Opposition’s little man 'the candidate of imperialism'

I wrote the following article for the current issue of Green Left Weekly newspaper:

Venezuela: Opposition’s little man 'the candidate of imperialism' 

By Owen Richards

The International Consulting Services poll revealed that if the presidential elections were held tomorrow in Venezuela, 58.2% would vote for Hugo Chavez. Image from VTV. 

“The confrontation here isn’t between Chavez and this little man, it’s the bourgeoisie against the people, the empire against the country”, Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez said on February 16.

Chavez was referring to his newly-nominated presidential opponent, Henrique Capriles Radonski. He was pointing to the class battle that lies behind the looming presidential elections scheduled for October 7.

Radonski, a 39-year-old lawyer and governor of Miranda state, won the endorsement of the right-wing Democratic Unity Forum (MUD) bloc on February 12. He won with 62% of 1.8 million votes in a primary process marked by allegations of irregularities. 

Henrique Capriles Radonski

The MUD used the National Electoral Commission (CNE) to run its primaries despite for years claiming the CNE is a fraudulent, corrupt tool of the Chavez government. The MUD's publicised participation figures were revealed to be mathematically improbable.

The MUD’s electoral council also burned all the cast ballots almost immediately after the conclusion of the day’s voting, despite the fact that several candidates wished to appeal vote counts.

However irregular the process, the selection of Radonski to go head-to-head with Chavez for the presidential sash opens the election campaign proper. The selection of a candidate must come as some relief to the perennially-divided right-wing bloc. 

But who is Radonski, and what does he stand for? 

In the MUD he is considered a moderate with a view to turn Venezuela down the road to a Brazil-style social-democratic capitalism. He calls himself a “progressive” of neither the left nor the right. 

In deference to the overwhelming popular enthusiasm for the revolution’s social missions that have benefited millions of Venezuela's poor, he feigns support. But Radonski opposes their being funded through oil revenues.

His campaign slogan, “there is a way” mimics vacuous political slogans from capitalist elections everywhere -- it provides little indication of his actual political stance.

Contrary his moderate credentials, Radonski is infamous for his role in leading a violent siege of the Cuban embassy during the April 2002 US-backed military coup. During the coup, Chavez -- the elected president -- was kidnapped before being returned to the presidency by a mass uprising of workers and soldiers.

Radonski is from one of Venezuela’s wealthiest families.

In response to Radonski’s nomination as the opposition’s candidate, Chavez welcomed him to the electoral race. But Chavez challenged him to come up with more than a slogan, and to “confront me with ideas”. 

Chavez characterised Radonski as “the candidate of imperialism, of the bourgeoisie's pro-coup sector”. 

He also attacked Radonski’s claimed support for the social missions while opposing their state funding through the state-owned oil company, PDVSA. He said Radonski would return the company to “the capitalists, the transnationals”.

The National Assembly's first vice-president Aristobulo Isturiz said Radonski “is toying with a retrogression. This candidate is the past, because he wants to take us back to neoliberalism”.

Isturiz said such moves would put Venezuela in the same situation as the European nations of today. He said Venezuela’s “indignados” (the name for members of the Spanish anti-neoliberal mass movement) fought and defeated neoliberalism.

Early indications are that the pro-revolution forces organised under the Chavez-led Great Patriotic Pole electoral alliance will comfortably return Chavez to the presidency. 

A study carried out by the International Consulting Services (ICS) indicated that if a poll were held now, 58.2% of Venezuela’s population would vote for Hugo Chavez against 35.4% for Radonski. 

The ICS also found in a January study that 53% of Venezuelans support Chavez’s socialist vision for the nation, with only 21% saying they believed capitalism was the best system to develop Venezuela. 

The Group of Social Investigation XXI (GIS XXI) found Chavez to have a popularity rating of 61.2%.

As the presidential battle continues to heat up, Chavez's United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV), the biggest force in the electoral alliance, stepped up its activity. 

Chavez has dubbed the campaign the Carabobo campaign. This refers to the 1821 Battle of Carabobo that was decisive in winning Venezuelan independence from Spain. 

A huge rally of PSUV grassroots “patrollers” was held on February 17 to bring together and organise PSUV members for the political battle ahead. 

A mass campaign of door-knocking has already begun. By February 16, PSUV patrollers had visited a total of 417,000 homes in a first phase of house-to-house deployment. More than just soliciting support for Chavez, the patrollers discuss socialism and encourage participation in the revolution’s programs.

[Owen Richards maintains the blog Venezuela: Translating the Revolution.]

New call to voluntary labour

www.revolucionomuerte.org

Translated by Owen Richards 

Comandante Chavez, in a meeting with the promotions committee of the Great Patriotic Pole [pro-revolution electoral alliance], held on Thursday at the Alba Hotel Caracas, reflected on the construction of socialism and its pillars. He referred to the importance of volunteer work for the creation of the spiritual and material bases of Socialism, and gave the example of one of its most genuine adherents – Che Guevara.

“There’s something that really contributes to the spiritual basis, the material basis of Socialism: voluntary labour.

“I encourage you to undertake volunteer work in the countryside, in the cities, that we may all - the Great Patriotic Pole, the collectives – get working.

“Have you seen Che Guevara, the photos and films of Che cutting cane, brick making, working…? What else… Carrying bags… Voluntary labour, let’s do it, help our people do various things, and it needs to be planned, it must be planned. The workers, the communities, the collectives.”

A budget for socialist development

Minister Faria: 2012 budget corresponds to the development of a socialist project

Caracas, 13 December, AVN

Translation by Owen Richards

The vice-president of the Permanent Commission of Finance and Development in the National Assembly, Jesus Faria, said that the budget for 2012 corresponds to a socialist development project for Venezuela.

China-Venezuela financed housing in Nueva Esparta

He mentioned this on Tuesday after the session that approved the national budget, which will provide 40% for social investment, which was voted against by the opposition bloc.

“It’s going to raise the level of health and education services, of housing, and of the overall quality of life of Venezuelans”, he explained.

He said that the Budgetary Law for 2012 that reaches 297.8 billion Bolivares [US$69.34 billion] is aimed at meeting the people’s needs.

Faria ratified, furthermore, how important social and productive financing had been for the country, through such instruments as National Development Fund (Fonden) and the China-Venezuela Joint Fund.

“Without these funds it would have been impossible for us (as the government) to meet the needs of the population and to have a growing economy for 2011 and 2012”.

He pointed out that resources for social investment obtained through the Joint Fund with China benefit the nation because they come with interest rates at least 50% lower than those imposed by the rest of the international financial system.

Chavez: 2012 will be the October revolution

Ciudadccs.info 

7 December 2011

At the beginning of a Miraflores press conference, president Hugo Chavez recalled his victory of the December 6 1998, a victory which took place 13 years ago yesterday. He also referred to the coming election day for October 2012, declaring, “We’re going to win the elections. There will be an October revolution, and the projected difference (in votes) shouldn’t be less than four million”.

“We’re heading to the victory of the ten million. We have to get 70% of votes”, he said.

He pointed out that in its 13 years, the revolution had “put the icing on the cake” with the birth of the Community of Latin American and Carribean States (CELAC). He indicated that the creation of the regional bloc was a historic milestone, in the same way as Venezuelans’ participation in the various electoral activities that have taken place since his arrival in power in 1998 had been.

“I don’t think there’s been a more important political event on this continent in the last 100 years”. Chavez emphasized that the impact of the CELAC summit “had been extraordinarily positive”.  “It has surpassed our greatest expectations. There are various opinions (…) it’s unity in diversity”, he said, referring a Spanish journalist’s question about Ecuador’s proposal to approve decisions by consensus within the organization.

Chavez said CELAC had to be a defense against imperialist madness. Furthermore, he pointed out that it was born with major geopolitical weight. “CELAC will not be like the ineffable OAS [Organization of American States]”, he said.

He said that there was a proposal for a meeting of the troika to be held early next year, but clarified that it was a decision that belonged to Chile as president of the summit. He criticized the media, saying “they invert reality, presenting the villains as the heroes”.

Translated by Owen Richards

Socialist youth support indignados

JPSUV supports indignados of the world

Translated by Owen Richards

Aporrea – This Thursday, members of the United Socialist Party of Venezuela Youth (JPSUV) expressed their solidarity with the movements of indignados of the world that are protesting capitalism.

The head of the PSUV’s electoral work, Heryck Rangel, said that the capitalist system imposed on the European countries generated unemployment and few opportunities for the world’s youth, a situation that has compelled thousands of indignados to march to reclaim their rights.

 

“Capitalism is in a terrible crisis that mainly effects the youth, and therefore us young Venezuelans, who live in a totally different reality, we’re taking to the streets of Caracas and all of Venezuela today in solidarity with the struggle of the indignados”, he said.

Rangel pointed out that the mass media tries to silence the struggle of the world’s millions, and for this reason he called on all Venezuelan youth to show solidarity with the indignados and “to show the world that only with socialism can we have a future and a good life”.

He argued that the struggle that the world’s peoples have now undertaken against capitalism is the same struggle that liberated Venezuela in the last few years of the twentieth century. “Let’s recall the Caracazo, [and] the banking crisis of ’94”, he added.

He said that today in Venezuela it could be said “we live in a different reality, in a country where the youth have access to free, quality education, while the rest of the world’s youth are losing their homes, their jobs, and are mortgaging their future”.

Indignados unite!

By Ana Elisa Osorio 

Translated by Owen Richards

The crisis of the capitalist system has provoked the “indignados” movement that has arisen in one country after another across the globe. Revolutionaries cannot be dismissive of this “anti-systemic” manifestation that raises its voice against injustice, against war, against the barbarism that puts our very life on Earth in danger.

Ana Elisa Osorio

It’s true that the “indignados” movement is heterogeneous, and is considered by many to be incapable of overthrowing imperialism. Certainly imperialism has been able to recuperate after each of the crises it has survived. Nevertheless, we shouldn’t overlook the enormous setback it has suffered, perhaps the worst in the history of capitalism.

I’m reminded of a song that goes, “I only ask of God that I be not indifferent to suffering … to war … to injustice”.

There’s much to be indignant about. The predatory capitalism that threatens Mother Earth and all her children; the gendarme imperialism that flaunts international treaties and all morality, that invades Afghanistan, Irak, and Libya, and assassinates Gadaffi. Ought we not be moved to indignation?

The anti-imperialist struggle can become the guiding thread of a global revolt that shakes the common enemy. We cannot leave this flag in the hands of the majunches [the dull, i.e. the Venezuelan opposition] who think they see an opportunity to organize an indignados movement in our country. They’re wrong, the flag is ours – it’s for justice, solidarity, peace. It’s against everything they stand for.

On the other hand, internationalism is characteristic of revolutions, and this is an opportunity to exercise it. Our Bolivarian revolution is called upon to articulate anti-imperialist, anti-capitalist, anti-system struggles. This struggle is ours as well.

Onward indignados! Unite!

[Ana Elisa Osorio is a national directorate member of the United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV).]

Hugo Chavez applauds OWS protesters, condemns police violence

[This article originally appeared in Green Left Weekly]

Sunday, October 16, 2011

By Owen Richards

 

Venezuela’s socialist president Hugo Chavez has likened the Occupy Wall Street movement in the United States to Venezuela’s February 1989 Caracazo riots against neoliberal policies that are widely seen as the start of Venezuela's revolutionary process.

Chavez made the comments by phone on the television program Dando y Dando on October 5.

Chavez also expressed solidarity with the protesters and condemned police repression of peaceful protest. “This movement of popular outrage is expanding ... and the repression is horrible, I don’t know how many are in prison now,” he said.

Discussing the roots of the popular explosion, he said: “Poverty’s growing. The misery is getting worse”.

The Caracazo broke out across Venezuela after a “shock package” of neoliberal reforms was introduced by then-president Carlos Andres Perez involving drastic price hikes in fuel and transport costs. 

It was a popular explosion of anger by Venezuela’s working people and destitute masses. It marked the beginning of the end of the rule of Venezuela’s capitalist oligarchy. 

Three years later, Chavez lead a failed military rebellion aimed at toppling the Andres Perez regime and establishing a popular revolutionary government. The attempt failed, but it earned Chavez and his military comrades immense respect among Venezuela’s poor majority. On the back of this mass support, Chavez was elected president in December 1998.

In his comments, Chavez characterized the Caracazo as “a forerunner to what we are seeing in Europe, and in North America, huge protests” against neoliberalism. In the Caracazo, “the Venezuelan people struck out against neoliberalism, against the Washington consensus, and here a revolution broke out”.

Venezuela has provided an example of an alternative approach to neoliberialism. The Chavez government has continued to nationalise more and more of Venezuela’s productive forces, starting with the biggest monopoly corporations in areas such as steel, electricity and telecommunications, to benefit Venezuela as a whole, not just the rich.

Venezuelanalysis.com said on October 11 that Chavez announced that houses built illegally on the Los Roques islands would be nationalised and turned into holiday resorts for workers and the poor. Until now, the archepelago has been frequented by Venezuela’s rich and international tourists.

Commenting on the nationalisation, Chavez said: “The upper class bourgeoisie privatised all of that, and that’s what we are going to expropriate.” 

He also announced that yachts appropriated from fugitive bankers would be used for sight-seeing tours in the region.

[Owen Richards is the author of the Venezuela: translating the revolution blog.]