The extraordinary news from Venezuela shows what a hole the corporate media have dug for themselves in their coverage of the "resignation" of Chavez, and their estimation of the degree of popular support for his overthrow.

No doubt they will be scrupulously honest in reporting who exactly was responsible for the shootings that Bush said justified Chavez' overthrow - NOT.

The rapid developments also show what a vital medium Indymedia has become, with the corporates limping along with half-truths and flat out lies.

I'm loathe to quote Thatcher but, what the hell - Rejoice, rejoice!

Gawd not often you get some good news is it!

Have a nice day everyone.... oh yes and when are we gonna start taking over tv broadcasting stations? Or at least start doing those peace protests outside wapping instead of in the middle of trafalga square where the media can totally ignore them.

Gawd not often you get some good news is it!

Have a nice day everyone.... oh yes and when are we gonna start taking over tv broadcasting stations? Or at least start doing those peace protests outside wapping instead of in the middle of trafalga square where the media can totally ignore them.

Chávez will not solve the problems of the poor through a half-hearted land reform programme, relying on high oil prices or a state-capitalism. This government will come undone again and my fear is that the Venezuelan left will be marginalised for years. Venezuela needs to go further in overthrowing capitalism and the people need to take collective action themselves and not rely on a caudillo or even a trade union bureaucracy. If people rely too much on Chávez's personality, then this system will surely crumble. He will either take arms against his own people in a military junta or someone else will do it for him.

Seeing Chavez returned to power is probably the best news I've seen in ages. It'll set the reactionaries in Venezuala back for the time being. As to the previous posting about Chavez' modest reforms, maybe, just maybe, the guy is a little more realistic than a lot of the idealistic intellectual posturers who pass for Lefties in the Brit State. It kind of reminds me about arguing with members of the SP and the SWP over the creation of the Tower colliery mining co-operative in Wales. The naive saps were all bleating that "it's not enough...we need revolution" but as I like to point out, how many jobs have the SWP et al. created in the Cynon Valley? Answer? Fuck all!!