Venezuela News Summary #52 By Michael Fox - Venezuelanalysis.com
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El Salvador news update. Lara Pullin Pt1.
Lara Pullin describes the political tensions in El Salvador which are growing even though it is almost a year before Presidential elections are to be held. Death Squad activity is on the rise, and much of it seems to have been sponsored by the US, while peasant dissidents are classed as 'terrorists' because of their opposition to a growing campaign of privatisation.
El Salvador news update. Lara Pullin Pt 2.
Lara Pullin tells us how the political tensions leading up to next year's Presidential elections in El Salvador are not just limited to this tiny nation of 6 million people. The solidarity organisation CISPES has been targetted by the FBI in the US, because its activists sent an invitation to the FMLN's presidential candidate, and hosted him for a speaking tour of the US. Suddenly Quakers, human rights advocates and other US citizens are being regarded as suspected terrorists, or terrorist supporters.
Venezuelan People vs Exxon Mobil. - Lisa MacDonald reports a win for the People.
Lisa puts us in the picture, with the latest development in the ExxonMobil legal challenge to the Venezuelan government's buyout of foreign ownership shares in the oil industry - often referred to as 'nationalisation'. The Venezuelan government just wants 51% control over its national resources. Exxon Mobil rejected the Venezuelan government's generous compensation/bouyout offer (although most other oil companies were happy enough), and tried to freeze 3.5 billion dollars of Venezuelan assets around the world. The London judge threw it out of court.
[Note: poor sound quality - technological fixes on the way]
2.4Mb. 56kbps. mono 5:49
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Caracas, Venezuela - Fred Fuentes reports. March 22 '08
Fred Fuentes in Caracas Venezuela reports on the continuing effects of the confrontation with Colombia several weeks ago. The latest meeting of the Organisation of American States was remarkable in the inability of the US to dominate proceedings, as it has done in the past.
3.6 Mb.56kbps mono 8:56 mins
Slideshow:Chronology of the 4th Generation War Against Venezuela
The US Government is waging war on Venezuela - not your typical, traditional war, but a modern, asymmetric - 4th Generation War - against President Chávez and the Bolivarian Revolution. Below is a presentation I created regarding the pattern and escalation of US Government aggression against Venezuela, with clear quotes and cites as evidence to back up this claim.
-- Eva Golinger: Posctcards from the Revolution
-- Eva Golinger: Posctcards from the Revolution
Roberto Perez Live in the Studio
19.3MB 64kbps mono 42:13min
Roberto Perez talks about the Cuban way into a sustainable future.This is a truly excellent and wide ranging interview fostered by an informed interviewer which discusses Permaculture, and the role of solidarity with Cuba.
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VIDEO SOURCE:Mullumbimby Community Action Group was formed in response to Woolworth's potential high-jacking of our local economy with their multinational globalisation policies. In contrast, we aim to localise; strengthen our economy sustainably, building community solidarity and resilience at this time of global warming and peak oil.
Report from Bolivia - Rachel Evans
Rachel Evans describes three month stay in Bolivia where she witnessed the social revolution of the Morales government - the first indigenous leader to be elected in a country that suffered 193 coups in two hundred years - mainly between rival factions of a military elite. The veins of Bolivia's rich mineral resources were open, first to Spain, and then, after the war of independence from Spain, the US. Now, for the first time the Bolivian people are reclaiming their right to be free from exploitation, but not without a lot of kicking and screaming from the entrenched oligarchic and military elite. Morales has his work cut out for him.
The LA aftermath - Fred Fuentes in Caracas
Fred Fuentes gets us focussed on just how important the recent reconciliation of three Latin American countries - Colombia, Ecuador, and Venezuela - is to Latin America. Last week they were close to being on a war footing. The three countries declared that they were reconciled during an Inter-american conference in Santo Domingo, often regarded as trivial, because the agenda is usually driven by the US. But it has become obvious to the Latin American world community that the 'divide and conquer' regional wedging politics of the US is just not on. The Colombian President Uribe was isolated in the Latin American community and had to back down on his warlike actions of last week. It seems that a new pattern is being set for Latin American forums and meetings of national leaders that is less responsive to the US agenda. Chavez' peace initiatives (not to mention his credentials) have been strengthened by the incident, in spite of increased efforts by the US driven media to demonise him.11.2Mb. 96kbps mono 17:20 mins
Roberto Perez - Empowering Community - Part 1
Roberto Perez shares his experience of sustainable development and permaculture in Cuba. He works for the Foundation for Nature and Humanity in Havana.Participating: Robyn Francis from Erda Institute, Nimbin.
Questions by Wolfgang and Matthias from Nimbin Radio 2NIM-FM 102.3
Recorded at Djunbung Gardens, Nimbin, 10 March 2008
Roberto Perez - Empowering Community - Part 2
Roberto Perez shares his experience of sustainable development and permaculture in Cuba. He works for the Foundation for Nature and Humanity in Havana.Participating: Robyn Francis from Erda Institute, Nimbin.
Questions by Wolfgang and Matthias from Nimbin Radio 2NIM-FM 102.3
9.05MB 96kbps mono 13:10min
Recorded at Djunbung Gardens, Nimbin, 10 March 2008
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Roberto Perez - Empowering Community - Part 3
Roberto Perez shares his experience of sustainable development and permaculture in Cuba. He works for the Foundation for Nature and Humanity in Havana.Participating: Robyn Francis from Erda Institute, Nimbin.
Questions by Wolfgang and Matthias from Nimbin Radio 2NIM-FM 102.3
Recorded at Djunbung Gardens, Nimbin, 10 March 2008
Roberto Perez - Empowering Community - Part 4
Roberto Perez shares his experience of sustainable development and permaculture in Cuba. He works for the Foundation for Nature and Humanity in Havana.Participating: Robyn Francis from Erda Institute, Nimbin.
Questions by Wolfgang and Matthias from Nimbin Radio 2NIM-FM 102.3
Recorded at Djunbung Gardens, Nimbin, 10 March 2008
Latest threat to Venezuela - Fred Fuentes; Colombia menaces the region
Fred Fuentes calls community radio station 2NimFM with breaking news from Caracas. Troops are being mobilised to guard the borders with Columbia, in Venezuela and Ecuador after Colombia's incursion into Ecuador to 'take out' a FARC (Colombian rebel) guerilla leader. Tensions are high in both Ecuador and Venezuela. The Colombian government seems to be piqued that Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez has achieved something that the Colombian government couldn't bring itself to do for the last decade - achieved the release of high profile hostages by the Colombian FARC guerillas.The Colombian military intervened at a critical moment in last months hostage release in an apparent attempt to sabotage the efforts of Hugo Chavez, but without success. With the assistance of US satellite intelligence they located a temporary camp of a Colombian guerilla leader (who had committed himself to releasing more hostages shortly) a few kilometers inside Ecuador, strafed it with cluster bombs, and made an incursion into Ecuadorian territory to find the leader's body, and put it on display in the Colombian press. All done without consultation with the President of Ecuador. Now both Ecuador and Venezuela have severed diplomatic relations with Colombia.
Colombia has deployed troops to the Venezuelan border, and a further escalation will put all three countries on a war footing. Important regional meetings and conferences between South American presidents to decide economic and political issues have been cancelled or disrupted. Latin America is experiencing a political and social earthquake.
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10.3Mb. 96kbps mono 15mins
Venezuela's evolving politics - Fred Fuentes in Caracas
Fred Fuentes in Caracas reports that while the recent makeover of the PSUV (The United Socialist Party of Venezuela) is straining the political system, President Chavez' vision for Venezuela and Bolivarianism has not been compromised, and the empowering of the grass roots could mean that the corruption and bureaucratism that had become entrenched over the decades of the last century may be challenged. Meanwhile, external pressures to break down the will of the Venezuelan program for change are being resisted. This includes the challenge of Exxon Mobil, and the aggressive attitude of the neighbouring Columbian government - not to mention the glowering resentments of Washington.
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Exxon vs the Planet
Lara Pullin of the Australia Venezuela Solidarity Network follows up Lisa MacDonald's call for a week of action - solidarity for Venezuela and protests against Exxon's high handed action in attempting to freeze US$13billion worth of assets of the Venezuela's state controlled oil company that ploughs oil revenue back into social programs for the people and renewable resource projects. With record profits, exceeding the gross national product of many nations (US$36 billion last year), Exxon is bullying many countries to fit their climate change targets to Exxon's agenda - including the targets tentatively set by Australia's new Rudd Labor government.
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11.8 96kbps. mono 17:15 mins
Timor Update - James Dunn, March 2, 2008
James Dunn, former diplomat and Human Rights activist draws on his experience to speculate on the prospects for Timor Leste, now that Alfredo Reinado and his band of armed supporters no longer seem to be such a disruptive influence on East Timorese politics. He talks about the importance of Human Rights and accountability in the development of democratic nation states.
Click on player to listen to each episode online.
