Next Discussion Group
For
our next Discussion Group (date to be announced) we propose
to read and talk about what went wrong with the Referemdum,
US intervention in Venezuela, and the state of the opposition.
In
the new struggle:
Has the right gotten stronger?
Why the abstention?
What was the role of the church, the private media, the US?
Proposed
readings: Three articles by James
Petras
Venezuelan
Referendum: A Post-Mortem and its Aftermath
James Petras – December 3, 2007
Venezuela’s constitutional reforms supporting President Chavez’s
socialist project were defeated by the narrowest of margins:
1.4% of 9
million voters. The result however was severely compromised
by the fact
that 45% of the electorate abstained, meaning that only 28%
of the
electorate voted against the progressive changes proposed by
President
Chavez.
Venezuela:
Between Ballots and Bullets
James Petras, November 16, 2007
Venezuela's democratically elected Present Chavez faces the
most serious threat since the April 11, 2002 military coup.
CIA
Venezuela Destabilization Memo Surfaces
November 28th 2007, by James Petras
On November 26, 2007 the Venezuelan government broadcast and
circulated a confidential memo from the US embassy to the CIA
which is devastatingly revealing of US clandestine operations
and which will influence the referendum this Sunday, December
2, 2007.
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Last
Discussion Group
In our last Discussion Group
we discussed the proposed constitutional changes, which were
not approved.
However, the socialist process will continue.
The constitutional reforms would have provided an extraordinary
power to propel the Bolivarian process forward at a greater
pace, helping with the creation of federal cities, for example,
where a region of extremely economically disadvantaged people
could have been converted into a region, a Mission as they say
in Venezuela, that would directly implement the solutions to
their problems with funding of the government.
The
articles listed below are references to the proposed reforms.
September
17th 2007, by Salim Lamrani
The
constitutional reform project introduced by the Venezuelan President
has provoked an unprecedented media frenzy but only concentrated
on the proposed change that would repeal the limit on presidential
terms. However, neither France, United Kingdom, Germany,
Italy, and most other European nations have presidential term
limits. Why is it that what is acceptable in the West is not
acceptable for Third World nations?
August, 2007
On
August 15th, 2007, President Chavez announced proposed reforms
to the Venezuelan Constitution. If approved, the reforms
would alter various sections of the 1999 Constitution, which
was ratified by the general public through a national referendum
with a 71.78% 'yes' vote. The
public must also approve the new reforms through a national
vote.
Some
Aspects of Venezuela's Constitutional Reform
September 5th 2007, by
Eduardo Dimas - Progreso Weekly
The
criticism that President Hugo Chávez's proposal for a constitutional
reform is a way to remain indefinitely in power does not take
into consideration that he would still have to be elected by
the Venezuelan people. Chávez has already been elected
four times, if we include the famous recall referendum of 2004,
which was a vote of confidence in his administration.
September 21st 2007
An interview of Noam Chomsky
by Eva Golinger. Chomsky talks about People's Power, the Bolivarian
revolution, and the media.
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