers who need Venezuelan heavy crude to feed their Texas refinery – Col. Larry Wilkerson joins TRNN’s Paul Jay
https://therealnews.com/stories/the-permanent-war-state-aims-to-plunder-venezuela-wilkerson-and-jay

Is Participatory Democracy the Solution to Venezuela’s Crisis?
February 25, 2019   

Atenea Jimenez, speaker of a Network of Communes in Venezuela, says that grassroots, collective decision-making is the key to solving Venezuela’s crisis
https://therealnews.com/stories/is-participatory-democracy-the-solution-to-venezuelas-crisis


Massive Protest 'demonstration-of-solidarity' in Support of the Bolivarian Revolution Largely Ignored - Maduro speaks in Public to crowd of ~100,000 (? ? I have no idea how accurate that is)
Published on 25 Feb 2019

While the world’s attention was focused on the Venezuelan opposition, as it tried to transport US aid into Venezuela against the government’s will, a major protest took place in Caracas that was opposed to US intervention in Venezuela.
 


It would be better to find an original video in full of this demonstration and speeches - I will try.

Rob Dekker

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Re: The Empire vs Venezuela - News and History
« Reply #142 on: February 27, 2019, 09:26:59 AM »
Venezuela set for more false flags… US puppet Guaido better watch his back.

Wow. Just that. Wow.

The same scare tactics Russian propaganda used in Ukraine, and in Syria, they now also use in Venezuela.

Why do you amplify such sickening threats, Lurk, by posting this shit here on the ASIF ?
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Re: The Empire vs Venezuela - News and History
« Reply #143 on: February 27, 2019, 09:55:58 AM »
RE: Oil production falling.

How stupid would a country have to be to produce and sell oil if there are no reliable customers?

Lurk produces so much FUD on this thread that it's hard to get some basic data and reason across.

Let me try again :

Venezuela provides oil to the world market.
That market is pretty reliable, currently consuming about 93 million barrels per day.

Venezuela currently produces a bit more than 1 million barrels per day. You think they can't find any customers for that ?

The problem (of the decline) is in production. Venezuela under Maduro simply did not invest in maintenance of their oil production and refinement industry. Which caused it to decline.
EIA states this :

https://www.eia.gov/beta/international/analysis.php?iso=VEN

Quote
Reduced capital expenditures by state–owned oil and natural gas company Petròleos de Venezuela, S.A. (PdVSA) are resulting in foreign partners continuing to cut activities in the oil sector, making crude oil production losses increasingly widespread. With Venezuela’s heavy dependency on the oil industry, the country’s economy will likely continue to shrink, and that the runaway inflation will remain the mainstay at least in the short term.

Venezuela's main customers are China, India and the US.

Of these, the US has been very reliable, even AFTER the recent (Jan 2019) sanctions against Venezuelan oil industry. For example, in the week ending 2/15 (AFTER the sanctions), US imported 558 k barrels/day (3.9 million barrels for the week) of Venezuelan oil, which is pretty typical over the past couple of years :

https://www.eia.gov/dnav/pet/hist/LeafHandler.ashx?n=PET&s=W_EPC0_IM0_NUS-NVE_MBBLD&f=W

Finally, in terms of payments, China and Russia seems to have more of a stranglehold on Venezuela than the US does, and the US seems to be the one still paying in cash :

EIA:

Quote
Venezuela’s revenue from oil exports is severely constricted because only about half of the exports generate cash revenues. U.S. refiners are among the few customers that still remit cash payments. The remaining crude oil exports are sold domestically at a loss or sent as loan repayments to China and Russia (the repayments to Russia are sent to Nayara Energy’s (formerly Essar) Vadinar refinery in India to service debt that Venezuela owes to Russian oil company Rosneft, the co–owner of the Vadinar refinery).

Which explains why Russia has such a strong interest in keeping Maduro in power.
Even to the point where they send in Russian contract soldiers (from Prigozhin's Wagner group) into Venezuela (the actual military intervention that nobody talks about) to protect Maduro :

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/jan/25/venezuela-maduro-russia-private-security-contractors
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Re: The Empire vs Venezuela - News and History
« Reply #144 on: February 27, 2019, 10:09:09 AM »
So, Rob, are you with Trump or with Putin on this one?  ;D

Trump. Putin. Maduro.

Three autocrats in charge of :

- The biggest oil producing country in the world, and
- The biggest oil exporting country in the world, and
- The biggest oil reserves in the world.

I don't like either of these guys.
Not just because they are autocrats, but also because they will die before they would do anything about our addiction to fossil fuels.

Nice dodge, Rob. You're with Trump on this one. And with Bolton and Abrams and all the other neocon SOBs that should've been put on some Nuremberg-type trials a long time ago. But Trump is Putin's puppet, so you're basically a Kremlinbot.

Good luck with the cognitive dissonance.

Quote
Here is my plan for Trump, Putin and Maduro :

I would like all three of these autocrats in the US, Russia and Venezuela and their administrations OUT, and replaced by democratically elected progressive governments who will actually DO recognize the threat of climate change and ACT to phase out fossil fuels over the next few decades.

And you want to do all of that in undemocratic ways to further promote neoliberal globalism. Ever heard of unintended consequences?

Venezuela needs to be left alone by the US and Russia and everybody else, sanctions need to be lifted immediately, diplomacy restored, and the media needs to stop this excessively riling sensationalism, especially if it's promoting misinformation (which is copied verbatim and uncritically in Austrian newspapers, I saw on Monday).
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Rob Dekker

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Re: The Empire vs Venezuela - News and History
« Reply #145 on: February 27, 2019, 10:12:43 AM »
So, Rob, are you with Trump or with Putin on this one?  ;D

Trump. Putin. Maduro.

Three autocrats in charge of :

- The biggest oil producing country in the world, and
- The biggest oil exporting country in the world, and
- The biggest oil reserves in the world.

I don't like either of these guys.
Not just because they are autocrats, but also because they will die before they would do anything about our addiction to fossil fuels.

Nice dodge, Rob. You're with Trump on this one. And with Bolton and Abrams and all the other neocon SOBs that should've been put on some Nuremberg-type trials a long time ago. But Trump is Putin's puppet, so you're basically a Kremlinbot.

I've been called an "eco-terrorist" and a "neocon", a "neo-liberal" and a host of other names.
But never, ever, a "Kremlinbot". That's a first, Neven, and I'm really not sure I follow your reasoning on how you got there, especially since I tend to expose what Russia is DOING rather than what they are SAYING.

Like sending Wagner Group into Venezuela.
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ASILurker

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Re: The Empire vs Venezuela - News and History
« Reply #146 on: February 27, 2019, 10:14:02 AM »
RE: Oil production falling.

How stupid would a country have to be to produce and sell oil if there are no reliable customers?

Lurk produces so much FUD on this thread that it's hard to get some basic data and reason across.

Oh Pulease get rational one day soon. What a dumb comment. Take responsibility for your own comments, data and refs and stop blaming other people for it being so "hard." You poor oppressed soul.

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Re: The Empire vs Venezuela - News and History
« Reply #147 on: February 27, 2019, 10:20:52 AM »
I've been called an "eco-terrorist" and a "neocon", a "neo-liberal" and a host of other names.
But never, ever, a "Kremlinbot". That's a first, Neven, and I'm really not sure I follow your reasoning on how you got there, especially since I tend to expose what Russia is DOING rather than what they are SAYING.

Because you're with the Putin puppet that is pushing for covert regime change to destroy yet another country. If you're with the Putin puppet on such an illegal and immoral undertaking, you're obviously a Kremlinbot.
The enemy is within
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Re: The Empire vs Venezuela - News and History
« Reply #148 on: February 27, 2019, 10:26:14 AM »
Quote
Here is my plan for Trump, Putin and Maduro :

I would like all three of these autocrats in the US, Russia and Venezuela and their administrations OUT, and replaced by democratically elected progressive governments who will actually DO recognize the threat of climate change and ACT to phase out fossil fuels over the next few decades.

And you want to do all of that in undemocratic ways to further promote neoliberal globalism. Ever heard of unintended consequences?

I'm not sure what's going on here.

Didn't I just write : "and replaced by democratically elected progressive governments " ?

If you can agree that that is what I just wrote, why do you say : "And you want to do all of that in undemocratic ways to further promote neoliberal globalism" ?

What's going on here ?
« Last Edit: February 27, 2019, 10:45:50 AM by Rob Dekker »
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ASILurker

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Re: The Empire vs Venezuela - News and History
« Reply #149 on: February 27, 2019, 10:41:54 AM »
OK, so here is a normal everyday person / pro-Chavistas from Venezuela. She comes across (to me) as both educated and intelligent. Plus down to earth.

Via Real News already posted above with video
- Is Participatory Democracy the Solution to Venezuela's Crisis? -
https://therealnews.com/stories/is-participatory-democracy-the-solution-to-venezuelas-crisis

Listen to the question from @ 03:00

I am editing some of the text translation from the website/video because imho it is not correct in places - for original Spanish use the YouTube transcript.

Quote
Atenea Jimenez: Our position, now, before he even assumes the presidency. There are already happening very dangerous things for the spokesmen, men and women for popular power. In the neighborhoods we’ve already had confrontations between opposition members and CLAPand Communal Council representatives.

We’ve had to evacuate our fellows because their lives were in danger.

We are not talking about the future. Right now we already have conflicts in the communities, as you can imagine, the Commune is made of smaller communities, where there is opposition to us, there are all kinds of political stances.

At the moment of Guaido’s self proclamation, there was a moment of victory for the opposition, which generates more confrontation within the people’s ranks. We are worried about this, because no one is paying attention or doing anything about it, amid the current larger political crisis, between the government and the opposition.

Our people, the Communas’s spokespeople, have been confronted in the neighborhoods, and even in rural areas. They have been threatened. It needs to be recognized the fact that there are communal lands which are still in dispute, farmers’s lands that are in dispute. And the larger contradictions and crisis have intensified such disputes.

And no one is attending to that, because there is a terrible ungovernability because of issues with police and district attorneys’ offices and institutionality in general. So as of now our people are more vulnerable than ever.

The biggest fear of all is that a self-proclamation of a president nobody voted for is legitimized.

If these kinds of things are happening now it is a risky situation in which, as Communa spokespeople, we all fear that Guaido gets confirmed as president because there would be a lack of guarantees for us to do our political job.

But in the context of the political dispute, the government has not assumed the defense of representatives, like those of CLAP and Network of Communers, in the field, where an opposition activist (thug?) may unleash on them their hatred against Maduro.

Those are the risks that as defenders of the people we run into every day.

@6:03
Dimitri Lascaris: The narrative that we hear in the West, particularly in the United States, but also in other Western countries, like Canada, from political leaders on the right and also from the corporate media is that fundamentally, Venezuela’s problems stem from the fact that it is a socialist system, and it’s governed by a brutal dictator. Is that—is there any truth to that narrative, in your view? And if not, what do you think that Canadians and Americans and Europeans need to understand about what is really happening here?

Atenea Jimenez: The first thing is that in Venezuela "Socialism" does not exist. We have been constructing a State of SOCIAL Justice and Equality. We have been building it, despite an international blockade, despite (a War against Venezuela) by the great Imperialistic powers trying to enter Venezuela for 20 years now.

We have a democracy that mixes (protagonist) representative democracy with participative democracy.

But what "reigns" supreme" is a capitalist system - that remains dependent on minerals, oil, and lately gold extraction.

Really, no no no, we can not say that we are under a Dictatorship because there is a socialist system, because it is not True!

Popular / communal councils and communes they are an expression of direct power of direct democracy and popular power, an exercise of citizen power where people in a community express what their projects and their priorities are and will be.

Before Chavez that was just not possible. You elected a congressman or representative and he got to decide which projects were the priorities of that community. But now people can decide for themselves in popular assemblies. This obviously is a permanent construction / situation now.

So what has failed is the capitalist dependent system, which we all have the automatic responsibility to make or break. That is what we as popular power have been proposing for a while now; how to organize our people, our productive working people, our indigenous and farmers organized to rule themselves.