More stories below
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| National Electoral Council (CNE) |
1) Elections: Venezuela bans Chilean Senators as electoral observers > http://english.eluniversal.com/2010/07/15/en_pol_esp_venezuela-bans-chile_15A4190051.shtml
2) Freedom of speech: Venezuela: Close Chavez’s New Censorship Office > http://www.hrw.org/en/news/2010/07/21/venezuela-close-chavez-s-new-censorship-office
3) US funding: Opinion: The Right to Receive International Cooperation (Provea) > http://robertosilvers.blogspot.com/2010/07/opinion-right-to-receive-international.html?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter
4) Oliver Stone v. Leopoldo Lopez: Oliver Stone living in Venezuela? > http://www.hollywoodnews.com/2010/07/23/oliver-stone-living-in-venezuela/
5) Chavez v. Colombia: Internation crisis = oil prices up = more money for Chavez election campaign
Venezuela head threatens US oil cut over Colombia row > http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-10757064
6) GOP on Chavez: Get tough on Hugo Chávez, GOP senators tell Hillary Clinton > http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Foreign-Policy/2010/0721/Get-tough-on-Hugo-Chavez-GOP-senators-tell-Hillary-Clinton
7) Digging up Simon Bolivar: Behind exhumation of Simon Bolivar is Hugo Chavez's warped obsession (Thor Halvorssen) > http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/07/23/AR2010072302420.html
8) Chavez v. Globovision: Govn't likely to become a shareholder in opposition TV network Globovision > http://english.eluniversal.com/2010/07/23/en_ing_esp_govnt-likely-to-bec_23A4237539.shtml
9) Russian weapons: Venezuela may acquire Russian transport planes - arms exporter > http://en.rian.ru/mlitary_news/20100726/159950196.html
10) Venezuela's oil spill: Crude spills mar Venezuela oil hub Lake Maracaibo > http://af.reuters.com/article/energyOilNews/idAFN1211370720100712
More stories below in each of the above categories.
Follow @robertosilvers on Twitter for these and other updates > http://twitter.com/robertosilvers
1) Ensuring fair elections in September
Venezuelans vote for a new National Assembly on September 26. After gerrymandering districts and unconstitutionally altering propourtional representation rules, the National Electoral Council has all-but ensured a majority for Chavez' PSUV party. Regardless, the elections are hotly contested. As Chavez pours money and resources from state coffers into PSUV party and voters' hands, observation of the entire electoral process is as important as ever. In this context, Venezuela spent the past weeks "disqualifying" Colombian, Chilean and other potential international observers. The EU and the OAS have also been ruled out.
Venezuela bans Chilean Senators as electoral observers > http://english.eluniversal.com/2010/07/15/en_pol_esp_venezuela-bans-chile_15A4190051.shtml
Communication experts report Chávez's abuses in state-run media > http://english.eluniversal.com/2010/07/12/en_pol_art_communication-expert_12A4171571.shtml
Venezuela's electoral council rejects Chilean criticisms on electoral observation > http://english.eluniversal.com/2010/07/19/en_pol_esp_venezuelas-electora_19A4208851.shtml
Venezuela's electoral body to penalize foreign observers who disapprove vote > http://english.eluniversal.com/2010/07/20/en_pol_art_venezuelas-electora_20A4216971.shtml
Venezuelan authorities target both the media and dissenters > http://english.eluniversal.com/2010/07/16/en_ing_esp_venezuelan-authoriti_16A4196613.shtml
Spanish FM will try to convince Venezuela to allow presence of electoral observers > http://english.eluniversal.com/2010/07/20/en_pol_esp_spanish-fm-will-try_20A4216771.shtml
Government corruption: Expert suggests Chávez to monitor officials' finances > http://english.eluniversal.com/2010/07/12/en_pol_art_expert-suggests-chav_12A4170853.shtml
ANALYSIS-Chavez passes buck as Venezuela woes worsen > http://af.reuters.com/article/energyOilNews/idAFN2116649420100721
Hugo Chávez sees support fade, even in Venezuela strongholds > http://www.csmonitor.com/World/Americas/2010/0616/Hugo-Chavez-sees-support-fade-even-in-Venezuela-strongholds
Economic woes raise stakes in Venezuelan election > http://m.ft.com/beyond-brics/2010/07/16/economic-woes-raise-stakes-in-venezuelan-election/
2) "The Situation Room"
New government entity aims to restrict public information and control the debate.
Venezuela: Close Chavez’s New Censorship Office > http://www.hrw.org/en/news/2010/07/21/venezuela-close-chavez-s-new-censorship-office
Human Rights Watch: Venezuela government office muzzling critics > http://www.upi.com/Top_News/Special/2010/07/23/Human-Rights-Watch-Venezuela-government-office-muzzling-critics/UPI-70611279897991/
Venezuelans charged in case of 'false' tweets > http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2010/jul/15/venezuelans-charged-in-case-of-false-tweets/
3) Chavez propoganda machine targets US funding
Following the release of a report by the Spanish think tank FRIDE and a Freedom of Information Request (FOIA) release by the US Department of State, propoganda artist and conspiracy theorist Eva Golinger goes on a rampage attempting to criminalize US support of independent journalists and human rights organizations in Venezuela. As the Chavez government intimidates and threatens Venezuelan individuals and companies that would otherwise finance these projects, where else are democracy defenders to turn? What other check is there on government in Venezuela? Where is European and Japanese support?
Opinion: The Right to Receive International Cooperation (Provea) > http://robertosilvers.blogspot.com/2010/07/opinion-right-to-receive-international.html?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter
Former UN ambassador Milos Alcalay: US-Venezuelan lawyer-cum-journalist Eva Golinger is "an out-and-out fraud" (VHeadline) > http://robertosilvers.blogspot.com/2010/07/former-un-ambassador-milos-alcalay-us.html
Eva Golinger exposed for false claims as early as 2005: Conspiracy theories based on manipulated selective facts > http://robertosilvers.blogspot.com/2010/07/eva-golinger-exposed-for-false-claims.html?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter
4) Leopoldo Lopez vs. Oliver Stone
Film director Oliver Stone and opposition leader Leopoldo Lopez [former mayor of major Caracas municipality and now leader of political movement POPULAR WILL (Voluntad Popular)] go head-to-head in Huffington Post opinion pieces. Stone supports President Hugo Chavez. Lopez does not. In the end, Lopez challenges Stone to come and live several months to experience the Venezuelan reality first-hand.
The story gets coverage in Hollywood News - summary of debate
Oliver Stone living in Venezuela? > http://www.hollywoodnews.com/2010/07/23/oliver-stone-living-in-venezuela/
Lopez first salvo
Why Oliver Stone Is Wrong About Venezuela > http://www.huffingtonpost.com/leopoldo-lopez/why-oliver-stone-is-wrong_b_648212.html
Stone response
Responding to Leopoldo López > http://www.huffingtonpost.com/oliver-stone/responding-to-leopoldo-lp_b_652925.html
Lopez, round 2
An Invitation to Oliver Stone: Come Live With Us in Venezuela > http://www.huffingtonpost.com/leopoldo-lopez/an-invitation-to-oliver-s_b_655996.html
Related: Larry Rohter unveils false statements and mischaracterizations of Oliver Stone and Mark Weisbrot
Oliver Stone Still Doesn't Get It > http://alekboyd.blogspot.com/2010/07/larry-rohter-does-mark-weisbrot-et-al.html?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter
5) Chavez vs. Colombia (and everybody else)
Severing of relations with Colombia takes center stage as President Hugo Chavez attempts to link Uribe, Santos, the Catholic Church, US funding of Venezuelan journalists and the OAS together in a massive plot to assassinate him. Credibility wanes. And this: If the FARC is not hiding out in Venezuela, why will he not allow an independent commission to investigate? It could be coupled with an investigation of US military in Colombia; everybody's happy!
Internation crisis = oil prices up = more money for Chavez election campaign
Venezuela head threatens US oil cut over Colombia row > http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-10757064
Analysis: Venezuela and Columbia > http://its-the-mind.blogspot.com/2010/07/venezuela-and-columbia.html
US: Colombia's allegations against Venezuela should be taken "very seriously" > http://english.eluniversal.com/2010/07/23/en_pol_esp_us:-colombias-alleg_23A4235331.shtml
6) US policy toward Venezuela
Unfortunately, it is usually only the right wing of US politics that speaks out against Venezuela's growing democracy deficit. This proves to be the case here too. The truth of the matter is that concerns in Venezuela should supercede US political divisions. Help inform the debate by sharing Venezuela Democracy News with your moderate and leftist colleagues.
Get tough on Hugo Chávez, GOP senators tell Hillary Clinton > http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Foreign-Policy/2010/0721/Get-tough-on-Hugo-Chavez-GOP-senators-tell-Hillary-Clinton
US: Colombia's allegations against Venezuela should be taken "very seriously" > http://english.eluniversal.com/2010/07/23/en_pol_esp_us:-colombias-alleg_23A4235331.shtml
7) Digging up Bolivar
In an event characterized as "desecration", "pornography", and "distraction politics" by the opposition and others, Chavez opens the tomb of "liberation hero" Simon Bolivar to verify the authenticity of the corpse and reveal the true cause of death.
Behind exhumation of Simon Bolivar is Hugo Chavez's warped obsession (Thor Halvorssen) > http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/07/23/AR2010072302420.html
We squandered 150,000 tons of food?! But these are Bolivar's bones!!
Why Venezuela's Chávez Dug Up Bolívar's Bones > http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,2004526,00.html
Happy Birthday Simon!
Simon Bolivar an obsession for Venezuela's Chavez > http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/07/24/AR2010072401256.html
8) TV news: freedom of the press
Though some independent media still thrive in Venezuela, Chavez has undoubtedly targeted TV stations with the greatest reach. In 2008, he expropriated the transmission spectrum (the largest--reaching the largest population--in Venezuela) of the most popular and oldest TV station in Venezuela (RCTV) and turned it into a state-run channel. Recent attacks have been aimed at the 24-hour news channel Globovision, a vehement government critic, its employees, owners and audience. Also, not to be overlooked, is Chavez' pronounced amplification of government media outlets (TV, radio, internet, etc.) and the unashamed use of those outlets for political gain. (E.g. Imagine NPR as 100% government funded and Obama on-air with candidates and supporters 5 full hours every day.)
Govn't likely to become a shareholder in opposition TV network Globovision > http://english.eluniversal.com/2010/07/23/en_ing_esp_govnt-likely-to-bec_23A4237539.shtml
Future of Venezuela's Catholic TV in Peril > http://www.catholic.net/index.php?option=zenit&id=29953
9) Venezuela's military build-up
Consistently claiming that the significant increase in purchases of Russian and other military weapons over the past several years is to defend Venezuela against agents of the "Evil Empire" (Colombia and the US), one can't help but wonder what the real purpose is. Preparation for defense against another coup attempt? To arm citizen militias should they need to take up arms against the Venezuelan Armed Forces and protect Chavez? For the future safety of the Venezuelan people, these questions should be examined more closely and a complete accounting of Venezuelan arms purchases should be made public and transparent.
Venezuela may acquire Russian transport planes - arms exporter > http://en.rian.ru/mlitary_news/20100726/159950196.html
MULTIMEDIA NEWS
Nationalization has its limits; risk to public support trumps (audio)
Chavez Stalled In Bid To Seize Venezuela Food Firm > http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=128695640
Hilarious political commentary (video, cartoons)
Venezuela and Colombia: Online Political Cartoons Add Humor to Current Events > http://globalvoicesonline.org/2010/07/25/venezuela-and-colombia-online-political-cartoons-add-humor-to-current-event/
Cracked Latin - Caracas Shakedown (video, cartoon) > http://www.youtube.com/user/ncghost?feature=pyv&ad=5424109194&kw=chavez#p/u/0/7YuMabRjILQ
THE RIDICULOUS AND OTHER NEWS
Huh?! Maradona visits with Venezuela President Chavez > http://www.usatoday.com/sports/soccer/2010-07-21-942447803_x.htm
Check out video of this event to see Maradona's incredible face > http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dkWCtmeepXk
Venezuela faces oil spill of its own
Crude spills mar Venezuela oil hub Lake Maracaibo > http://af.reuters.com/article/energyOilNews/idAFN1211370720100712
Venezuela murder rate sky high
Chavez cites report listing Venezuela as murder capital > http://robertosilvers.blogspot.com/2010/07/chavez-cites-report-listing-venezuela.html?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter
Another Chavez Lie: "Colombia is more dangerous now than eight years ago" > http://robertosilvers.blogspot.com/2010/07/another-chavez-lie-colombia-is-more.html?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter
Henri Falcon wins early vote for 2012 Venezuelan President!
Presidenciables Venezuela 2010 > http://compararcandidatos.com/encuestas/venezuela-presidenciables-2010/
Despite Chavez, Venezuela economy not socialist > http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5ikUnQBPNcNxv7BQFe6PXnxO_wHWAD9H1JT8G2
ROBERTO SILVERS NEWS
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