Breaking news! US-backed pretend president @jguaido, with the powers he (and Washington) vested in himself, will stay on in his make-believe post. Not surprising really for someone who's a below replacement-level used-car salesman
Guaidó said he "will not hand the Republic over to Maduro". Unless "the Republic" is his cat or his filthy corner of his living room where he plays videogames, it's not clear what he's referring to
It's no surprise, really. In Jan 2020 Guaidó lost the National Assembly (AN) presidency but went off with his buddies to set up a Zoom, US-recognized "parliament". Then in Jan 2021 the AN, real or Zoom, expired.But his self-proclaimedness and his acolytes auto-extended themselves
However, there are some significant differences this time around. Above all, the other opposition parties seem to have had enough of Guaidó's shenanigans, in no small part because they're as far from power as ever. We delved further in this thread:
Of course, the only approval that matters is what comes from White House. Do other opposition forces have the stomach (and financial independence) to defy their historical master? Still, we're looking at an "interim govt" not even the opposition respects. What a time to be alive
The artificial extension of something made-up is about more than giving Guaidó time to figure out what he's good at. There are assets worth billions at stake, and nothing better than a spineless puppet to ensure they end up in the right (corporate) hands
🧵On #13Nov, 2001, Hugo Chávez's historic Land Law was approved to reverse Venezuela's highly unequal land distribution. The law provided conditions for campesinos (peasants) to rescue over 60% of large unproductive estates.
The land for those who work it! 👇
Before Chávez, neoliberal policies and oil dominance made the country dependent on agri-food imports while marginalizing rural peoples. Many migrated to urban areas to escape poverty, resulting in today’s barrios on the outskirts of Caracas and other cities.
With the Land Law there was a rural revitalization with campesinos retaking idle land from the elites. This saw agricultural production ramp up after decades of decline. Small and midsize farmers cover some 70% of Venezuela's food demand presently.
Venezuela and Iran are coming together with a united front against US sanctions.
The countries are reportedly preparing a 20-year cooperation accord, adding to current agreements (oil sector chiefly). President Maduro is due to visit Tehran in the coming months.
Recap🧵🧵
"Cruelty as usual for the US." An accurate description by @LeonardoEFA from @codepink of the US Treasury's sanctions review.
The report focuses on finding more "modern" ways to kill people with sanctions, sparking harsh criticism from advocacy groups. venezuelanalysis.com/news/15357
In 2019, Juan Guaidó got his hands on Venezuelan assets abroad. Now, they are all at risk of being handed over to creditors by US courts.
Oil giant ConocoPhillips is a step closer to ripping apart prized asset CITGO to collect an arbitration award. venezuelanalysis.com/news/15358
This might sound like a broken record, but @Reuters reporting is really beyond disgraceful. This is a piece about efforts to reestablish diplomatic/trade relations between Colombia and Venezuela. It was the Colombian Senate which took the initiative news.trust.org/item/202110202…
The beginning gives away that we're in for a bias bonanza: "After two years of mudslinging and ruptured ties, Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro said it was necessary to repair diplomatic relations with Colombia." "Mudslinging"? Not hiding efforts to thrash Maduro from the off
Then we read that VP Delcy Rodríguez demanded attention to "what she called the Col gov's policy of xenophobia and violence against Vzlan migrants." No mention that this comes after the gruesome killing of 2 Vzlan minors in Colombia. Context shall not get in the way of dishonesty
When it comes to ConocoPhillips, the US-backed Venezuelan opposition is a gift that keeps on giving. And giving here means giving the oil giant ever better chances of seizing billions-worth of Venezuelan assets. Legendary incompetence or something more? Let's take a look 🧵🧵🧵
The latest development is that the ICSID (World Bank arbitration tribunal) has suspended proceedings to annul an $8.5B award given to ConocoPhillips for a 2007 nationalization of its assets. Why? Because the Juan Guaidó merry band of idiots did not fulfill its payment obligations
This is especially significant because the US-backed pretend administration caught a lot of heat for not showing up in a DC court where ConocoPhillips is looking to have its award enforced. We explained it at length in this piece venezuelanalysis.com/news/15340
On #20Oct, 2012, Hugo Chávez gave his last public speech packed with self-criticism and strategic lines on Venezuela's transition towards socialism.
The 3h+ long historic broadcast is considered his political testament, with Chavista people baptizing it "Strike at the Helm." 🧵
Hugo Chávez's "Strike at the Helm" speech focused on a new cycle of the Bolivarian Process, with the leader calling for "radicalization" and turning the wheel towards socialism by transforming the economic landscape from the bottom-up.
Social property was key in Chávez' vision.
"Is building a highway the goal?" asked Chávez, "Or is it changing the entire geographical-human, socio-territorial and cultural relationship with its surroundings the goal?"
The Vzlan leader demanded territorializing the socialist model to break away from the capitalist logic.
🧵The Juan Guaidó experience has been full of what we could (generously) call "unconventional" antics. Pointless infomercials, a banana-fueled coup attempt, a pathetic mercenary invasion, etc. Now w/ the focus on Vzlan foreign assets, the self-proclaimed one continues to surprise
Vzla is facing a bunch of legal cases thanks to pro-corporate int'l arbitration tribunals. The "interim govt", the one "recognized" in US courts, has decided that its strategy is going to be "when the creditors arrive let's just turn off the lights and pretend we're not home"
Yes, you read it right. The US-backed Venezuelan opposition (or its representation) is simply not showing up in court. This allows judges to greenlight corporations' efforts to collect the arbitration awards by moving to seize Venezuelan assets (more on this below)