Posted in Latin America

The coup they televised: Venezuela, Chavez and a cinematic masterpiece

chavez_filmAn exciting new radical film festival Seeing Red: a festival of subversive cinema takes place this weekend and the organisers are to be congratulated on choosing to show the ground breaking docu-film about the temporarily successful 2002 coup against the left-wing government in Venezuela, The Revolution Will Not Be Televised.

This unique film came about as a television crew from Ireland’s Radio Telifís Éireann happened to be recording a documentary about Hugo Chávez (and in the Presidential Palace itself!) in April 2002. Continue reading →

Social progress deepens in Venezuela

maduroFormer trade union leader, Nicolas Maduro, marks six months as Venezuela’s President in October, a period marked by measures to consolidate and deepen the remarkable social progress that took place in Venezuela under President Hugo Chávez.

Since becoming President, Maduro has faced the formidable task of both leading the government and facing an emboldened, anti-democratic right wing seeking to undermine, and ultimately overthrow, the country’s progressive government. Continue reading →

Solidarity with Victor Crespo

While we play silly buggers with union links and Westminster watching, it is worth remembering that many of our comrades elsewhere risk their lives to defend working people. This fromLabourStart’s Eric Lee via Howie’s Corner. I urge readers to take a moment to send a message of support.

Last Friday, armed men attempted to force their way into the home of Victor Crespo (pictured), the general secretary of a trade union in Honduras. They threatened Crespo’s life — and only fled the scene once neighbors were alerted.

The International Transport Workers Federation believes that the attack is related to Victor’s leadership of port workers who have been demanding the right to bargain collectively with their new employers in Puerto Cortes. Continue reading →

Lecture: national liberation and socialism in Latin America

The second Redmond ‘Neill memorial lecture is happening Wednesday next week (18 September at 6:30pm) in London, entitled From Martí & Bolívar to Castro & Chávez: national liberation & socialism in Latin America.

Richard Gott, journalist and historian, is the main speaker and is well qualified to speak on the subject  being the author of four related books: Guerrilla movements in Latin America (1970), In the Shadow of the Liberator: The Impact of Hugo Chávez on Venezuela and Latin America (2001), Cuba: A New History (2004) and Hugo Chávez and the Bolivarian Revolution (2005). Continue reading →