[AUT] The nature of the Venezuela situation

["Nachie " <communist@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

To begin with I'd like to send greetings to everyone on the list, as I've only recently subscribed and will most likely remain a quiet reader for the majority 
of discussion here. I'm Nachie, and I have to confess that my immediate purpose in getting involved with the list is to offer up for discussion an essay 
titled "Bolivanarchism: The Venezuela Question in Our Movement". This text, obviously directed towards any self-defined (and/or self-confined) 
"anarchists", seeks to improve on the apparently dismal condition of anti-statist/autonomist discussion on the current trends of class composition in 
Venezuela. I drafted the essay on behalf of the umbrella group RAAN, (Red & Anarchist Action Network) and will paste in the first couple paragraphs 
below:

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??We are trying to contribute a different vision from what the media is giving (even those that call themselves "alternative"). We are neither for Chavez, 
nor for Fedecamaras or CTV or Coordinadora Democratica... We are for fomenting autonomy and self-management.? ? Rafa of the CRA (Commission 
of Anarchist Relationships) of Venezuela 

In the past several months we have noticed a growing curiosity over developments in the South American country of Venezuela. Everywhere in our day-
to-day projects, people are talking and asking about the populist government of Hugo Chavez and his self-proclaimed ?Bolivarian Revolution?[2]. This 
is unsurprising due to the accelerating pace of events in the country and the an increasing amount of negative press about Chavez in the international 
media. Through observing and participating in these informal discussions, however, we became particularly concerned in noticing no corresponding 
increase in anarchist knowledge of the situation. Although as historians we?ve dipped our toes into the issue before, for the most part there has been 
an outright reluctance to engage ourselves in it, this despite the fact that insomuch as Chavez? reforms represent a national movement and policy, they 
concern the future of millions of people across the entire region. In view of this and with the goal of expanding the nascent dialogue within our wider 
movement, we have prepared the following statement on behalf of RAAN. 

To us it appears that the libertarian tendency has been for the most part incapable or unwilling to deal with the Venezuela issue in any serious way. 
While the founding principles of our network clearly state our desire to avoid ?[living] vicariously through the movements of oppressed workers in the 
global South?, we also have an obligation to ?understand ? how our movement reacts to capitalism in different parts of the world?. It is our position that 
advances towards such an understanding on the question of Venezuela?s Bolivarian Revolution have been woefully inadequate, and we hope to rectify 
this through a serious information drive and campaign of action towards anti-statist goals on this important question.

The full text is available at: http://www.redanarchist.org/pn/html/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=77&mode=thread&order=
0&thold=0

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I continue by mentioning what I believe to be the two major impotencies of current analysis; first, that it tends to center on the role of imperialist 
intervention as opposed to the gestating class upheaval that provokes it, and secondly that North American anarchists often have trouble in recognizing 
movements that take place outside of their own familiar dialogue.

My goal is clearly not to present a definitive analysis of situation in Venezuela, but to spark a series of discussions on this important issue so that 
collectively we can put enough information together to have a clear picture of Hugo Chavez' government and the negative or positive effects it might be 
having on class struggle there.

Absolutely all comments are welcome, and I would be much appreciative if any interested parties would help in forwarding the essay to any 
appropriate discussion forums.

- Nachie
communist@xxxxxxxxxxxx

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