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April 2012

Lisa Macdonald

The October 2012 presidential elec-tions will be an historic moment in

the Venezuelan revolution.Since 1998, when Hugo Chavez

was first elected president, theBolivarian revolution has achievedremarkable things, confrontedmany challenges and undergonemany changes.

Over the years, the UnitedStates-backed opposition has triedto halt, sabotage and stall this peo-ples-power revolution that is put-ting control of Venezuelas politicsand economy back into the hands ofthe poor majority.

The October elections will be acritical point in the ongoing strug-gle between the people and theprofits-first corporations and impe-rialism.

The Australia-Venezuela Solid-arity Networks (AVSN) solidaritybrigades to Venezuela are an oppor-tunity to see first-hand an unfoldingrevolution that is radically trans-forming the lives of Venezuelansand challenging the greed, exploita-tion and destructiveness of global

capitalism by showing that a betterworld is possible.

As well as observing the lastweek of the presidential electioncampaign, and polling day itself,brigade participants will visit socialmissions, communal councils andcommunes, as well as productioncooperatives, public health and edu-cation services, sustainable devel-opment projects, community con-trolled media stations, and womensand indigenous organisations.

During the 12-day tour, brigadis-tas will speak to a wide range ofgrassroots organisations, communi-ty activists, trade unions and gov-ernment representatives about theradical changes being implementedby the Venezuelan people.

The brigade is the 13th studytour organised by the AVSN.Reports from previous brigades areposted on our website:www.venezuelasolidarity.org. Weare also happy to put you in touchwith people who have participatedin previous AVSN brigades if youwould like to find out more.

The deadline for registering forthe 2012 presidential elections

brigade is May 31, (including pay-ment of registration fee, unless oth-erwise arranged).

Participants will need to booktheir own international airfares(please do not book without con-tacting the AVSN to confirm thebrigade dates), but the AVSN canhelp with advice. The AVSN willorganise accommodation, transportand English-Spanish translation inVenezuela for all brigade partici-

pants.Participants will need to budget

for a total cost of about $4500. Thiswill cover international return air-fares and taxes from Australia,

food, transport and accommodation(on a shared basis), and the brigaderegistration fee ($500 for workersor $350 for students/pensioners).

[To express interest in participat-ing, obtain a registration form or formore information, please emailbrigades@venezuelasolidarity.orgor phone Jim McIlroy 0423 741734, Roberto Jorquera 0425 182994 or Lisa Macdonald 0413 031108.]

Presidential election brigade 2012:

A chance to witness history

Federico Fuentes &

Kiraz Janicke

On April 13, Venezuelans and sup-porters of democracy across theworld will celebrate the ten yearanniversary of a popular uprisingthat defeated a US backed coupagainst President Hugo Chavez.

The day is an important reminder

that any attempts by foreign govern-ments and the internal opposition toremove Chavez from power whether through coups or at theupcoming October 7 presidentialelections will be met with thepopular mobilization of the peopleand army on the streets and at theballot box.

On April 11, 2002, the right-wingopposition, backed by the US andprivate media, organised a militarycoup that briefly removed Chavezfrom office. The head of theChamber of Commerce (Fede-camaras) Pedro Carmona wasdeclared president and a decree wasissued dissolving the SupremeCourt, the Constitution and theNational Assembly, and fired the

Ombudsman and the AttorneyGeneral.

In response, masses of poorVenezuelans came out onto thestreets in protest and loyal sectionsof the armed forces retook the pres-idential palace. Chavez was restoredas president within 48 hours.

Recalling these dramatic eventsin his speech during the 2010anniversary celebration, Chaveznoted the Venezuelan oligarchy hadconspired with US imperialism todisrespect the will of the Venezue-lan people.

The entire oligarchy, politicalparties, the media and political andeconomic elites were allied againstthe Venezuelan people.

However, the fascist coupunleashed the power containedwithin the people and the ArmedForces.

The oligarchy and imperialismhad predicted that if the people wentout to the streets ... they thoughtthey could count on the guns of oursoldiers to curb the popular rebel-lion.

But they had a big surprisebecause, despite more than 100 trai-

torous generals and admirals cav-ing-in to the bourgeoisie, the sol-diers not only refused to commit amassacre but placed themselves andtheir guns on the side of the people.

Now, with the formation of theBolivarian Militia, involving work-ers, students, peasants, the urban

poor and other sectors of society, hesaid: The militia is the people andthe people are the militia, the armedpeople and the armed forces areone.

Ten years on from the April revo-lution, the permanent mobilisationof the people is the key explanationfor why the Bolivarian revolution

continues to advance.It is also why Washington hasmaintained its relentless campaignagainst Chavez and the Venezuelapeople.

The latest example of this was therecent charges made by USPresident Barack Obama againstChavez in an interview withVenezuelan daily El Universal .Obama accused Chavez of carryingout government actions that haverestricted the universal rights of theVenezuelan people, threatened basicdemocratic values and failed to con-tribute to the security of the region.

Chavez was quick to respond:Obama, youre a phony ... Dont beirresponsible. We are a free nation

and will never be a colony, yours oranybody elses.

A key focus for the US and itsinternal allies in Venezuela will bethe October 7 presidential elections.These forces will do whatever ittakes to halt Chavezs re-election,including violence.

Their candidate is Miranda State

governor Henrique Capriles

Radonski, who during the April

2012 coup led an attack on the

Cuban embassy in Caracas, where

the coup-plotters suspected mem-

bers of the Chavez government had

taken refuge inside.

Chavez noted on March 17 that

the right-wing Venezuelan opposi-tion lacks any clear vision for the

country. They are a minority, who

continue to use the economic and

media power they hold onto to

undermine the revolution.

The opposition dont have scru-

ples, theyre dirty, they dont fight

clean, they will always have hidden

cards.

For this reason, the people of

Venezuela are not only preparing to

deal the opposition another crushing

electoral blow this October, but are

also on alert for any destabilisation

plans put in track by Washington

and the opposition.

Importantly, the Venezuelan peo-

ple, side by side with the military,

know that they too have a card up

their sleeve, as the events of April

13, 2002, are etched in their memo-

ries.

As they say in Venezuela, every

11 has its 13.

Venezuelas revolution continues

We must confront the privileged elites who have destroyed a large part of the world Hugo Chavez

Produced with the support of the Venezuelan embassy in Australia

Australia-VenezuelaSolidarity Network

Supporters of Venezuelas Bolivarian revolution gathered in Sydney on April13, 2008 to celebrate the anniversary of the coup defeat

Advertisement

Register online at

venezuelasolidarity.org

April 11-13 2002 coup defeat, 10 years on:

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April 2012Australia Venezuela Solidarity Network

Eva Golinger

Ever since the US-supported coupattempt against VenezuelanPresident Hugo Chavez failed inApril 2002, Washington has beenpursuing a variety of strategies toremove the overwhelmingly popularhead of state from power.

Multimillion-dollar funding toanti-Chavez groups in Venezuelathrough US government agencies,such as the National Endowment forDemocracy (NED) and the USAgency for International Develop-ment (USAID), has risen exponen-tially over the past 10 years, as hasdirect political support throughadvisors, strategists and consultants all aiming to help an unpopularand outdated opposition rise topower.

US government agencies, includ-ing the State Department, theCentral Intelligence Agency, the

National Directorate of Intelligencetand the Pentagon have pumped uptheir hostile language towards theVenezuelan government in recentyears.

Venezuela, a major oil-producingnation, has been placed on thecountless and baseless lists pro-duced by Washington, includingfailure to cooperate with counter-narcotics efforts, failure to aid inthe war on terror, trafficking inpersons, and others. This is basedon political decisions instead ofconcrete, substantial evidence tosupport their accusations.

These classifications have en-abled Washington to justify not onlythe millions of US taxpayer dollars

channelled to anti-revolution groupsfronting as NGOs, but also toincrease the US military presence inthe region and convinced publicopinion that Chavez is an enemy.

Despite promises of respectfulrelations and non-intervention, theBarack Obama governments hostilelanguage and actions have led to afreezing of diplomatic relationsbetween both nations, coupled withexpanding plans within Washingtonto include the South Americannation in the terrorist axis of evil.

The build-up against Venezuelathat began during the George W.Bush administration has been

accelerated by Obama.

With the House Foreign Rela-tions Committee in the hands ofFlorida Republicans Ileana Ros-

Lehtinen and Connie Mack bothrabid Chavez-haters Congresshas been pushing hard for direct

actions against Venezuela to pro-voke Chavezs ouster and place aUS-friendly government inpower.

Not only does Venezuela have thelargest oil reserves on the planet,

with possibly over 500 billion bar-rels, but the countrys geopoliticalposition as the port of South

America, with borders on theCaribbean, the Andes and theAmazon, make it one of the moststrategically important nations in

the world. In addition to oil,Venezuela has vast mineral reserves,heavy metals, uranium and water.

Chavezs growing leadership andinfluence in the region has angered

Washington for some time. Effortsto demonise, ridicule and evenignore Chavez have been employedby the US government and mass

media over the past several years,

creating a distorted perceptionamong the public about Venezuela.

Despite numerous elections, alloverseen by international observersand in which Chavez has won with

about 60% of the vote, internationalmedia portrays Chavez as a dicta-tor and the nation as a failingstate.

But Venezuelas growing, vibrantdemocracy, in which a majority pre-

viously excluded and silenced byprior US-supported governments

today participate freely and widely,has achieved extraordinary changes.This includes a 50% reduction in

poverty, a guarantee of free, univer-

sal healthcare and education, a 6%unemployment rate (down from15%) and major infrastructure

development.While Obama has largely

refrained from personally comment-ing on Venezuela, as did his prede-cessor Bush, a recent interview pro-vided to an anti-Chavez national

daily newspaper, El Universal , evi-dences a shift in policy. The inter-view came after an uncorroborated

report that tried to link Venezuela,

Cuba and Iran to a terrorist plot

against the US, which aired on the

largest Spanish-language station in

the United States, Univision.

In written responses to the

Venezuelan newspaper, Obama (or

his advisors) insinuated Venezuela

was a dictatorship and expressed his

concern about the governments

actions, which have restricted the

universal rights of the Venezuelan

people, threatened basic democratic

values, and failed to contribute to

security in the region.Obama, of course, fails to cite

any real examples to substantiate his

concerns. These are merely the

types of statements that have been

regurgitated by Washington spokes-

people over the past decade, without

a shred of evidence to back their

slanderous claims.

No rights have been restricted in

Venezuela by the government. In

fact, democratic rights have been

amplified under the new constitu-

tion that was written and ratified by

the people of Venezuela in national

referendum in 1999.

Venezuelans have the basic rights

to health care, education, food,

housing, dignified work, a living

wage, participation, expression,

recreation and culture that the 300

million citizens of the United Statesdont have.

It is cynical to say that Venezuela,

a country with minimal military

power that has never attacked anoth-

er nation, and has never threatened

or invaded a neighbour, is a region-

al security threat.

The US governments 200-year

history of invasions, massacres,

coups, interventions and other

aggressions against almost every

Latin American and Caribbean

nation cannot be left in the past as

Obama would prefer. Obama didnt

fail to mention his concern about

Venezuelas relationship with Iran:

We take Iranian activities, includ-

ing in Venezuela, very seriously andwe will continue to monitor them

closely, he said.

Its no coincidence hat these

statements follow the airing of the

Hollywoodesque Univision docu-

mentary, The Iranian Threat,

which makes defamatory claims

against the Chavez administration in

an attempt to include Venezuela in a

bogus terrorist plot.

Despite the ridiculousness of the

Univision claims, members of

Congress are calling Obama to take

pre-emptive action against Iran and

Venezuela. Other commentators

and analysts are busy writing

blogs and columns warning of the

growing terrorist threat south of theUS border.

These dangerous, unfounded

accusations could easily be used to

justify an attack against Venezuela,

in the same way weapons of mass

destruction was used against Iraq

and protecting the population was

used against Libya.

Obamas reckless aggression

against Venezuela could lead to an

unnecessary atrocity. As Chavez has

said, Obama would be better off

focusing on the troubles at home,

rather than trying to create new ones

abroad.

US lies point to war against Venezuela

Aviso

Agencia Venezolanade Noticias

A January study by polling firmInternational Consulting Services(ICS) said 53% of Venezuelansthink that the kind of socialismpromoted by President HugoChavez is a political and economicsystem that guarantees the develop-ment of the country.

Meanwhile, the same pollingorganisation found if the October 7presidential elections were heldthat day Chavez would be re-elected with 58.2% of the vote.

Juan Scorza, director of ICS,said in a television interview: Thebelief that this is a positive systemfor the country has been rein-forced. He pointed out that only21% believe that capitalism is thesystem that would guarantee devel-opment for the country.

Between socialism and capital-

ism, it is clear Venezuelans prefer

socialism, he said. With regard to

social programs, or missions, Vene-

zuelans gave a positive appraisal.

According to a another survey

held by the ICS in February with

1200 respondents throughout the

country, had the presidential elec-

tions been held then, 58.2% of citi-

zens would vote for the re-election

of Chavez, as opposed to 34.5% for

the opposition candidate Henrique

Capriles Radonski.

The ICS director added that if

the current administration contin-

ues with its policies, which earned

high approval ratings from

November through to January, it is

on track to emerge victorious in the

presidential elections.

Poll shows majority supportfor socialism, Chavez

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Australia Venezuela Solidarity Network April 2012

Eva Golinger

In just 47 hours, a coup detat oust-ed Venezuelan President Hugo

Chavez and a peoples uprisingreturned him to power, in anextraordinary showing of the willand determination of a dignifiedpeople on a revolutionary path. Themass media played a major role inadvancing the coup and spreadingfalse information around the worldto justify the coup plotters actions.CIA documents revealed US gov-ernment involvement and support tothe coup organisers.

When Chavez was elected presi-dent in 1998, the Clinton adminis-tration maintained a wait and seepolicy. Venezuela had been a faith-ful servant to US interests through-out the 20th century, and despite therhetoric of revolution spoken byChavez, few in Washington believedchanged was imminent.

But after Chavez followed thro-ugh on his first and principal cam-paign promise, to initiate aConstitutional Assembly and redraftthe nations constitution, everythingbegan to change.

The new constitution was writtenand ratified by the people of Vene-zuela in an extraordinary demon-stration of participatory democracy.

Throughout the nation in early1999, all Venezuelans were invitedto aid in the creation of what wouldbecome one of the most advancedconstitutions in the world in the areaof human rights.

The draft text of 350 articles,which included a chapter dedicated

to indigenous peoples rights, alongwith the rights to housing, health-care, education, nutrition, work, fairwages, equality, recreation, culture,and a redistribution of the oil indus-try production and profit, was rati-fied by national referendum bymore than 70% of voters.

Elections were immediately con-vened under the new constitutionalstructure and Chavez won againwith an even larger majority ofabout 56%. Once in office in 2000,laws were implemented to guaran-tee the new rights accorded in theconstitution, and interests wereaffected.

Venezuela assumed the presiden-cy of the Organization of Petroleum

Exporting Countries (OPEC), withoil at about US$7 a barrel. Quickly,under Venezuelas leadership, whichsought to benefit oil producingnations and not those supplied, oilrose to more than US$25 a barrel.Washington was uneasy with thesechanges, but still was waiting tosee how far the changes would go.

Venezuela challengesimperialism

In 2001, the Bolivarian revolutionproposed by Chavez began to takeform. The oil industry was in theprocess of being restructured, lawswere passed that would allow for aredistribution of oil profits andChavez was trying to gain control ofthe industry nationalized in 1976 that was on the path to privatiza-tion.

An opposition began to grow inVenezuela, primarily composed ofthe economic and political elite thatruled the country throughout theprior 40 years, now unhappy withthe real changes taking effect.

Aligned with those interests werethe owners of Venezuelas media,which belonged to the old oligarchy.

In early 2001, Chavez attendedthe Summit of the Americas meet-ing in Quebec, Canada. By now,Washington had undergone its ownchanges and George W. Bush hadbecome US president. Bush wasalso in Quebec, and announced theUS plan to expand free trade

throughout the Americas theFree Trade of the Americas Act(FTAA). Chavez was the only headof state at the summit to opposeWashingtons plan. It was the firstshowing of his insubordination tothe US agenda.

Later that year, after the tragicattacks on the World Trade Center inNew York City, Washington beganits war in Afghanistan. Chavez pub-licly declared the bombing ofAfghanistan and the killing of inno-cent women and children as an actof terror. This is fighting terrorwith more terror, he said on nation-al television in October 2001. Thedeclaration produced Washingtonsfirst official response.

US Ambassador to Caracas at thetime, Donna Hrinak, paid a visit toChavez in the presidential palaceshortly after. During the meeting,she read a letter from Washington,demanding Chavez publicly retracthis statement about Afghanistan.Chavez declined and informed theUS Ambassador that Venezuela wasnow a sovereign state, no longersubordinate to US power.

Hrinak was recalled to Washing-ton and a new ambassador was sentto Venezuela, an expert in over-throwing governments.

Washington organises thecoup

As Washingtons concern grewover the changes taking place in

Venezuela, and the insubordinationof the Venezuelan President, busi-ness groups and powerful interestsinside Venezuela began to contem-plate Chavezs removal.

Those running the state-ownedoil company, PDVSA, wereadamant to defend their positions

and control over the company, aswell as their mass profits, whichinstead of being invested in thecountry were filling oil executivespockets.

The US National Endowment forDemocracy (NED), began to chan-nel hundreds of thousands of dollarsto groups inside Venezuela to helpconsolidate the opposition move-ment and make plans for the coup.

School of the Americas-trainedVenezuelan military officers beganto coordinate with their US counter-parts to organise Chavezs ouster.The US Embassy in Caracas, withthe recently arrived AmbassadorCharles Shapiro, helped put thefinal touches on the coup detat.

Between April 12and 13,Venezuelansbegan pouringinto the streets ofCaracas, demand-ing a return of

Chavez and anouster of the coupleaders.

The right man for the right timein Venezuela, said an embassy cablesent to Washington in December2001, referring to Pedro Carmona,the head of Venezuelas Chamber ofCommerce, Fedecamaras.

Carmona was singled out as thepresident-to-be after the coupsucceeded. That December, oilindustry executives led a strike andcalled for Chavezs resignation.Their anger began to grow in early2002 and by March, the strikes andprotests against Chavez were almost

a daily occurrence.The NED quadrupled its funding

to Venezuelan groups, such asFedecamaras and the CTV labourfederation, along with a series ofNGOs plotting Chavezs ouster.

A state department cable from thefirst week of March 2002 said

Another piece falls in to place andapplauded the oppositions efforts tofinally create a plan for a transition-

al government. It said: With muchfanfare, the Venezuelan great andgood assembled on March 5 inCaracass Esmeralda Auditorium tohear representatives of theConfederation of VenezuelanWorkers (CTV), the Federation ofBusiness Chambers (Fedecamaras)and the Catholic Church presenttheir Bases for a DemocraticAccord, ten principles on which toguide a transitional government.

Soon after, a March 11, 2002,CIA top secret brief, partiallydeclassified by Jeremy Bigwoodand Eva Golinger through investiga-tions using the Freedom ofInformation Act, revealed a coupplot underway in Venezuela.

The opposition has yet to organ-

ize itself into a united front, thecable said. If the situation furtherdeteriorates and demonstrationsbecome even more violent themilitary may move to overthrowhim.

Another CIA top secret brieffrom April 6, 2002, just five daysbefore the coup, outlined thedetailed plans of how the eventswould unravel: ConditionsRipening for Coup Attempt Dissident military factions, includ-ing some disgruntled senior officersand a group of radical junior offi-cers, are stepping up efforts toorganize a coup against PresidentChavez, possibly as early as thismonth The level of detail in the

reported plans targets Chavezand 10 other senior officials forarrest To provoke military action,the plotters may try to exploit unreststemming from opposition demon-strations slated for later this month.

A corporate-media-military affair

National papers in Venezuelahinted that the media knew the coupwas underway on April 10-11, 2002.A headline said the Final battlewill be in Miraflores, theVenezuelan presidential palace.

On April 11, a rally began at thePDVSA headquarters in easternCaracas. The rally turned into amarch of several hundred thousand

people protesting against Chavezand calling for his ouster. Thoseleading the rally, the presidents ofthe CTV, Fedecamaras and severalhigh-level military officers who hadalready declared rebellion the daybefore, directed the marcherstowards the presidential palace,despite not having authorisation forthe route.

Meanwhile, outside the presiden-tial palace, Chavez supporters hadgathered to support their presidentand protect the area from the v iolentopposition marchers on the way.

But before the opposition marcheven reached the palace or the areanear the pro-Chavez rally, shotswere fired and blood began to spillin both the pro- and anti-Chavezdemonstrations. Snipers had beenplaced strategically on the buildingsin downtown Caracas and had openfired on the people below.

Pro-Chavez supporters on thebridge right next to the palace,Puente Llaguno, fired back at thesnipers and the metropolitan police

forces, who were firing at them.A Venevision camera crew, posi-

tioned near the pro-Chavez rally,

took images of the firefight andquickly returned to the studio to editthe material and produce a breakingnews story showing the pro-Chavezsupporters firing guns with a voice-over stating they were firing onpeaceful opposition protesters.

The images were rapidly repro-duced and repeated on Venezuelantelevision to justify calls forChavezs removal. The manipulatedimages were later shown around theworld and used to blame Chavez forthe dozens of deaths that occurred.

The truth didnt come out untilafter the dust had settled and thecoup was defeated. The televisioncrew had been told to take thefootage and manipulate it, under

direct orders from GustavoCisneros, owner of Venevision andother media companies, who wasthe wealthiest man in Venezuela.

The high military commandturned on Chavez and took him intocustody. He was taken to a militarybase on an island off Venezuelascoast, where he was either to beassassinated or sent to Cuba.Meanwhile, the right man for theright time Carmona, designated byWashington, swore himself in aspresident on April 12, and proceed-ed to read a decree dissolving all ofVenezuelas democratic institutions.

Counter-coup andrevolution

As the Venezuelan people awoketo television networks claimingGood morning Venezuela, we havea new president and applauding theviolent coup that had occurred a dayearlier, resistance began to grow.

Once the Carmona Decree wasissued, Venezuelans saw their worstfears coming true a return to therepressive governments of the pastthat excluded and mistreated themajority of people in the country.Chavez was missing; no one knewwhere he was.

Between April 12 and 13, Vene-zuelans began pouring into thestreets of Caracas, demanding areturn of Chavez and an ouster of

the coup leaders. Meanwhile, theBush administration had alreadyissued a statement recognising thecoup government and calling onother nations to do the same.

But the resistance to the coupgrew to millions of people, floodingthe areas surrounding the presiden-tial palace. The presidential guard,still loyal to Chavez, moved toretake the palace. Word of the resist-ance reached military barracksthroughout the country.

One base in Maracay, outsideCaracas, acted quickly to locate andrescue Chavez and return him to thepresidential palace.

By the early hours of April 14,Chavez had returned, brought back

by the will and power of theVenezuelan people and the loyalarmed forces.

These events changed Venezuelaforever and awoke the conscious-ness of many who had underesti-mated the importance and vulnera-bility of their revolution.

Coup and countercoup, revolution

Chavez returns following the coup in April 2002.

Remembering April 2002, 10 years on:

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Australia Venezuela Solidarity Network April 2012

Margaret Gleeson

Against the backdrop ofVenezuelan peoples power in theteeming streets of Caracas, as mil-lions prepare for May Day celebra-

tions, Brisbane filmmaker KatrinaChan-nells tells a very human storyof one womans attempt to trackdown and meet President HugoChavez.

When Coral Wynter, a youngscientist living in London, fled toCaracas, her love affair withVenezuela and its people began.Many years later, Corals commit-ment as a solidarity activist led herback to Venezuela as the Bolivarianrevolution, led by Chavez, unfold-ed. She has since returned manytimes.

With her long-term companion,Jim McIlroy, Wynter spent 2006living in Venezuela, reporting onthe revolution for the Australian

newspaper Green Left Weekly andorganising visiting brigades for theAustralia-Venezuela Solidarity Net-work.

On returning to Australia, sheand Jim wrote a book, Voices fromVenezuela, which compiles many ofthe interviews they conducted withgrassroots activists involved inbuilding the Bolivarian revolution.

In 2010, Wynter returned againto Venezuela, determined to meetChavez and give him a copy of thebook as a demonstration of the sol-idarity that exists with Venezuela infaraway first world countries likeAustralia.

Wynters efforts to gain an inter-view with Chavez form the skele-ton around which Chasing Chavez

ex-plores and documents everydaylife in revolutionary Venezuela. Thefilm is interspersed with fascinating

interviews about the Bolivarianprocess with grassroots leaders inlocal community organisations, aswell as better known commentatorslike Marta Harnecker, Eva

Gollinger and Venezuelas ambas-sador to Australia, Nelson Davila.The cat-and-mouse search for

Chavez provides the dramatic ten-sion, as well as many humorousmoments, in the film.

Channells has a very gentle andhuman approach to documentarymaking and, while Chasing Chavezis not short on factual content, thefacts are more powerfully conveyedfor being presented from the view-point of the key protagonists(Wynter, Chavez and theVenezuelan people).

In the end, it is the humanity andmutual love of these people thatshine through and provide theviewer with a deep understandingof the revolutionary process unfold-ing in Venezuela and LatinAmerica. The final scenes are acracker.

The scenes of Caracas (especial-ly the streets scenes) are beautifullyfilmed by Nik Lachajczak, and thesoundtrack mix of Venezuelan folklegend Ali Primera captures themood and sounds of the region.

This film will whet your appetiteto visit Venezuela and see for your-self why Wynter is so enamouredwith Chavez and the people ofVenezuela.

The next group tour organisedby the Australia-VenezuelaSolidarity Network is due to touchdown in Caracas in late Septemberthis year, in time for Venezuelas

Presidential elections. To find outmore, visit www.venezuelasolidari-ty.org.

Chasing ChavezNew film on Venezuela

Rachael Boothroyd

Member countries of Latin Ame-ricas alternative integration bloc,the Bolivarian Alliance for thePeoples of Our America (ALBA),met in the Venezuelan capital inFebruary to discuss the advance-

ment of the organisation at its 11thofficial summit.

Following a meeting to draft pro-posals and set an agenda, the presi-dents discussed a series of themesrelating to ALBAs role within theregional economy and various for-eign policy issues.

The body also approved severaldeclarations relating to global polit-ical concerns, including pronounce-ments on Syria and the currentdiplomatic altercation betweenBritain and Argentina over theFalkland Islands.

At the end of the summits firstday, Venezuelan President HugoChavez announced that membercountries had agreed to contribute1% of their international reservestowards the blocs main bank to cre-ate a reserve fund.

The Bank of the Alba was estab-lished in 2008 with the intention ofproviding economic support topeople-centred regional projects andto contribute to sustainable socialand economic development acrossthe region. The bank is meant to actas a continental alternative to theInternational Monetary Fund.

At the summit, ALBA membercountries agreed the financial rein-forcement of the bank would be piv-otal to the development of the bloc.Chavez also reaffirmed Venezuelascommitment to funding regionaldevelopment projects by announc-ing his intention to raise petroleum

production in the Orinoco Belt tothat end.We should increase oil produc-

tion from 3 to 3.5 million barrels aday, and by 2014 we should be at 4million barrels. This is going toallow us greater flexibility in all ofthese projects, said the head ofstate.

According to Chavez, Vene-zuelas contribution to the bank willamount to around US$300 million.

Regional currency

The heads of state also discussed thepossibility of increasing the com-mercial use of the Sucre, the blocsvirtual currency. The Sucre is cur-rently used for direct tradingbetween the ALBA countries,allowing them to circumvent the USdollar and minimise the foreign-exchange risk.

According to Ricardo Menendez,venezuelan vice-minister of produc-tion and economy, 431 financialtransactions using the Sucre werecarried out between ALBA coun-

tries last year, amounting to morethan US$216 million worth of trade.

Ecuadorean president RafaelCorrea called for the use of the cur-rency to be increased.

He said: Those free trade agree-ments, free markets, [with] ... zero

indemnity, annihilating the weak,thats suicide for our countries... Weshould encourage fair trade; uniteour reserves and financial capacityin the Bank of the ALBA and avoidusing foreign currencies.

Daniel Ortega, the Sandinistapresident of Nicaragua, also ex-pressed his desire to boost the use ofthe blocs currency. Ortega said thathe hoped Nicaragua would beginusing the Sucre within a few weeks,subject to approval from Nica-raguas national assembly.

Anti-imperialist agenda

As well as condemning what itreferred to as the systemic policiesof destabilisation and intervention-

ism currently being carried out inSyria, the bloc also signed a docu-ment in support of Puerto Ricosright to self-determination and fullindependence.

Further, ALBA reiterated its sup-port for the Argentinean govern-ment in its diplomatic dispute withBritain over the Falkland Islands. Ina special communication, the bloccalled for a negotiated settlement tothe Falklands question that does notviolate the United Nations 31/49resolution.

The ALBAs statements come asChavez also expressed his solidaritywith the Argentinean PresidentCristina Kirchner, saying the SouthAmerican nation would not bealone in the event of a conflict.

Correa suggested that the blocshould move to impose sanctionsagainst the British government dueto its unwillingness to engage indialogue with the Argentinean gov-ernment to resolve the issue. Lastweek, the Britains foreign secre-tary, William Hague, revealed thathe had sent a warship to theFalklands as a routine measure.

Chavez has confirmed that theALBA group will now review whatsanctions may be taken in responseto the negative dialogue andridiculous military threat fromDavid Camerons coalition govern-ment.

The ALBA summit also struckout against the Organisation of

American States for its exclusionarystance towards Cuba. In accordancewith a proposal from Correa, thebloc said it would consider notattending the Summit of theAmericas, due to be held inColombia this April, if Cuba wasnot invited.

Chavez said: We could take this

to the host country, which is the

Colombian government, with whom

we have re-established political and

commercial relations ... I am in

agreement with Rafael Correa, if

Cuba isnt invited, we will consider

not attending, its a matter of digni-ty.

Helping Haiti

As part of the summit, ALBA

agreed to step up its humanitarian

assistance to Haiti through the for-

mation of an ALBA-Haiti work

plan. The project will be aimed at

providing emergency relief and

helping reconstruction efforts in the

Caribbean nation, which is still suf-

fering the effects of the earthquake

of January 2010.

Member countries also agreed to

set up a Haiti fund to execute the

projects and provide the countrys

energy plants with fuel.In comments to the Venezuelan

press, Haitian President Michel

Martelly thanked the ALBA for its

continued efforts to help the

Caribbean nation in the wake of its

humanitarian catastrophe. He said

the new ALBA plan would help

alleviate extreme poverty in Haiti.

Venezuela and Haiti also signed an

independent bilateral agreement to

increase cooperation between the

two countries.

In the final act of the summit,

ALBA ratified St Lucia and Suri-

nam as two new honorary members

and confirmed that both countries

would soon be full members of

Venezuelas energy integrationorganisation, Petrocaribe.

Other proposals that the group

will now pursue include the creation

of regional schools for social move-

ments and the establishment of a

communications secretary general,

as well as the creation of an ALBA

defence counsel, which was sub-

mitted by Bolivian President Evo

Morales.

Formed in 2004 by Venezuela

and Cuba, ALBA is an alternative to

US free trade agreements in the

region and seeks to address unjust

terms of trade by engaging in com-

merce on the basis of solidarity and

cooperation.ALBA nations currently include;

Cuba, Venezuela, Nicaragua, Ecua-

dor, Bolivia, Dominica, St Vincent

and the Grenadines and Antigua and

Barbuda. The governments of Haiti,

Surinam and St Lucia attended the

event as participant observers.

ALBA pushes alternative economicmodel for Latin America

Daniel Ortega, Hugo Chavez, Raul Castro and Evo Morales.

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