World Social Struggles Newswire Archive

Below are links to gay rights stories from around the world.

Venezuelans sing the national anthem together with their Comrade President.

Today 15th of august, some 30 demonstrators were present in front of the embassy of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela in the Hague. We planned to be there to watch over the electoral process. We were there in solidarity with the Bolivarian Revolutionary Movement that is posing a real alternative to neo-liberalism and to demand a transparent and fair electoral process.

UK's Independent Newspaper Falsifies Venezuela Election Results!
By Ron Smith,  http://narcosphere.narconews.com/story/2004/8/15/205259/595#1

Here is a short video from todays demo at the america embassy...

video interview with person saying something in Spanish about the shooting

Free download of the film "Venezuela Bolivariana: People and Struggle of the Fourth World War", a documentary about the Bolivarian Revolution of Venezuela and its links to the world-wide movement against capitalist globalization.

From 6pm tonight (sunday 15th august), RAMPART STREET E1 is hosting a party for those who have been taking part in the Venezuela Week of Solidarity and the demonstration outside the american embassy during the recall referendum in Venezuela.

Venezuela's president has achieved a level of grassroots participation our politicians can only dream of.

 http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/crossroadswomenscentre/
 http://www.globalwomenstrike.net/

Since monday (9th August), the rampart street creative centre and social space has been venue to a many of the events taking place in London as part of Venezuela Week of Solidarity. On 15th August, the people of venezuela get to vote on whether to continue with the popular socialist government of Hugo Chevez or call a new election. Meanwhile, the whitehouse is itching to intervene and the corporate media twist and turn as the info war heats up.

The events taking place at rampart street this week have given an opportunity for people to find out more about the situation in venezuela, what has happen since Chavez was elected and how the people feel about things. It has allowed people to explore their feelings about social change, revolution and the state. Whatever ones views, the heat is certainly on and the world is watching to see what happens...

Today (friday 13th), the

Between Empire and Revolution: Call from the "Calle y Media" autonomous collective for informational support and direct actions around the world in solidarity with the Bolivarian Revolution...

Venezuela's Electoral Council Outlines Plans for Contingencies and Disruptions

One week before Venezuela’s presidential referendum, the country’s only officially recognized electoral authority, the National Electoral Council (CNE) is trying to anticipate possible problems prior to the election this Sunday, August 15, which includes a challenge by opposition governor Enrique Mendoza, and an investigation into CANTV, the Venezuelan telecommunications giant in charge of transmitting voter data.

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- Events all week in London as part of a Venezual Week of Solidarity
- see  http://www.thenewagenda.org for programme and details
- Venue for most events is the rampART centre in Whitechapel
- see  http://www.rampart.co.nr for details and location
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Chavez Supporters Gather in Venezuela's Capital for Largest Pro-Chavez Rally

Crowd estimates ranged from 100,000 (opposition) to one million (pro-Chavez)

Supporters of Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez filled Caracas’ largest public venue yesterday, packing the Avenida Bolívar for well over a mile and overflowing onto side streets all over the downtown. Clad in red—the colour that has come to represent chavismo in Venezuela—supporters bore t-shirts, hats, berets, placards, puppets, and inventive home-made signs all uniformly declaring “No!” to the recall on Chávez’ mandate scheduled for next Sunday, August 15th.

here is a review of the opening event of the Latinamerican liberation exhibition at the rampART, part of the Venezuela Solidatrity Week.

While the world's attention has been focused on the middle east, the inavision and occupation of Iraq and the ongoing conflict over Palestine, few people have noticed the shake up occuring in South America. Everyone knows that the latinamerican countries are generally political unstable and characterised by military rule. Many people are aware that the US has a long history of intervention, installing and supporting complient dictators or replacing those that don't tow the US line. But there has been a shift, the forth largest supplier of oil to the US has excaped the cycle and liberated themselves from the yoke of the elite. However, the odds are stacked against them. Even having survived a coup and a bosses lock out in the last couple of years, and despite every indication that the people will win the recall referendum of their democratically elected president Hugo Chavez, there may be dark clouds on the horizon. Large arms caches have been intercepted entering the country. Large amounts of explosives have gone missing from military stocks and opposition are talking openly of violence and assasination.

[to find out more, visit the rampART (www.rampart.co.nr) this week during Venezuela Solidarity Week for talks, films, food, and art (see www.thenewagenda.org for programme)]

Below is an article from a right wing american publication which gives some idea of the propaganda being released to path the way for US intervention...

On Sunday 15th, Venezuelans are to decide if their President will remain in office during a recall referendum called by the US backed organized opposition. The stakes are hight and interior minister Lucas Rincon has expressed concerns about possible terrorist acts that sectors of the opposition could be preparing to try to trigger a "Madrid effect" that could alter the outcome of the referendum...

Venezuela, sitting on the largest oil reserves outside the Middle East, may be on the brink of major political upheaval. A presidential recall referendum could see the removal of the socialist Chevaz government and the installation of an oldguard power block that proposes repairing relations with Washington, and restructuring the oil industry. This comes after a botched US backed coup in 2002 cost the opposition the trust of many while a two-month general strike last year ruined the economy but left Chavez stronger than ever...

Authorities are ready to arrest people who dump nails on highways, cut down trees, slick streets with oil and burn tires to create turmoil and stop people from voting.

The world's fifth largest producer and exporter of oil will be using a e-voting system produced by an american company in a presidential recall referendum called for by the Venezuelan elite and backed by Washington. Despite the use of a paper record of votes, some people claim to have found security flaws and weak cryptography. "Computers can be made to produce any outcome that you want without anybody really knowing that's what was done," said one US observer. One thing is clear, who ever wins the vote, the use of the untested e-voting system will leave room for doubt from either side about the results...

The president, Hugo Chavez, will face a revocatory referendum on his tenure on August 15th. The date was announced by the National Electoral Council (CNE) on June 8th, after it ruled that a campaign by the opposition to garner signatures from 20% of the electorate in support of a petition demanding a referendum had been successful. The result of the referendum is uncertain, as are its implications for the Chavez regime. Whatever the outcome, there is a high probability that the losing side will challenge it, either in the courts??whose neutrality is disputed by both government and opposition??or on the streets. Political instability and a policy environment subservient to the government's priority of self-preservation therefore appear likely to persist for some time...