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The Book
In praise of Blogging the Revolution
“With the death of Chávez and his spectacular funeral still fresh in the collective memory, the publication of Blogging the Revolution: Caracas Chronicles and the Hugo Chávez Era, a compilation of some of the blog’s best postings, is well timed. It provides an opportunity to look back on the past and to meditate on the future of Venezuela as it teeters between comedy and tragedy. This is an essential read for anybody interested in Venezuela...”
—José de Córdoba, Americas Quarterly
Category Archives: Politics
Carne-en-vara politics
Why Apure? Ever since a few years ago, I began noticing that Leopoldo López was traveling a lot to Apure. Elorza, Guasdualito, El Amparo … the far-flung places had become some of his regular hangouts. The effort paid off when … Continue reading
Posted in Politics
14 Comments
Mr. Caribbean, meet Open Sewer. Open Sewer, Caribbean.
Many more where that came from.
Posted in Politics
15 Comments
Someone on the internet is wrong!
So I just couldn’t help myself from jumping into that Felipe Pérez/Mark Weisbrot debate on the FT’s BeyondBRICS blog. Mostly, I took the chance to do some awareness raising about the crazy level of opacity we have to deal with … Continue reading
Posted in Politics
9 Comments
Leopoldo, unleashed
It’s a rainy Caracas afternoon. Outside, the city begins to process the results of the recent mayoral elections that left the opposition dazed and confused. But the mood at Voluntad Popular headquarters is exultant. Years of tough political work have … Continue reading
Posted in Leopoldo López, Politics
129 Comments
Prosecutor General Asks Court to Ban Crime
Well, not crime-crime…but reporting on crime. Yup, Prosecutor General Luisa Ortega Diaz is asking a Caracas judge to issue an order barring El Universal from writing about crime. But not just crime, also war. And death. And physical aggression. In … Continue reading
Posted in Politics
38 Comments
Fighting fire with fire
“No no no, don’t hug me or grab my waist. What you do is press your knees against my hips and put your hands on your knees. That way we won’t fall off.” It’s Election Day in Caracas, and Yorber, … Continue reading
Posted in Blogging, Politics, Violence
24 Comments
La unidad repartida, por @janabadi
(A guest post in Spanish from Venezuelan economist Anabella Abadí) ALGUNAS DEL 8-D QUE DEBEMOS DECIR… Anabella Abadi M., ODH Grupo Consultor Tras menos de 24 horas de que la rectora Tibisay Lucena diera a conocer los primeros resultados de … Continue reading
Posted in CNE, Politics
30 Comments
Hegemony reloaded
Missing in the post 8-D aftermath newscycle is the recent decision to transfer the broadcasting regulatory authority CONATEL from the Vice-President’s office to the Communication & Information Ministry. Basically the hegemony will not only be the main player in the … Continue reading
Posted in Communicational Hegemony, The Media
1 Comment
Anatomy of the Oppo Bullshit Machine
Look, I really don’t want to get drawn into the sterile debate about what the results of last Sunday’s local election “mean” – I don’t think they mean much of anything. But I will say this: the way the oppo … Continue reading
Posted in Politics
171 Comments
Quote-Unquote
These, I think, are the best quotes from my just concluded trip to Caracas: “I have a cousin who graduated with honors as an engineer from (elite) Universidad Simon Bolivar. He now makes a living … importing breast implants.” My friend … Continue reading
Posted in Politics
36 Comments
Felipe Pérez’s Recipe to Save Chavismo From Itself (Step 1: Stop Being Chavista)
Is it mean-spirited to make fun of Felipe Pérez for trying to talk minimal economic sense into the chavista governing elite? Maybe it is, but then there’s undeniable pathos to the task he’s given himself: explaining to the government how one … Continue reading
Posted in Politics, The Economy
45 Comments
We Won! And That’s 101% Guaranteed!
From the por-eso-es-que-estamos-como-estamos files…
Posted in Politics
28 Comments
The activist
“I was one of the few who put together the whole auto-convocados thing.” I’m having coffee with a wide-eyed twenty-three year old. She begins telling me the story behind the spontaneous street protests that happened last month. “Me and my … Continue reading
Posted in Politics
94 Comments
When two rights make a wrong
Six National Assembly Deputies were elected mayors in last Sunday’s election (five from the MUD and one from the PSUV). But two of those victories will now cost the opposition its seat in Zulia State’s 11th circuit. But why, you … Continue reading
Posted in Opposition, Politics
16 Comments
Selling Sobriety
We had a fun tangle in comments yesterday following a (purposefully) provocative post - always a a good chance to flesh out ideas. Today I want to be more specific in trying to develop what, in the coming 18-24 months of no … Continue reading
Posted in Politics
107 Comments
