Steve Ellner – Latin American Perspectives Now that the presidency of Hugo Chávez is beginning its second decade, the insistence of some critics on holding the government accountable by evaluating its concrete results becomes increasingly compelling. The assessment of gains and shortcomings is particularly important in light of the assertion of Chávez’s adversaries, as well as the concerns of some analysts who are more sympathetic to his government, that rent-seeking continues to underpin the Venezuelan economy and society, which remain completely dependent on petroleum.

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Hugo Chávez’s First Decade in Office: Breakthroughs and Shortcomings

A guest post from frequent commenter Dr. Henning Große Ruse-Khan ACTA – A Draft Trade Agreement with a Potential to Create Trade Barriers

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Große Ruse-Khan: ACTA – A Draft Trade Agreement with a Potential to Create Trade Barriers?

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez and Argentine President Cristina Fernandez signed 25 cooperation agreements in agriculture, science and technology, electricity production and other areas in Caracas on Tuesday following Fernandez’s participation in Venezuelan bicentenary independence celebrations on Monday.

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Venezuela Signs Energy, Infrastructure, Agriculture Accords with Argentina

In a massive show of support for the Bolivarian revolution led by Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez, an estimated one million red-clad supporters turned out to watch the “Independence and Revolution” bicentennial civic-military parade, in Los Procéres, Caracas yesterday.

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Large Crowds Turn Out for 200-Year Independence Celebrations in Venezuela

Federico Fuentes – Green Left Weekly Following nation-wide assemblies involving more than 10,000 electricity workers to collectively discuss solutions to Venezuela’s electricity crisis, 600 delegates gathered in Carcasas on April 8-9 to present there proposals on how to restructure the sector.

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Venezuela: Workers’ control to solve power problems

A new report from ICTSD: African farmers could have gained from a 3.5 percent average increase in world cotton prices, if the US had moved quickly to implement the recommendations of an international trade panel, a new study finds. The study, commissioned ICTSD and conducted by Mario Jales of Cornell University, suggests that cotton prices would have risen over a 1998-2007 base period if the US had cut subsidies that were deemed unlawful by a dispute panel at the World Trade Organisation (WTO), following complaints by Brazil

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ICTSD: The Impact of the Cotton Dispute on Africa

The Society of International Economic Law has just released the first fruits of a trial project it is running, translating Spanish language material related to international economic law into English. The first project has been to translate the first decision of the MERCOSUR Permanent Tribunal for Review (N o 1/2005), on the Prohibition of the Importation of Retreaded Tyres from Uruguay

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SIEL Translations: Mercosur TPR Decision, 1/2005

By Revolter Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but it’s been confirmed, the BoRev’s faithful editor has tragically been disappeared by Alvaro Uribe linked death squads. Anyway, hey look “Hillary Clinton” met up with the Hillary Clinton of Latin America and The Times UK is here to clarify for us which one of them is bullshitting, sortof: What began as a last-minute change to Mrs Clinton’s itinerary on her five-day sweep through Latin America has snowballed into a major diplomatic incident that has emboldened Argentina and caught the US largely un- awares

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Chile Not Only Place Clinton Pretend Concerned About

This will not shock you, not even a little: [The stupid Washington Post ed board] refers to these deals as “free trade” agreements even though an important part of both deals involves increasing protectionist barriers in the form of patent and copyright protection. This increased protection will raise costs and lead to increased economic distortions . Haw haw.

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Jackson Diehl Is BUSTED for LYING, About Colombia, Like Always

Caracas, February 3, 2010 (venezuelanalysis.com) – Yesterday, Venezuela celebrated eleven years since President Hugo Chavez was first elected in 1998 on the back of a wave of popular rebellion against neo-liberalism in the Latin American country, signifying for many the beginning of what is referred to as the “Bolivarian Revolution”, a radical social process named after Latin American independence hero, Simón Bolivar. By Kiraz Janicke – Venezuelanalysis.com read more

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[news] Venezuela Celebrates 11 Years of “Bolivarian Revolution” & Further Cabinet Changes Announced

From Arlen Specter : I have a two-part question, and just a brief statement of the issue. We have lost 2.3 million jobs as a result of the trade imbalance with China between 2001 and 2007. The remedies to save those jobs are very ineffective — long delays, proceedings before the International Trade Commission, subject to being overruled by the President.

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Trade Questions for Obama

3 February 2010 – As is custom at the beginning of each year, the different US agencies publish their famous annual reports on topics ranging from human rights, trafficking in persons, terrorism, threats, drug-trafficking, and other issues that indicate who will be this year’s target of US agression.

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[analysis] US Intelligence Report Classifies Venezuela as “Anti-US Leader”.

From a draft paper by Richard Stewart of NYU Law School, entitled “THE WORLD TRADE ORGANIZATION: MULTIPLE DIMENSIONS OF GLOBAL ADMINISTRATIVE LAW”: The WTO imposes extensive GAL requirements of transparency, participation, reason giving and review on decision making by members’ domestic administrative bodies in order to ensure even-handed treatment of domestic and foreign private economic actors and prevent disguised protectionism.

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Global Administrative Law and GATT Article X

Merida, February 1 st , 2010 (Venezuelanalysis.com) – On Sunday, president Hugo Chavez announced the creation of a special fund of $1 billion for the strengthening of the national electricity system; implementing 59 generation and distribution projects, and 50 operation and maintenance projects.

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[news] Venezuelan Government Invests in Electricity Infrastructure

From Luke Peterson : There are growing signs that investment treaty protections – while rarely discussed in media or human rights law circles – may be surprisingly useful in some cases of repression or censorship of foreign-owned media. While there is growing debate as to the uses of World Trade Organization agreements to combat certain forms of state repression of media actors, less attention has been paid to the potential of international investment law to combat certain forms of state censorship and repression.

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Investment Treaty Arbitration and Censorship

Hey it’s been a while since we checked in on our #1 best friend in the hemisphere, so let’s take a peek and see what valuable lessons of democracy we can learn from–SWEET JESUS WHAT IS WRONG WITH THESE PEOPLE!?! Let’s see, in the last week alone , The Colombian government has been forced to acknowledge its role in the assassination of an opposition Senator. Then somebody turned up a brand new mass grave chock full of more than two thousand “social leaders, campesinos and community human rights defenders” who managed to piss off the government

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Dispatches From The Greatest Democracy Ever

Merida, January 29 th , 2010 (Venezuelanalysis.com) – Venezuela’s National Telecommunications Commission CONATEL has lifted the suspension of four of the television stations that were suspended for failing to comply with Venezuela’s radio and television social responsibility law. By Tamara Pearson – Venezuelanalysis.com read more

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[news] Suspension of 4 TV Channels Lifted

February 2009 marked ten years since Hugo Chávez took office in Venezuela, following a landslide election victory that swept the country’s traditional parties out of power. Since assuming the presidency, Chávez has presided over a controversial process of radical change, commonly referred to as the ‘Bolivarian revolution’ – after Simón Bolívar, who liberated Venezuela and much of South America from Spanish colonialism.

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[analysis] The Community Revolution

Yesterday Honduras’ pretend President Pepe Lobo was sworn in . Earlier in the day actual democracy president Manuel Zelaya was forced into exile in the Dominican Republic, in a WIN for the United States, yay. Anyway here is a sad video about the bloodless coup and all the people it killed and maimed

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More Terrible Death-Video From The Bloodless Coup

Merida, January 27 th , 2010 (Venezuelanalysis.com) – According to a recently released UNESCO report on education, Venezuela’s number of children enrolled in school has significantly increased over the last 10 years, and its Education for all Development Index (EDI) has also increased considerably. Venezuela’s education minister welcomed the findings but said some of the data was inaccurate as it did not include any of the social missions. By Tamara Pearson – Venezuelanalysis.com read more

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[news] UNESCO: Education in Venezuela Has Greatly Improved

Caracas, January 26, 2010 ( venezuelanalysis.com ) – Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez announced the appointment of a new Vice-President, Defence Minister, and Environment Minister shortly after three ministers resigned on Monday. In a statement broadcast on state-television Monday, Communications Minister Blanca Eeckhout said that President Chavez had accepted the resignations of the Vice-President Ramón Carrizalez, who is also Defence Minister, and his wife, Environment Minister Yubirí Ortega. By Kiraz Janicke and Gregory Wilpert – Venezuelanalysis.com read more

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[news] Venezuela’s Chavez Announces Cabinet Re-Shuffle as Three Ministers Resign

Mérida, January 26 th 2010 (Venezuelanalysis.com) – On Monday, violent protests against the temporary suspension of cable channels that violated media social responsibility laws in Venezuela left one pro-government and one opposition student dead, more than twenty police injured, and parts of downtown Merida burnt and damaged, while peaceful protests occurred in other major cities. By James Suggett – Venezuelanalysis.com read more

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[news] Violent Protests Against Media Social Responsibility Measures Shake Merida, Venezuela

Caracas, January 26 th 2010 (FOCUS News Agency) – President Hugo Chavez on Monday said that Petrocaribe, Venezuela’s cut-rate regional energy alliance, will forgive quake-stricken Haiti’s debt, AFP reported. Haiti’s debt with Venezuela is USD 295 million, about one-third of its global foreign debt of USD 1 billion, according to International Monetary Fund figures

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[news] Venezuela’s Chavez Forgives Haiti’s Debt

From the Daily Telegraph : US authorities are considering relaxing an import ban on the Scottish delicacy, brought about by the BSE crisis in 1989, it was reported. The meat dish contains offal, including sheep lung, which was covered by the American restriction on some imported animal products. ..

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Trade in Everything: Haggis

Caracas, January 24 th 2010 (Venezuelanalysis.com) – On Saturday, Venezuela’s National Telecommunications Commission (CONATEL) temporarily closed six national cable television channels for failure to comply with the country’s Law on Social Responsibility in Radio and Television. The media law establishes standards for child and adult programming, prohibits racist, sexist or inflammatory content and incitement to violence, places limits on commercial advertising, and requires stations to broadcast important government announcements. By Kiraz Janicke and James Suggett – Venezuelanalysis.com read more

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[news] Venezuela Sanctions Cable Television Channels for Failure to Comply with Media Law