9pm THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 30th:

A BOLIVARIAN REVOLUTION screening.

‘Bolivarian Venezuela: The People and Their Struggle in the Fourth World War’


11 Rupert Street,
London W1
Tel: 020 7437 0757
Nearest tubes: Piccadilly Circus or Leicester Sq.
£6.50/£4.50 cons/unwaged

 http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/static/cinema.html

Chavez and president
de Chevron Texaco

Chavez and his "revolution" will completely destroy the economy in Venezuela. No foreign companys will be investing to a country led by this socialist idiot. In ten years Venezuela will be even more poor than it is today. There will not be prosperity for poor, but disappointment for all. Poor ignorant uneducated people in third world countries such as Venezuela should be denied to vote and let those run the business who know what they are doing. Revolution and ideology is not going to feed their kids. They are maybe exited now, but wait until few years, Chavez will be the most hated man in his country. And he will be hated by all, rich and poor.

The IMF and their "revolution" have completely destroyed the economy in Argentina. Foreign companies invested heavily in that country led by those capitalist idiots. Ten years on, Argentina is poorer than ever. There is no prosperity for the poor, but disappointment for all. Poor ignorant uneducated people in third world countries such as Venezuela have fought for and won the vote at last, and will no longer let those run the business who steal everything they can lay their hands on. Marketing and ideology are not going to feed their kids. The Americans are maybe excited now about their next coup attempt, but wait a few years, Bush will remain the most hated man in the world. And he will be hated by all, rich and poor.

this is great - chávez getting hammered from both sides here! on the one hand, he's a demon cos he's dealing with the wicked oil companies; on the other, his "socialist" policies are gonna bankrupt the country as all the capitalists flee in horror (hint, with $40-billion of oil swilling around, they'll be hanging around a little longer yet).

so that frames the debate! demon or demon, the choice is yours! or maybe, real life is a little bit more complex than that...

in any case, our opinions do not matter here. the fact is, the venezuelan people (especially the poorer people) have overwhelmingly chosen chávez again and again, and that should be enough for all progressives. if u don't support a people's right to (democratic) self-determination then u've no right to call yourself anarchist, marxist, liberal or whatever. maybe a nihilist.

the comment about not letting people vote unless they vote the right way is a bit too much, though, even for a parody.

Well of course capitalists will be hanging there because of the oil. And all the other companies too who have existing investments in Venezuela that can not be easily moved to another country. But all they are doing is producing as much as possible without making any new investments to the country. There will be no new technology, there will be no new companies, no new jobs... Present situation will continue for a while. But the problem is that owners will be taking their profits outside Venezuela because of Chavez and make their investments to some other country. He will destroy his country, it will take 10-15 years before everyone can see it. He doesnt care about his people, all he care about is his own power. Just like Fidel.

 http://quote.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=10000086&sid=a9RoRauBk_YM&refer=latin_america
" 'It's not a matter of the markets liking or not the politics of President Chavez,'' Cerritelli said. 'It's simply a matter of investors recognizing that the risk of payment problems in Venezuela is low enough to make it an attractive high yielding investment proposition in an environment of high international oil prices.'"

Are you seriously suggesting that investment in one of the top oil suppliers in the world is going to slow down anytime soon? Got any numbers to back up your bizarre assertions? Why do you think the US is in such a frenzy about it? They're fucked, and they know it.

 http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=topNews&storyID=6234862

"Moody's raises Venezuela's PDVSA rating to "B2"
Tue Sep 14, 2004 03:50 PM ET
NEW YORK, Sept 14 (Reuters) - Moody's Investors Service said on Tuesday it upgraded Venezuela's state oil company Petroleos de Venezuela's (PDVSA) foreign currency issuer rating to "B2" from "Caa1" and its local currency issuer rating to "B1" from "Caa1."

The rating agency also upgraded the long term rating of PDVSA Finance Ltd.'s notes to "B1" from "Caa1."

The rating actions follow the recent upgrade of Venezuela's sovereign credit rating last week to reflect the resolution of the recall referendum in favor of President Hugo Chavez and the government's determination to service its public debt in full and on a timely basis, despite severe stress, Moody's said in a statement.

"The referendum, although subject to continuing controversy, appears to provide a somewhat more stabilized political and economic environment with a reduced risk of disruptions to PDVSA's own operations," Moody's added.

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 http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=topNews&storyID=6118134

Venezuela's Jan-June non-oil exports jump 80 pct
Tue Aug 31, 2004 07:25 PM ET

By Silene Ramirez

CARACAS, Venezuela, Aug 31 (Reuters) - Venezuela's non-oil exports increased to $4.1 billion in the first half of 2004 from $2.2 billion in the same period last year as the economy climbed strongly out of recession, a state bank official said on Tuesday.

Victor Alvarez, President of the state foreign trade bank Bancoex, told Reuters the 81 percent January-June jump in exports excluding oil and iron was also the result of financial incentives provided to exporters by President Hugo Chavez's government.

Among non-oil exports which increased over the six-month period were plastics, aluminum and steel products, timber, paper, pulp and cardboard, fisheries products, fruit, coffee, cocoa and liquors like rum.

This non-oil export category would surpass the $6.9 billion level originally forecast by the government for the whole of this year, Alvarez said.

"That target will certainly be beaten," he said. Non-oil exports totaled $5.3 billion in 2003 and $6.9 billion in 2002.

Venezuela is the world's No. 5 oil exporter and crude and oil product sales account for around two thirds of the country's export revenues.

Buoyed by high world oil prices, Venezuela's economy grew by 23.1 percent in the first half of 2004, compared with the same period a year ago. The government forecasts GDP growth of between 10 and 12 percent for the whole of this year.

The economy contracted 7.6 percent in 2003 after it was hit by a crippling general strike that disrupted oil output and exports. The stoppage was triggered by political conflict over the government of left-winger Chavez, who won a referendum on his rule earlier this month.

Alvarez said Venezuelan exports would benefit from the country's entry last month to the Mercosur trading bloc as an associate member.

The associate membership allows Venezuela preferential trade, but not the tariff benefits of full membership of the bloc, which groups Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay. Chile, Bolivia, Peru and Mexico are also associate members.

Chavez's government has organized rounds of business meetings with Brazil, Argentina and Colombia in a bid to encourage exports and diversify trade away from an excessive dependence on its main commercial partner, the United States, the biggest buyer of Venezuelan oil.

In a separate announcement, Venezuelan tax officials said the government's taxation receipts in August totaled just over $1 billion, 56 percent more than the amount originally foreseen for the month in the government budget.

Jose Vielma, head of the National Tax Authority SENIAT said the better than expected receipts were the result of the economy's strong recovery and an ongoing crackdown against tax evasion

Accumulated tax income this year stood at a little over $7 billion and the government was on track to achieve total receipts for the year of $10.4 billion, Vielma said.
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Gosh! Sounds like they're DOOOOOOOOOOMED! Hahahahahaha!

Venezeula's going to be fine, now that the uncertainty over coups and referendums has passed.

Tough luck for you though, my rightwing Venezuelan emigre friend. Your party's over. Time to get over it, and move on.

Hi from Venezuela,

Interesting debate about the economy. What I have heard from a worker in one of the international oil companies is that now the coup, general strike and referendum have all failed, they´re resigned to dealing with Chavez, and they are going to reinvest and work with him. The same probably applies to many areas of the economy. So I´m afraid Venezuelas economy is not going to go to pot. In fact, not only will it be wealthy, but some of this wealth will finally be getting to the poor, at long last.

As to those critical because he´s shaking hands with foreign investors, to be fair I´d like to see you doing a better job of educating and housing the poor. Its like, you´re so pedantic, you´d rather have people starving and homeless and poor than take any concrete steps to see anything get done.

Anyway, buenas

Chavez knows a thing or two about dancing with the devil. He has allready started to revolutionise the local oil industry based on a system called PROUT. This socio-economic theory would return the benefits of fossil resources back to the Venezuelan people. Many key oil players have allready adopted the system and now many parliamentary candidates are following suite.

Could PROUT be the way for Chavez to manoeuvre between the rock of Capitalism and the hard place of Communism? See www.proutworld.org

This year's European Social Forum in London starts early, with a host of actions taking place on Tuesday October 12th, as part of the Global Day of Action in support of the people's struggles across Pachamerica (the non-colonial term for Latin America - "Pachamama" being the indigenous word for "Mother Earth").

In particular we shall be supporting Venezuela's "Bolivarian Revolution", named after Simon Bolivar, who liberated the people from colonial rule. For five years since President Hugo Chávez was democratically elected, Venezuelans have been the target of a co-ordinated attack, both overt and hidden, by the US government and the local elite, who don't want the country's huge oil wealth spent on its people.

October 12th used to be known as "Columbus Day", celebrating when the Conquistadors first "discovered" America. In reality this is nothing to celebrate as it unleashed a wave of terror across the continent which has enslaved the people for over 500 years. All over the world activists will reclaim this day for the indigenous inhabitants and strip it of its Imperialist pretensions.

In London several groups have come together to show solidarity with the progressive movements across this rebellious continent. Hands Off Venezuela and sambistas Rhythms of Resistance, along with Zapatismos and others, will unite to highlight how the people are fighting back and liberating themselves from neo-imperial corporate-colonial rule.

From 11pm there will be a demonstration outside the Mexican Embassy (8 Halkin St, SW1X) in solidarity with the Zapatistas (and there'll be plenty of their organic coffee to drink as well).

Then from 2pm-4pm there's a rally outside the US Embassy (Grosvenor Sq, W1) to tell the Washington warmongers to keep their hands off Venezuela!

From 5pm-6pm there will be lectures and discussions about Venezuela at Middlesex University (Tottenham Campus, White Hart Lane, N17). This is part of a day-school on wider regional issues, involving many other solidarity groups and institutions.

And then at 7pm there's a debate at the NUJ headquarters (308 Gray's Inn Rd, Kings Cross, WC1) about the media and Venezuela. This issue is especially crucial because there is a worldwide campaign to demonise the Bolivarian Movement and many journalists and editors here (even in the so-called "progressive" press) just repeat the lies and smears from the White House about Venezuela and never report the positive advances made there, for example in health, education, housing, redistribution of wealth, new rights for women and indigenous people...

more info:  solidarityweek@yahoo.com or www.handsoffvenezuela.org and pr.indymedia.org/features/venezuela