Venezuela: Crime in the Context of a Democratizing Process
In recent years there has been a torrent of articles, features and programs on soaring levels of crime in Venezuela. We have reasons to be suspicious of the media in this regard. […]
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Venezuela: Voices on the Struggle
An interview with three revolutionary Venezuelan socialist activists, Gonzalo Gómez, Stalin Pérez Borges, and Luis Primo in Caracas, Venezuela on their views on the contradictions and prospects of the Bolivarian process. […]
Americas Social Forum in Paraguay: Grassroots Organizations Are Still in Charge
Today, social movements are uniting to defend common resources and criticize extractivism. However, they are far from the unanimity characteristic of the period when rightwing governments prevailed in most South American countries and are separated when it comes time to evaluate progressive and leftist governments. […]
Venezuela’s Opposition: Manufacturing Fear in Exchange for Votes
“Venezuela, more deadly than Iraq” read a headline in the New York Times on Aug. 23 – a headline of such shock value that it can only mean one thing: it’s election time in Venezuela. Inside Venezuela, similar headlines are printed almost daily in corporate media with the upcoming September 26 national assembly elections.
Take Action! End the Brutal Repression of the Honduran Social Movement
A coalition of U.S. organizations today denounced the exercise of violent repression by Honduran military and police forces against members of a striking teacher’s union at a university in Tegucigalpa. The group referred to military and police attacks against members of the teacher’s union, COPEMH (Colegio de Profesores de Educación Media de Honduras) and their supporters, which took place at The National Pedagogical University Francisco Morazan in Tegucigalpa on August 26 and 27.
Project of Mass Destruction: Goldcorp’s Peñasquito Mine in Mexico
Five years ago, a new neighbor arrived in Mazapil promising employment, medical services and general development for the peasant communities of Cedros, Las Palmas, and El Vergel, among others. Unfortunately, the new neighbor has failed to deliver and hope for a brighter future has dimmed among the locals. In fact, the new neighbor, Goldcorp’s Peñasquito Mine, has turned out to be a very troublesome addition to the community as its main contributions involve environmental contamination and guzzling of the scarce water sources.
Pachamama and Progress: Conflicting Visions for Latin America’s Future
The recent conflict in Bolivia is similar to others across Latin America between the promises of left-leaning governments, the needs of the people and the finite resources of Pachamama (Mother Earth). […]
Potosí, Bolivia Protest: Resolved or Postponed?
On August 16, after 19 days of blockades and hunger strikes in urban Potosí and surrounding areas, Potosí civic leaders and MAS officials reached an agreement to end protests. After protest leaders and Bolivian government officials met in Sucre, the Morales administration agreed to begin work on the demonstrators’ six demands. […]
The Price of Fire in Bolivia: Reflecting on the Journeys of a Book
On the travels of the the Spanish edition of The Price of Fire: Resource Wars and Social Movements in Bolivia, from a coca leaf vendor in El Alto to a Bolivian dance party in Argentina. […]
Growing Fuel Instead of Food: Agro-fuels in Chiapas
In November 2008 La Jornada correspondent Hermann Bellinghausen defined ‘the four horsemen of progress’ for Chiapas: tourist development, mineral exploitation (mining), oil, and ‘biocombustibles’. The four horsemen are four routes used by multinational corporations, in conjunction with the Mexican (and US) government, to steal and plunder the land and its natural resources, the rivers and forests, the mountains and valleys, and to evict and destroy the indigenous peoples, their lands and territories.