The US鈥檚 role in Latin America is facing a growing challenge. The 33 member states of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) vehemently rejected North American intervention in the continent, and particularly the US-led blockade of Cuba and recent sanctions against Venezuela.
These positions were part of the 鈥淏elen Declaration鈥, approved during CELAC鈥檚 third annual presidential summit, held on January 28th and 29th in Belen, Costa Rica.
Rachael Boothroyd Rojas
Delegates from environmental groups from around the world gathered on the Venezuelan island of Margarita this month as part of the country's 鈥淪ocial Precop鈥. The event was coordinated by the Venezuelan government in a bid to take the 鈥渧oice of the people鈥 into the United Nations talks on climate change scheduled for December in Peru.
Over several days, movements and activists put the final touches to the 鈥淢argarita Declaration鈥 that was drafted in July after four days of debate and discussion.
The Venezuelan government has begun to send shipments of over 646 tons of much needed humanitarian aid to Cuba and Haiti after both countries were hit by Hurricane Sandy. The aid includes mostly non-perishable food items and water, as well as machinery to help remove debris.
The hurricane first struck the Caribbean last week before heading north to the US. So far, Haiti has been the worst hit by the disaster, counting a death toll of 54 people, followed by 11 in Cuba. (By November 4, the US death toll was well over 100 and growing.)
In a cabinet meeting with his top ministers on October 20, Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez strongly criticised his political team for failing to show commitment to the participatory democratic model proposed by his government. Chavez urged them to undertake serious 鈥渟elf-criticism鈥.
It was the first cabinet meeting since the October 7 presidential elections, in which Chavez won a third presidential term with more than 55% of the vote.
Recently re-elected Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez said his next six year term would mark a period of 鈥済reater advance鈥 towards building socialism, as well as 鈥済reater efficiency in this transition from capitalism鈥.
The Venezuelan president made the comments on October 10 during a ceremony with the National Electoral Council (CNE). Three days earlier, Chavez beat right-wing candidate Capriles Radonski by 11.11% in presidential elections. Chavez took more than 55% of the vote.
Thousands of peasant workers took to the streets of Caracas on July 26 to hand over a list of programmatic suggestions to the government and show their support for Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez.
Much of the world鈥檚 population continues to pay for the global financial crisis with their jobs, homes, education and health. Bankers continue to award themselves millions of dollars in bonuses, such as the British bank Barclay鈥檚 chief executive, who last year earned US$26.9 million.
The Venezuelan government, however, has raised the percentage of net profits banks must grant in credit to national social programs. In doing so, it is demonstrating to the rest of the world what a regulated and socially oriented banking system could look like.
Member countries of Latin America鈥檚 alternative integration bloc, the Bolivarian Alliance for the Peoples of Our America (ALBA), met for its 11th summit in Caracas on February 4 and 5 to discuss advancing the organisation.
ALBA is made up of the governments of Venezuela, Cuba, Bolivia, Ecuador, Nicaragua, Dominica, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, and Antigua and Barbuda. Formed in 2004, ALBA seeks to develop trade on the basis of solidarity and cooperation.
Cutting the working day to a maximum of seven hours, eliminating subcontracted work and raising maternity leave to a period of five months were some of the proposals put forward by thousands of workers across Venezuela for the country's new Labour Law, Socialist Bolivarian Workers鈥 Central president Will Rangel said on January 31.
Venezuelan workers have been mobilising across the country since President Hugo Chavez announced his government would overhaul the country鈥檚 Labour Law (LOT). This came after a sustained campaign by workers to have the law changed.
Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez has criticised the US State Department鈥檚 鈥渁bsurd鈥 decision to threaten Latin American countries with sanctions should they engage in trade with Iran.
Chavez made the comments on the state VTV channel after State Department spokesperson Victoria Nuland warned Latin American countries they would be liable to US sanctions if they were to use Iranian banks or purchase Iranian oil.
Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez condemned the United States鈥 decision to expel the Venezuelan consul general in Miami as 鈥渁rbitrary and unjustified鈥 on January 9. Chavez derided the move as 鈥渁nother demonstration of the arrogance of ridiculous imperialism鈥.
Venezuelan diplomat Livia Acosta Noguera had reportedly been working in the US since March when she was ordered to leave on January 8 amid claims that she had discussed the possibility of orchestrating cyber attacks against the US government whilst serving as vice-secretary at the Venezuelan embassy in Mexico.
Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez has ordered the expropriation of the British agricultural company Agroflora.
The company is a subsidiary of Britain鈥檚 Vestey Group that focuses on the commercial production of beef.
Chavez said the company鈥檚 290,000 hectares of farmland would be expropriated and brought under direct 鈥渙perational and administrative control鈥 of the state through the country鈥檚 Food Security and Sovereignty Law.
This law allows the government to forcefully expropriate land in 鈥渆xceptional circumstances鈥 relating to issues of national food security and the public good.
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