RSS•Washington should take advantage of the temporary détente between Colombia and Venezuela and relate to Caracas constructively. •Would-be U.S. Ambassador designate Palmer fails at behaving diplomatically. •You do not insult your prospective host and then expect to be warmly greeted in the hou[...]
Archive for the Category: "Venezuela"
September 1st, 2010 - 2:48 pm § in Front Page, Venezuela
U.S.-Venezuela Links Teeter on the Brink, Dragging a Prudent Foreign Policy With It
Colombia-Venezuela: South America’s Most Preeminent Couple
After a car bomb exploded in Bogotá on August 12, 2010, Colombia’s National Police Chief, General Cesar Pinzon, blamed leftist guerillas for being the authors of the blast. While this could be true, there is no definitive evidence at this time. Another possible theory, such as that the perpetr[...]
After Dramatic Actions, Colombia and Venezuela Carefully Move Back Bellicosity: Personal Conviction or Diplomatic Suicide?
On July 15, 2010, Colombia filed a formal complaint with the Organization of American States (OAS) accusing neighboring Venezuela of harboring upwards of 1,500 FARC (Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia) fighters as well as ELN (Ejército de Liberación Nacional) rebels. Colombia’s Defens[...]
August 9th, 2010 - 10:49 am § in COHA Opinion, Colombia, Free Trade, Front Page, Uncategorized, Venezuela
COHA Opinion: Misguided Priorities at Mercosur Summit
At a Mercosur summit on August 3rd in Argentina, member states applauded their success in finally making the trade organization into a full customs union, a process that has been heatedly debated since December 1994. Almost completely absent from the agenda, however, was the important matter of r[...]
Combating Human Trafficking in the Western Hemisphere: The Need for Increased NGO Involvement
• U.S. politicization of trafficking unfairly nabs Venezuela; • Human trafficking is a serious issue; • Haiti’s restaveks particularly exploited. Human Trafficking is a global industry that transcends borders, regions, and cultures. Within the Western Hemisphere trafficking is an important[...]
June 30th, 2010 - 3:23 pm § in Front Page, Venezuela
Venezuela’s Media War: Is the Internet the Next Battleground?
The War Against Opposition Media On March 1st, 2009, Hugo Chávez announced on his popular Sunday television show, Aló Presidente, that he would commence a kind of “media war” to determine which news bodies were controlled by the oligarchy. Chávez further maintained, “If it weren’t for t[...]
June 15th, 2010 - 10:43 am § in Front Page, Venezuela
Venezuelan Currency Reform: Pragmatic Policy or Misguided Gamble?
Predictions about Venezuela’s economy spawn prolifically. In light of Venezuela’s major oil reserves and president who is increasingly outspoken against the U.S., many wait impatiently to see how the country will fare in the wake of its ongoing recession. Will Chávez lead the economy [...]
Are Hugo Chávez and Evo Morales Enemies of the United States?
Adversaries, yes. Enemies, no (at least not yet). However, they are enemies of global capitalism which, in the eyes of some Americans, makes Chávez and Morales enemies of the American people. But this is one of many misleading impressions which inadequate Latin America coverage by U.S. media help[...]
The State Department’s Human Rights Assessment—Only a U.S. Perspective
In what could be seen as an effort to respond to the March 11, 2009 edition of the U.S. Department of State’s Country Reports on Human Rights, Ecuador has promised to publish its own human rights counter-report. This initiative is meant to assess Washington’s own respect for human rights from an[...]
Venezuela – U.S. Research File
The Interdependence Behind Bilateral Political Tensions: Economic Realities Affecting Venezuela – U.S. Relations
In January 2006, the sixth gathering of the World Social Forum, during which Hugo Chávez as well as other left-leaning and socialist leaders fiercely criticized imperialist practices, was held in the Caracas Hilton Hotel. As James Surowiecki noted in an article for The New Yorker six months befo[...]