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Obrador and Mexico’s Watershed Election
Latin America and the CaribbeanThe possibilities of a victory by Andrés Manuel López Obrador (AMLO), under the rubric of his Morena party, is strongly opposed by most of big business, and needs to be seen in the context of Mexico’s long-term crises-ridden transition toward a not-at-all clear destiny. The destiny promoted by Mexican, Canadian and U.S. big business and political elites has been that of continental integration within the framework of NAFTA, as part of a neoliberal domestic transformation.
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Letter to the People of Brazil
Latin America and the CaribbeanI believe that Brazil can be happy again. And it can advance much more than we had already conquered together, when the government was of the people. In order to achieve this goal, we must unite the democratic forces of all Brazil, respecting the autonomy of the parties and the movements, but always having as reference a project of more solidarity and a fairer Country that will rescue the dignity and hope of our suffering people. I am sure we will be together at the end of that path.
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How can the resistance of the Venezuelan people and Maduro’s government be explained?
Latin America and the CaribbeanEconomic war, sabotage, low oil prices, international sanctions, and political violence. Any president prior to the arrival of Hugo Chávez to the Miraflores Presidential Palace would have succumbed in just a few days faced with an attack such as that experienced by the government of Nicolás Maduro. However, the Venezuelan people are still standing and supporting the leaders of the Bolivarian Revolution. How can this heroic resistance be explained?
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Why Venezuela’s Election Matters—It Was Under Siege by U.S., Canadian and EU Influence
Latin America and the CaribbeanThe election is over. Predictably, the United States and Canada will increase their sanctions regime. The Lima Group ambassadors are home getting their instructions. They will likely downgrade diplomatic relations with Venezuela. None of this is a surprise. It is what they had already announced. They did not wait to see how the elections went. Isolation of Venezuela is their strategy.
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Maduro’s Win: A Bright Spot in Dark Times
Latin America and the CaribbeanSadly, Americans are still focused on condemning the governments of other countries when ours remains the greatest purveyor of violence in the world. If we could overcome our own pessimism and self-absorption we would find that a people’s resistance is possible. We should look to Venezuela for guidance. For once, there is good news. Will Americans of all stripes continue to grumble or will we use Venezuela as a source of inspiration and hope in these dark times?
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The United States’ Hand in Undermining Democracy in Venezuela
Latin America and the CaribbeanTalk of coups and military intervention in Venezuela, or anywhere in Latin America, needs to return to its previous taboo status, particularly given the current U.S. leadership’s receptiveness to absurd ideas. Instead, it’s time for cooler heads from across the political spectrum to work together to change the direction of U.S. policy toward Venezuela. First, U.S. citizens who care about Venezuela must organize to force Trump to lift his financial embargo.
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Canada’s Venezuela sanctions inflict hardship, endorse right wing elite
Latin America and the CaribbeanA UN-appointed expert met with dozens of opposition activists as well as church and human rights groups, and concluded that the Maduro regime has made “major mistakes including excessive force by the police.” But de Zayas also found that popular support for the Chavez revolution remains strong. And he accused anti-government demonstrators of having “attacked hospitals, nursery schools, burned ambulances and buses in order to intimidate the people. Is this not classic terrorism?”
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US State Department no Longer wants Elections in Venezuela
Latin America and the CaribbeanWith presidential elections announced in Venezuela, the US State Department moved quickly to declare that the contest would not be recognised. But less than a year ago the tune was quite different, as a cursory look through State Department briefings and press releases will show. We also examine how political developments from the past year have led to the current scenario, and how US demands for “free and fair” elections are not only arrogant and hypocritical but also misleading.
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UN Independent Expert: Venezuela Sanctions Must be Terminated and Economic War Must End
Latin America and the CaribbeanFrom 26 November to 4 December 2017, Professor Dr Alfred M. de Zayas carried out an official mission in Venezuela. He had requested an invitation in August, which the Venezuelan Government granted in September, making him the first UN rapporteur since 1996 to be invited and to conduct an official UN visit to Venezuela. The purpose of the mission was to explore how the Bolivarian Revolution had implemented human rights – especially in the economic, social and cultural domain.
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Canada vs. Venezuela: Have the Koch Brothers Captured Canada’s Left?
Canadian PoliticsSo when Chrystia Freeland acts to target Venezuela because “this is our hemisphere,” she is acting in concert with the Koch Brothers’ (and oil patch) desires – of course, without ever mentioning the tar sands. Is this the reason why the NDP’s foreign affairs critic Hélène Laverdière has also been so reactionary towards the Venezuelan government? It’s hard to know, but these days politically (and wherever you look) it’s usually always about the oil.
