Monthly Archives: February 2011

Feb
25
2011
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In Case You Missed It…Articles Roundup Week of 2/25/11

Here are the latest headlines on Venezuela:

Venezuela feels the heat Miami Herald

With dictators toppling like dominoes across the Middle East, Venezuela’s president-for-life, Hugo Chávez, is signaling worry about his own despotic rule.

Michael Rowan / The Wrong Side of History El Universal

Here’s what’s happening in Egypt and Iran —and Venezuela as well. The people, especially the young and educated, are sick and tired of so-called revolutions that give power to autocrats while not providing the jobs, opportunities or freedom they need to progress.

Anti-Chavez parties to hold presidential primary The Washington Post

A coalition of Venezuela’s opposition parties announced Wednesday that its member have agreed to hold a primary to pick a presidential candidate to run against Hugo Chavez next year.

Spain to ask Venezuela to extradite two ETA suspects El Universal

The Spanish Judiciary is to prosecute José Lorenzo Ayestarán and José Ignacio Olaskoaga, two members of the Basque separatist group ETA, and will ask for their extradition from France and Venezuela, after several former guerrilla members of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) said that they trained them in the use of explosives, in the Venezuelan forest.

Venezuela’s Great Dollar Drought Bloomberg Businessweek

Every weekday, Ricardo Matamoros wakes up before dawn, travels to a branch of Mercantil Banco Universal in Caracas, and gets in line seeking to buy dollars. It’s a futile effort, he says. “They haven’t approved a single one of my requests during 45 days,” said Matamoros, 51, the president of a film production company, as he stood outside the bank on Feb. 7. “Let’s see if it happens today since I’m second in line.”

No Bloodshed in Libya for Three Days, Venezuelan Ambassador Says Bloomberg

Not a drop of blood has been shed in Libya in the last three days and the capital is “totally calm,” according to the Venezuelan ambassador to Tripoli.

RSF: Venezuela fails to provide reliable data on murder rates EL Universal

International organization Reporters without Borders (RSF) published a report entitled “Organized Crime, Muscling in on the Media,” according to which a total of 141 journalists and media workers were killed by criminal groups during the decade of the 2000s

 
Feb
18
2011
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In Case You Missed it…Articles Roundup Week of 2/14/11

Here’s the latest news on Venezuela:

Venezuela loses $1.5 bln a year in gasoline subsidy Reuters

Venezuela’s state oil company PDVSA loses around $1.5 billion a year through domestic subsidies that make the South American OPEC member’s gasoline the cheapest in the world, the energy minister said on Sunday.

Republican Lawmaker Connie Mack Proposes U.S. Embargo on Venezuela Latin American Herald Times

At the Conservative Political Action Conference, or CPAC, the largest yearly gathering of conservative activists which serves as a place for presidential hopefuls to measure their early support, Mack on Saturday devoted almost his entire speech to Chavez, whom he called a “thugocrat” who resorts to using weapons such as oppression, aggression, terrorism and drugs to “destroy” Latin American freedom and democracy (VIDEO)

Is Chávez promoting free expression? Check the facts Committee to Protect Journalists

CPJ has closely documented the long-deteriorating press freedom situation in Venezuela under Chávez. Far from “guaranteeing and promoting” freedom of expression, Venezuelan authorities have worked relentlessly to quash critical voices, using state regulatory bodies and modifying legal structures to assist them in their efforts. Just check the facts.

Caracas Mayor Will Seek To Challenge Chavez For Presidency Wall Street Journal

Caracas Mayor Antonio Ledezma announced Tuesday that he hopes to enter the 2012 presidential election and challenge Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, according to local media.

Venezuelan Business Sales Fell 28.4% In 4Q – Survey Wall Street Journal

Venezuelan businesses saw sales decline 28.4% in the fourth quarter of 2010 compared to the same period in 2009, according to a member survey released Wednesday by Consecomercio, one of the country’s main business associations.

Likely shortage of products in the absence of price increases El Universal

The manufacturing sector has requested the Venezuelan government to allow price increases for regulated products, in order to prevent shortage of goods in the domestic market, said Carlos Larrazábal, the President of the Venezuelan Confederation of Industries (Conindustria).

 
Feb
18
2011
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U.S. Foreign Policy toward Latin America: What’s Next?

This week the focus of both committees on foreign policy in the United States Congress turned to Latin America. Assistant Secretary of State for Western Hemisphere Affairs, Arturo Valenzuela who served as the main witness at both hearings, was tasked with offering the Administration’s view of the region and U.S policy.

As expected, Venezuela was one of the countries most discussed at the hearings. Most noteworthy, Valenzuela suggested that President’s Chávez’s influence in the region is dwindling. We don’t disagree with Mr. Valenzuela because as the domestic problems for Mr. Chávez have risen due to inept policies and inefficiency of his government, he has had to turn his focus on domestic issues and put his grand international visions in neutral. Another highlight was Secretary Valenzuela’s assertion that that the Obama Administration is planning to move “soon” on naming a new U.S. Ambassador to Caracas.

Many of the senators and representatives questions focused on the Chávez government’s close ties with Iran. A few Republican representatives, mainly Congressman Connie Mack, suggested that increased pressure is needed on the Venezuelan government through new sanctions or actions such as placing Venezuela on the list of countries that promote terrorism.

WhatsNextVenezuela is somewhat disappointed, however, that more was not asked about the situation in Venezuela, particularly in relation to American interests in that country. For example:

  • Not much was said about the multiple American companies that have been expropriated by the Venezuelan government without yet any compensation coming their way.
  • Little attention was paid to the allegations by Venezuela drug trafficker, Walid Makled, of the ties of Venezuela’s senior military command to the drug trafficking trade.
  • No mention of the government’s ties to terrorist groups such as ETA or FARC.
  • No mention of the recent agreement between Venezuela and Russia that will provide the government of Venezuela with nuclear assistance.
  • No mention of human rights abuses by the Chávez government.

Alas, we hope that in the future, both the House and Senate Foreign Affairs committees take a more in depth look at Venezuela, its impact on U.S. national interests, and on Venezuelans themselves. Perhaps with President Obama’s planned visit to the region next month, will serve as another opportunity to raise other important questions about American interests in the region and especially as it pertains to Venezuela. Stay tuned for that….