:: Latin America
Boston and Venezuela: Terrorism There and Here
05.01.2013Introduction: Two major terrorists’ attacks took place almost simultaneously: in Boston, two Chechen terrorists set off bombs during the annual Boston Marathon killing three people and injuring 170; in Venezuela, terrorist-supporters of defeated presidential candidate, Henrique Capriles, assassinated 8 and injured 70 supporters of victorious Socialist Party candidate Nicolas Maduro, in the course of firebombing 8 health clinics and several Party offices and homes.
President Chavez: A 21st Century Renaissance Man
03.14.2013Introduction: President Hugo Chavez was unique in multiple areas of political, social and economic life. He made significant contributions to the advancement of humanity. The depth, scope and popularity of his accomplishments mark President Chavez as the ‘Renaissance President of the 21st Century’.
Interview: James Petras on The Latin American Economy
The Corbett Report :: 02.27.2013[Podcast] Professor James Petras of Binghamton University joins us to discuss the prospects for the Latin American economy in a global economy that is increasingly dominated by developing markets and emerging powers like China.
Los medios neoliberales criminalizan la lucha de las FARC
rpaSUR :: 02.13.2013Interview with rpaSUR - Video in Spanish
Ecuador: Left-Center Political Regimes versus Radical Social Movements
02.11.2013Introduction: On February 17, 2013, national elections will take place in Ecuador in which incumbent left-center President, Rafael Correa, is likely to win with an absolute majority against opposition candidates covering the political spectrum from Right to Left.
Beyond President Chavez Electoral Victory: Socialism in a Rentier State
10.26.2012Introduction: The successful re-election of President Chavez by a resounding 10% margin winning 20 of the 22 states, with a massive 80% turnout provides his government with a clear and decisive mandate to set the political and economic course of the country over the next six years.
Venezuelan Elections: a Choice and Not an Echo
10.04.2012Introduction: On October 7th, Venezuelan voters will decide whether to support incumbent President Hugo Chavez or opposition candidate Henrique Capriles Radonski. The voters will choose between two polar opposite programs and social systems:
Colombia: Extractive Capital and Peace Negotiations
09.11.2012Introduction: In late August 2012, President Santos announced that the Colombian regime was opening peace negotiations with the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, (FARC), with the aim of ending nearly 50 years of civil war.
Venezuela’s Oil Refinery Blaze: Seven Good Reasons to Suspect Sabotage
08.26.2012Only 43 days before the Venezuelan presidential election and with President Chavez leading by a persistent margin of 20 percentage points, an explosion and fire at the Amuay refinery killed at least 48 people - half of those were members of the National Guard – and destroyed oil facilities producing 645,000 barrels of oil per day.
Imperialism and Violence in Colombia
06.04.2012 Invited paper to be presented at the national conference on “Multinationals, Violence, Trade Union Freedom and Democracy in Colombia” organized by the SINALTRAINAL International Trade Union on its 30th anniversary, July 26, 2012 at Autonomous University of Colombia in Bogota, Colombia.
When the Respectable Become Extremists The Extremists Become Respectable: Colombia and the Mainstream Media
05.20.2012Introduction: By any historical measure, whether it involves international law, human rights conventions, United Nations protocols, socio economic indicators, the policies and practices of the United States and European Union regimes can be characterized as extremist.
Extractive Capitalism and the Divisions in the Latin American Progressive Camp
05.02.2012Introduction: The leading agro-mineral exporting countries, including those engaged with the world’s leading mining and energy multi-national corporations(MNC) are also those characterized as having the most independent and progressive foreign policies. Apparently the primacy of “extractive capitalism” and commodity-export based economies are no longer correlated with ‘neo-colonial’ regimes.
Columbia’s Quest for Peace and Justice: The International and National Context
02.21.2012Introduction: Between April 21-23, thousands of activists from most of the major urban and rural social movements and trade unions, human rights groups and indigenous , afro-colombian movements will meet to unify forces and launch, what promises to be the most significant new political movement in recent history.
Argentina: Why President Fernandez Wins and Obama Loses
10.30.2011Introduction: On October 23rd of this year, President Cristina Fernandez won re-election receiving 54% of the vote, 37 percentage points higher than her nearest opponent. The President’s coalition also swept the Congressional, Senatorial, Gubernatorial elections as well as 135 of the 136 municipal councils of Greater Buenos Aires.
Latin America: Growth, Stability and Inequalities: Lessons for the US and EU
09.30.2011Introduction: Images of the Past The image of Latin America portrayed by the mass media and held by the educated public is a region of frequent coups, periodical revolutions, perpetual military dictatorships, alternating boom and bust economies and an ever-present International Monetary Fund (IMF) dictating economic policy.
Chavez versus Obama: Facing Presidential Elections in 2012
09.15.2011Introduction: Two incumbent presidents are running for re-election in 2012, Hugo Chavez in Venezuela and Barack Obama in the United States. What makes these two electoral contests significant is that they represent contrasting responses to the global economic crises:
Colombia: Pillage, Promise and Peace
08.04.2011Invited paper to be presented to the “Encuentro Nacional de comunidades Campesinas, Afrodescendientes e Indigenas por la Tierra y la Paz de Colombia: El dialogo es la Ruta”, 12 al 15 de agosto 2011, Barrancabermeja – Colombia
