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In difficult times, life histories by grassroots Venezuelan activists illuminate valuable lessons from the Bolivarian Revolution

On Friday, a group of members of Congress published a letter opposing the threatened sanctions. It began, “We write to express our deep alarm regarding the escalating political, economic and social crisis in Venezuela and urge you to work with our regional partners to help prevent a civil war. We strongly recommend that you support negotiations mediated by respected external actors such as Pope Francis, who enjoys credibility with broad segments of Venezuela’s people.

Reader Comments: Memories of the Southern Freedom Movement - Mary Hamilton; The Right to Water - Trump Action Endangers Millions; Keeping Public Services Public; Fight for Health Care Access Continues; Sen. Gillibrand Takes Name Off Anti-Boycott Bill; The Crisis in Venezuela - U.S. Involvement, and The Left; Hate Speech; Questions about Israel and the U.S.; CEO Pay; Palestinian Rights curriculum; An American in China; Dissident Arts Festival; Next Up for Single Payer

The situation in Venezuela is dramatic but this does not explain the centrality of the country in all the news reports. Situations of greater seriousness in other countries are totally ignored by the same media. In Colombia, since the beginning of the year, 46 social movement leaders have been assassinated and in the last 14 months 120 have perished. More terrifying is the scene in Mexico. Every day some journalist is added to the long list of students, teachers . . .

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The mainstream media consistently fails to report who is instigating the violence in this conflict. Although obviously disillusionment is widespread, there are many important reasons for progressives and popular sectors to support the Maduro government.

Exxon wants to topple Venezuela for geopolitical and geo-economic reasons.

Venezuela does not have the religious or sectarian divisions that have fueled the civil wars, mass slaughter, and chaos of Libya, Syria, or Iraq ― all countries where the US/major media narrative about the results of successful or attempted regime change turned out to be horrifically wrong. But the political polarization in Venezuela since Chávez was elected in 1998 has been overwhelmingly along class and therefore racial lines as the two are highly correlated.

Reader Comments: Trump's Revisionist History - Poland; Ransacking the Public Sector; Democracy in Chains; Paul Robeson; Chile then, Venezuela Today; Beatriz at Dinner; San Francisco Labor Against Cuban Blockade - Example for labor; Painters Union Calls for Release of Two Union Members from ICE Detention; New Book on Baseball's Radicals; Reality Winner Defense Launched; Global Platform for the Right to the City; National Screening: Arc of Justice-July 20th; and more...