I'd love to come along - I've sent four emails to the GLC asking for a ticket without getting one - but as I'm not a member of the Labour Party or a personal friend of Ken Livingstone it seems I can't.

I think it's scandalous that the revolutionary leader of a major south American country is being denied a chance to address a rally of the thousands of Latin Americans and others in this country who support his stand against imperialism. Livingstone cancelled what was to have been a massive, open rally at Queen Elizabeth Hall so he could have a smaller rally with no banners - that's right, no banners at a Venezuelan rally - where he and his Labour Party mates would control admission and the proceedings.

What a waste.

First of all sab Chavez is NOT a dictator in anyway shape or form. He and his party has won 9 elections since 1998 all of them free and fair according to outside observers. The latest was a victory in a recall referendum which he won by 59% of the vote in 2004 so stick that in your pipe and smoke it sab you prat. There is also a free press in Venezuela which ranges from anarchism to the right wing vitriolic press. There is freeedom of speech unprecidented in the western world with no censorship of expression excepting racism of course. He is using record oil revenues to eliminate poverty through the creation of co-operatives and the extension of housing, education, health care, and land reform to the masses. He has increased the role of the state in the economy by using exchange controls, price controls and controls on banking to regulate the economy and not leave it to the mercies of the market place. He has stopped privatisation of state assets such as oil, social security, water, steel, aluminium, electricity, etc and has created state enterprises such as cement, national airline, food distribution companies, cotton, textiles, diamond mining, supermarkets, construction, shipyards, and paper and pulp. He has also nationalised bankrupt enterprises such as a paper factory, a oil valve factory, a sugar mill, a steel plant, and a tomato plant, with many more expropriations in the pipeline. He has redistributed thousands of hectares of state and private land to poor families who are now creating agricultural co-ops. He has spend billions on roads, railways, building hydroelectric plants, power plants, houses, brickworks, and bridges. He has raised the banner of socialism in venezuela and has condemmed not only imperialism but also capitalism which he has called the kiss of death. Internationally he has sent subsidised heating oil to poor communties in the united states such as the indian tribes, and poor communities in the bronx, and boston, as well as the carribbean countries like jamaica, and central america, and forged close alliances with Cuba, and Bolivia. There remains many problems such as crime and homelessness corruption and bureacracy but stuffs getting better although not for the rich i don't die but for the poor certainly. So seb stop peddling your bullshit on Chavez and face facts mate he is succeding despite your fantasies.

P.s Livingstone is a shit though

Steven

I'd been expecting to go along to see Chavez at Friends Meeting House on Monday night until I found Livingstone was cooking dinner for him so he wouldn't be there...

Then I see he's at Camden Centre on Sunday so, as a journo I ring the GLA Press Office to be told they can't deal with it, it's the Mayor's gig and I have to ring his Press Office instead.

All 10 of them are on voicemail, and when finally get through to the PO responsible he tells me there 's no room for press or photographers. (Except of course the Ken friendly specials...)

Frankly, Chavez is more important than Livingstone (duh), and I'm also incensed by the hijacking of this visit. I really think he should have been offered a platform to speak to his friends and supporters in this country.