Donald Trump, the buddy of Putin, Erdogan, Sisi and Duterte, now calls Venezuela a “dictatorship” and slaps sanctions on President Nicolás Maduro. All this proves is that Maduro is more useful to Trump as an external demon. Can we oppose Maduro’s power-grab without legitimizing Trump’s hypocrisy?
There is an unseemly tone of gloating to conservative commentary on the crisis in Venezuela, with pundits pointing to the current chaos as evidence that "socialism" doesn't work. But a case can be made that, contrary to conservative and mainstream assumptions, the problem is precisely that the Bolivarian Revolution has been insufficiently revolutionary and socialist.
Venezuela's marginal but growing independent left has staked out a position rejecting Maduro's constitutional reform but also rejecting the right-wing leadership of the opposition. The Chavismo Crítico current held a press conference before the vote, pledging to struggle "for the re-establishment of the validity" of the 1999 constitution, the "rescue of the best of our revolution," and "overcoming the grave errors and deviations of those who pretend to serve as its political leadership."
Millions of Venezuelans voted to reject President Nicolás Maduro’s plan to rewrite the nation’s constitution. The non-binding referendum was organized by the country’s political opposition. More than 7 million, roughly one-third of Venezuela’s registered voters, took part, with over 98% rejecting Maduro’s plan. Opponents charge that the plan to rewrite the 1999 constitution represents an effort to consolidate Maduro’s hold on power. There was a deadly attack on one polling place in Caracas.
Venezuela's Nicolas Maduro jacked up tensions with Colombia, telling counterpart President Santos, "Bow down to me, I am your father"—an invocation of Simón Bolívar's rule over both lands.
The US Supreme Court agreed to review the Trump administration's travel ban, partially lifting the temporary injunction that had blocked the ban's enforcement.
Amid growing crisis in Venezuela, it emerges that the country's state oil company, heavily indebted to Russian giant Rosneft, made a big donation to Trump's inauguration festivities.
After days of protests, Venezuela's Supreme Court of Justice reversed a prior ruling allowing the government to dissolve the opposition-controlled National Assembly.
The Trump administration seriously turned up the heat on Venezuela, slapping sanctions on the country's vice president Tareck Zaidan El Aissami as a drug "kingpin."
With action blocked by Russia's veto in the Security Council, the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution establishing an independent investigation into war crimes in Syria.
With action in the Security Council blocked by Russia and China, the UN General Assembly passed a resolution demanding an immediate end to all attacks on civilians in Syria.
Massive protests across Venezuela were called by the right-wing opposition, but also joined by dissident left organizations proclaiming a new current of "chavismo critico."
