1. Hands Off Venezuela @*HOVcampaign* <https://twitter.com/HOVcampaign>
.@*NicolasMaduro* <https://twitter.com/NicolasMaduro>: "Snowden deserves protection. The US youth has decided to rebel" http://www. sibci.gob.ve/2013/06/snowde n-merece-proteccion-humanitaria-dijo-presidente-maduro/ <http://t.co/pdIyY1tSMg> ---------------Venezuelan Workers Meet for Worker Control Congress Jun 24th 2013, by Ewan Robertson [image: Participants attending a presentation in the main hall (Néstor Ferrebus)] Participants attending a presentation in the main hall (Néstor Ferrebus) [image: The publicity for the congress, which declares, neither capitalists nor bureaucrats, all power to the working class. (I Co] The publicity for the congress, which declares, neither capitalists nor bureaucrats, all power to the working class. (I Congreso de Trabajadoras y Trabajadores) Mérida, 24th July 2013 (Venezuelanalysis.com) Activists from across the Venezuelan labour movement met last weekend for the countrys first ever Workers Congress, where workers discussed workplace democracy and the construction of socialism. The congress, billed I Workers Congress: Balance and Challenges of Worker Control and Workers Councils for the Construction of Socialism, was organised by the National Worker Control Movement and saw the participation of over fifty groups from factories across the country. Political and union organisations were also present, including radical activists from the United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV), the trade union current of the Venezuelan Communist Party (PCV), and representatives of leftist union confederation the National Union of Workers (Unete). The meeting was an attempt to revitalise and strengthen the movement for worker self-management of factories in Venezuela, known as worker control. The movement holds that the direct control of workers over the means of production is fundamental to the construction of socialism. Further, according to the congress organising committee, the aim of the meeting was to promote, strengthen and consolidate the self-organisation of the working class, based on an analysis of its labour and an evaluation of its struggles, to allow for the generation of its unity around a common plan of struggle. *A decade of organising* As part of resistance to factory closures and management lock-outs by bosses opposed to the administration of former President Hugo Chavez, dozens of factories have come under whole or part management by their workers over the past decade. The worker control movement reached a high point with the proposal of the Plan Socialist Guayana in 2009, whereby the state-owned heavy industries of the eastern Guayana region would be run with the direct participation of their workers. Although Hugo Chavez voiced his support for the plan at the time, it has largely fallen into stagnation due to opposition from management bureaucrats and some reformist politicians within the *Chavista *movement. The 1st Workers Congress, which met in the state-owned Sidor steel plant in Guayana 21 23 June, was the result of a year of meetings between workers in different parts of the country, who seek to bring together all those interested or involved in worker control projects into one national movement. The congress took up a slogan common to the Venezuelan radical left, which declares, Neither capitalists nor bureaucrats, all power to the working class. With presentations, workshops and plenary sessions, participants discussed four main themes at the congress. There were, the self organisation of the working class, the class struggle and the state, legality and legitimacy, workers councils, worker control and management for the transformation of the capitalist economy and the formation and socialisation of knowledge. Those present took part in animated debate, which was seen as key to reaching conclusions on how the movement could advance toward implementing greater workplace democracy in the South American country. Alexander Coriano, a coordinator of the National Worker Control Movement, argued that movement should not aim to just get workers appointed to run companies, but rather should seek to introduce a management model in which workers make the decisions and intervene in processes of monitoring and control. The proposal of collective management is complex, and should still be analysed. The company should be directed by the workers, but for this to be achieved the intention is not enough, as this should be accompanied by a methodology thats reached with debate and discussion, Coriano said to local paper *Diaro de Guayana*. Concrete goals of the congress were to compile and analyse experiences of worker control in Venezuela, draft a final declaration on the national political situation and that of the labour movement, and reach an agreed manifesto and plan of struggle around which the worker control movement could unite. At the end of the event it was announced that a follow-up meeting would take place on 27 July to compile and finalise the congress manifesto and declarations, which will be made public and handed to President Nicolas Maduro for his consideration. ------------------------------ *Source URL (retrieved on 26/06/2013 - 1:47am):* http://venezuelanalysis.com/news/9761 Venezuelas Maduro: Snowden Deserves Humanitarian Protection Jun 26th 2013, by Tamara Pearson [image: (Reuters)] (Reuters) Mérida, 26th July 2013 (Venezuelanalysis.com) This guy, [Edward] Snowden... has surprised the world in order to ...improve humanity...this youth deserves humanitarian protection, Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro said yesterday at a press conference in Port-au-Prince after meeting with Haitis president. Snowden leaked information about the U.Ss PRISM spy program, which uses data from large internet companies to carry out mass surveillance of people inside and outside the U.S. After The Guardian published a series of exposes based on Snowdens disclosures this month, U.S. federal prosecutors charged him with theft of government property, unauthorised communication of national defence information, and wilful communication of classified intelligence to an unauthorised person. What would happen if it was discovered that Venezuela, a humble country, were spying on the whole world? All the organisations, the [U.N.] Security Council would come down on Venezuela straight away, Maduro said. He emphasised that Ecuador is evaluating possible political asylum for Snowden, and that no one has requested asylum in Venezuelan in relation to the case, but that if they were to do so, we would evaluate it as well. The Venezuelan president went on to remember the case of Nelson Mandela, who was internationally persecuted and characterised as one of the most wanted terrorists by the United States. On the other hand, he argued, the U.S. government protects terrorists, such as Venezuelan Luis Posada Carriles, who flew the Cubana de Aviacion plan and killed over 70 people. Who deserves protection, the young Snowden, or those who plant bombs? Its a reflection that we make to the people of the United States and of the world. We defend [Snowden] because ... the denunciations he has made in a very brave way, serve to change the world, Maduro said. Further, he argued that the United States should continue to be a great nation, but more for helping the world than for wanting to control it. There needs to be definitive change. The people of the United States agree with their country having a new role in the world and with the denunciations made by Julian Assange and Snowden. No one should spy on anyone, Maduro concluded. In August last year the Venezuelan government also supported Ecuador against threats from Britain, after it granted Wikileaks founder Julian Assange diplomatic asylum in the Ecuadorian embassy in London. Venezuela called for Ecuadors decision to be respected, and criticised the British governments conduct over the issue. Moreover, late President Hugo Chavez supported the people of Wikileaks, congratulating them in 2010, and saying the documents they leaked showed the U.S. to be a failed state that throws overboard all ethical principles and respect for even its own allies. He said Washington owed answers to the world. ------------------------------ *Source URL (retrieved on 26/06/2013 - 2:18pm):* http://venezuelanalysis.com/news/9765 The War on the Venezuelan Economy Jun 25th 2013, by Arturo Rosales - Axis of Logic [image: José Vielma Mora, Bolivarian governor of the State of Tachira being interviewed by the media (agencies)] José Vielma Mora, Bolivarian governor of the State of Tachira being interviewed by the media (agencies) The economic war by the opposition private sector against Venezuela continues apace. It actually began years ago as one of the prongs of Washington's pitchfork for the overthrow of the constitutionally and democratically elected socialist government here. The most well known attack on the economy was the managers' walkout and industrial sabotage of PDVSA the nationalized oil industry that nearly destoyed the economy but failed due to the brilliant response by the workers and the government. Since then, Washington and it's opposition front in Venezuela have developed new strategies and tactics to wage war on the government with what Hillary Clinton called, "soft power." *The counter-revolution and its fronts * There was the speculation by the stock exchange houses in Caracas, resulting in capital flight; the corrupting of the private bank officials resulting in the theft of millions of depositors' funds; infiltration of government bureaucracies by the fifth column to render services ineffective; the circulation of illegal drugs into Venezuelan youth, particularly in locales of the Chavista electorate; Colombian paramilitary groups crossing the border illegally to spawn violence and in some cases, executing labor leaders; the organizing and funding of the opposition by the US State Department for elections and violent street actions; the August 2012 attack on Venezuela's biggest oil refinery at Amuay; the sabotage of the national electrical system causing blackouts throughout the country; the opposition's denial of agriculture on vast stretches of their privately-held fertile lands; artificially-produced inflation by means of the parallel dollar market and attacks on the production and distribution of food and household items with their control of food processing and distribution and their hoarding and dumping of massive quantities of food to create shortages in the market. Of course each of these attacks against the revolution have been made-to-order for consumption by the US/European capitalist media to convince the public that the Venezuelan government is failing and more broadly that "socialism doesn't work." *The government fights back * It hasn't been easy but throughout the 14 years of Chavez' presidency the government has patiently and systematically responded to each new front opened by the opposition. Since the October 12, 2012 election won convincingly by President Chavez, the opposition has stepped up their attacks in a number of these areas and increasingly the new Maduro-led government has become more aggressive in defeating them. Shortly after appointing his cabinet following his April 14 election victory, he fired bureaucrats who have served as impediments to the revolution. Some of them simply didn't do their jobs, denying prompt and effective public services and others directly undermined the mission and work of the revolutionary government. Maduro's purging of officials in Indepabis, Venezuela's consumer protection agency serves as one example and his replacement of directors in the national electric system is another. His appointment of Jesse Chacon as Minister of Electricity and their subsequent militarization of the nation's electrical depots has greatly reduced the number and length of the blackout-sabotage across the country. As the government has gained more control of the electrical system, we have seen the opposition shift their focus to sabotage of food distribution. *Sabotage of food processing and distribution* The sabotage of food processing and distribution has been going on for years. In the runup to the 2007 referendum for constitutional reform (which the government lost), Erik Demeester<http://www.marxist.com/venezuela-economic-war-counter-revolution271107.htm> wrote: "Economic sabotage is an underexposed and underreported tool of the counterrevolution in Venezuela. It is part and parcel of a general plan of destabilisation of the revolution in the run-up to the referendum. The limits of reformism in combating food scarcity stress the need for bold measures, like nationalisation of the food industry and the mobilisation of the masses. No time can be lost!" In the last two weeks of January, 2008, more than 13,000 tons of food were seized by the government as part of Chavez' Food Sovereignty Plan launched in order to fight speculation, hoarding and sabotage in the food distribution chain. Jorge Martin<http://www.marxist.com/struggle-against-food-sabotage.htm> wrote at the time, *"The main lesson is that food soverignty is not compatible with capitalism."* When he announced government measures to gain control of the food distribution system on January 22, President Chávez explained, *"among the responsibilities of the government, one of them is to attack the capitalist model, the monopolies and rackets, so that the people, the workers, together with the revolutionary government can take the country forward".* *40,000 tons of hoarded food seized since January* Since last November, the opposition has stepped up two main fronts: manipulating the parallel dollar-bolivar exchange rate market causing the devaluation of the local currency, the bolivar and the hoarding and price speculation on basic food products typical of the average Venezuelan familys diet. Regarding the foods kept off the market, it's worth mentioning that most of it is under price controls which offers lower profits to the opposition food industries. There have been times when for weeks it has been impossible to find corn meal for making traditional arepas or powdered milk or recently even toothpaste and toilet paper - in some areas - of the country. It seems the US and some European media has placed an extra emphasis on the shortage of toilet paper in a few locations of the country, perceiving the propaganda value for readers' imaginations - "OMG An entire country without toilet paper!!" We Venezuelans can only smile at this level of ignorance but we can sympathize given the blanket negative brainwashing to which the average news reader is subjected in the United States and Europe. But now that the government and the security forces are working in tandem with the local population and the Communal Councils for intelligence purposes, large amounts of foodstuffs have been found hoarded all over the country. Since January at least 40,000 tons of food has been found hidden in various locations. This sort of action is both political and economic political in the sense that the population will blame the government for these artificially engineered shortages prejudicing its popularity; economic in the sense that it puts pressure on the government to raise the prices of basic foods thus sparking inflation. *400 tons of hoarded food seized on June 18* Many people prefer to believe opposition claims that it is government mismanagement and policy causing shortages but in this report we publish actual photos taken on June 18th in Tachira state where 400 tons of basic foods were found hoarded in a secret warehouse in the city of San Cristobal. The products discovered were 195 tons of rice, one ton of ground coffee, 4,000 liters of cooking oil plus sugar, black beans, toilet rolls, canned sardines and tuna, lentils, peas, oats, mayonnaise, tomato sauce and serviettes. All foods sold at regulated process. The discovery was made by a joint operation led by Tachira state governor, José Vielma Mora, in conjunction with the state police and the tax authorities (SENIAT). The fact that this merchandise was found in Tachira state, which borders with Colombia, could mean that the food was due to be illegally smuggled into Colombia and sold in supermarkets there at much higher prices than in Venezuela. The following photographs of just one government raid provide evidence of the food-hoarding tactics used by the Washington-backed opposition. This raid raises questions about the number of other hidden food dumps are yet to be discovered with Maduro's new strategies for defending and deepening the revolution. *The latest government raid of the opposition's hoarded food locations* *José Vielma Mora, Bolivarian governor of the State of Tachira being interviewed by the media.* *Tons of hoarded rice discovered in the raid.* *"Café Brasil" kept off the market by the opposition. Café Brasil is made in Venezuela and subsidized by the government.* *Another stash of hoarded rice discovered in the raid.* *Taking inventory of the sugar hidden in the secret location.* *Totaling up the find* *The team that carried out the raid included Tachira state governor, José Vielma Mora, in conjunction with the state police and the tax authorities from SENIAT.* *5,000 kilos (5½ tons) of sugar found in another raid, hidden in an opposition house in Caracas.* ------------------------------ *Source URL (retrieved on 26/06/2013 - 1:38am):* http://venezuelanalysis.com/analysis/9763 [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] ------------------------------------ --------------------------------------------------------------------------- LAAMN: Los Angeles Alternative Media Network --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Unsubscribe: <mailto:[email protected]> --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Subscribe: <mailto:[email protected]> --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Digest: <mailto:[email protected]> --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Help: <mailto:[email protected]?subject=laamn> --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Post: <mailto:[email protected]> --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Archive1: <http://www.egroups.com/messages/laamn> --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Archive2: <http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]> --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/laamn/ <*> Your email settings: Individual Email | Traditional <*> To change settings online go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/laamn/join (Yahoo! ID required) <*> To change settings via email: [email protected] [email protected] <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [email protected] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
