President Denounces Coup Attempts

Wednesday 6th January 2009, by Periodico 26

QUITO.— Ecuadorian President Rafael Correa revealed on Sunday that his administration has discovered a conspiracy aimed at destabilizing the government and prepare the floor for a coup d’état, the local media reported.

An interview with three Central American women's activists conducted in December 2009 during a visit by the three to the UK organised by the Central American Women's Network (CAWN).

Femicide in Central America

January 5th 2010, by Yeny Giraldo - Alborada.net

While the United States (US) government states that the preservation of “women’s liberation” is part of the justification for its continued occupation of Afghanistan, at least three countries in its own ‘backyard’ are experiencing a rapid increase in violence and repression against women.

The US-Colombian Military Agreement

December 2009, by Fault Lines/Al Jazeera English

At the end of October, the US quietly signed a deal with Colombia, its strongest ally in the region and the biggest recipient of US military aid in the hemisphere.

The agreement grants the US access to seven Colombian military bases for 10 years.

The event went practically unnoticed in Washington. But it raised a storm of protest from South American governments threatened by the specter of US military intervention in the region.

Alvaro Uribe, the Colombian president, and the Obama administration have cast the deal is a mere extension of the US "war on drugs" through the decade-old Plan Colombia.

But as Hugo Chavez, the Venezuelan president, declared that he was preparing for war, and tensions mounted at the Colombia-Venezuela border, 'Fault Lines' traveled to Colombia to investigate why US access to the bases is a cause for so much consternation.

Desde Dentro: Un Viaje al Corazón de la Revolución Venezolana (Director: Pablo Navarrete, 65 minutos, Alborada Films, 2009)


Lunes 4 de Enero 2010 / 7.45pm / Entrada gratis

El documental se presenta como parte del “4to Festival de Cine Social y de los Derechos Humanos, Cine Otro” a realizarse en Valparaiso desde el día 2 al 9 de Enero del año 2010.

Inside the Revolution: A Journey into the Heart of Venezuela
(Director Pablo Navarrete, 65mins, Alborada Films, 2009)

February 2009 marked 10 years since Hugo Chavez took office, following a landslide election victory, and launched his revolution to bring radical change to Venezuela. While wildly popular with many in the country, Chavez's policies and his strongly-worded criticisms of the U.S. government have also made him powerful enemies, both at home and abroad, especially in the media.

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez on How to Tackle Climate Change: “We Must Go from Capitalism to Socialism”

Monday 21st December 2009, by Amy Goodman - Democracy Now!

We speak with Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez about climate change, the Copenhagen summit and President Obama. Chavez calls the COP15 summit undemocratic and accuses world leaders of only seeking a face-saving agreement. “We must reduce all the emissions that are destroying the planet,” Chavez says. “That requires a change in the economic model: we must go from capitalism to socialism.”

Latin America Makes an Impact at Copenhagen Amidst Conflicting Charges of Lula’s Leadership and ALBA’s Deep Dissatisfaction

Wednesday 23rd December 2009, by Guy Hursthouse - Council on Hemispheric Affairs (COHA)

- Brazilian President Lula consolidates his role as a global power broker even though the final product at the global warming conference was a a markedly feeble Accord
- Whitehall leads attacks on China and ALBA countries for “holding the world to ransom”
- As recriminations fly, Brasilia joins ALBA in criticizing Washington’s lame approach to the negotiations

Top Ten Ways You Can Tell Which Side the United States Government Is on With Regard to the Military Coup in Honduras

Wednesday 16th December 2009, by Mark Weisbrot - Common Dreams

At dawn on June 28, the Honduran military abducted President Manuel Zelaya at gunpoint and flew him out of the country. Conflicting and ambiguous statements from the Obama administration left many confused about whether it opposed this coup or was really trying to help it succeed. Here are the top ten indicators (with apologies to David Letterman):

Critiquing the Trajectory of the Zapatista Movement

Tuesday 15th December 2009, by Ramor Ryan - Upside Down World

It has been noted, perhaps somewhat unfairly, that by this stage there are probably more books and papers written about the Zapatistas than there are actual Zapatista milicianos. Niels Barmeyer's new work, 'Developing Zapatista Autonomy: Conflict and NGO Involvement in Rebel Chiapas' adds to this cannon, but distinguishes itself by coming from the perspective of a militant anthropologist, an embedded solidarity activist investigating— from below—the inner workings of the EZLN (Zapatista Army of National Liberation) and the solidarity and NGO organizations surrounding it. It also distinguishes itself by being more critical than most, certainly of those ostensibly coming from a sympathetic position.

[Researchers at the University of the West of England, UK, have exposed ongoing and systematic bias in the BBC’s news reporting on Venezuela. Dr Lee Salter and Dr Dave Weltman analysed ten years of BBC reports on Venezuela. Their findings so far show that the BBC’s reporting falls short of its legal commitment to impartiality, truth and accuracy.]

A Decade of Propaganda? The BBC’s Reporting of Venezuela

Monday 14th December 2009, by Lee Salter -Venezuelanalysis.com