Venezuelanalysis

Thierry Deronne, the visionary filmmaker and professor at the National University of the Arts [Unearte], shares his journey within the Bolivarian Revolution and discusses his current project, the Hugo Chávez Popular Cinema and Theater School. "Dreams of a revolution need to be documented and shared. Our school is a space for studying reality through documentary filmmaking and theater," says Deronne. In this interview, explore the challenges of fostering a new narrative and breaking away from conventional storytelling. Discover the transformative potential of theater workshops and the school's collaboration with Brazilian experts. Read the complete interview here: bit.ly/3tVY0AL

Venezuela has issued a statement backing South Africa’s genocide case against Israel at the International Court of Justice (ICJ). “Venezuela, as a country committed to diplomacy for peace, recognizes South Africa’s firm and historic step in defense of the Palestinian people and international law,” stated the communique released by the Venezuelan Foreign Ministry on Tuesday. The text also encouraged the international community to support South Africa’s legal action and urged multilateral justice institutions to “act in accordance with international law” and “rise to the seriousness” of the current events in the Gaza Strip “that constitute a clear aggression against humanity.” Venezuela has consistently condemned Israel’s US-backed occupation, military attacks and apartheid regime against the Palestinian people since the Hugo Chávez era. In 2009, the former president broke diplomatic ties with Israel after a deadly assault on Gaza. https://venezuelanalysis.com/news/venezuela-backs-south-africas-icj-genocide-case-against-israel/

General Domingo Antonio Sifontes, a courageous military leader from the 19th century, has been elevated to the National Pantheon for his valor in defending Venezuelan territory against British expansion. His legacy resonates as tensions rise over the Essequibo Strip. Who was Sifontes and how does he relate to the current Essequibo dispute between Venezuela and Guyana (a former British colony)? Read more and explore the gallery here: https://venezuelanalysis.com/images/venezuela-19th-century-general-elevated-to-national-pantheon/

Thierry Deronne is a Belgian-born filmmaker who has long accompanied working-class and campesino struggles in Latin America. In the mid-1990s in Venezuela, he fostered popular media and educational projects and later played a key role in the community television movement during the Bolivarian Revolution. Deronne is currently a professor at the National University of the Arts [Unearte]. His most recent documentary is “Nostálgicas del futuro”, a film about working-class feminism in Venezuela. In Part One of this two-part interview, Deronne talks about the philosophy driving the community media movement earlier this century and the different experiments in communication that went along with it. Read the complete interview by clicking here: https://bit.ly/3TP4wE6

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Biden's recent easing of Venezuelan restrictions has elicited diverse responses. Despite talks of lifted constraints in banking, mining, and debt, the US Treasury's General License 44 seemingly facilitated engagement in Venezuela’s energy sector. However, nuances are crucial. While there's heightened energy activity, limitations persist. Recent deals reflect a pattern of foreign partnerships, akin to the 'Chevron model.' These partnerships promise production increases but fall short, barely impacting Venezuela’s output—casting a shadow on hopes for economic recovery. Ventures in natural gas show promise but remain constrained. Trinidad and Tobago's Dragon project exemplifies partnerships sidelining Venezuela, tied to intricate licenses. Sanctions erode Venezuela's negotiating power, hurting its sovereignty. The struggle for autonomy continues. Explore more at: bit.ly/48pcDM3

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It’s an important time to write about Venezuela but it’s also terribly difficult – it’s complex, convoluted, combated and controversial. There’s so much crossfire around this country that it’s difficult to make any sense of what’s really going on. But there is bright light in this turbulent tunnel, light toward which an owl of Minerva files, at the dusk of one century and toward the dawn of the next, there to rendezvous with eagles and condors. The metaphors are mixed, like the magic, like the oil and the water and the revolution. I hope this short story of a few chapters from the end of a century of oil in Venezuela, might open some windows through which that bright light might shine – from other side of the sanctions, live from the revolution that won’t be televised. https://venezuelanalysis.com/opinion/venezuela-2023-oil-and-water-and-untelevised-revolution/

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Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro ordered large-scale military exercises around the disputed resource-rich Essequibo region following the arrival of a British warship to neighboring Guyana. In a televised broadcast on Thursday, Maduro announced “a joint defensive action of the entire Bolivarian National Armed Forces (FANB)” along the eastern Caribbean coast and Atlantic front “in response to the provocation and threat of the United Kingdom against peace and the sovereignty of our country.” According to the Venezuelan Defense Ministry, the operation will involve over 5,600 military personnel and will encompass patrolling land, air, and sea areas alongside the disputed Essequibo territory. Maduro’s order came as Britain’s Defense Ministry announced Sunday it would send the Royal Navy patrol vessel HMS Trent to Guyana “as part of a series of engagements in the region during her Atlantic Patrol Task deployment.” An anonymous source told AFP the war vessel would arrive on December 29 but would not dock on Georgetown and would stay for less than a week for open sea defense exercises. https://venezuelanalysis.com/news/venezuelan-military-conducts-exercise-in-response-to-uk-warship-provocation/

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Venezuela’s US-based oil refiner CITGO suffered a fresh setback with a judicial ruling favoring oil corporation ConocoPhillips. On Thursday, Delaware District Judge Leonard P. Stark dismissed a motion seeking to stop the firm from joining a court-mandated auction of shares of CITGO’s parent company PDV Holding to satisfy a string of creditors. Worth an estimated US $13 billion, CITGO, a subsidiary of Venezuela’s state oil company PDVSA, risks being broken up in the coming months after Stark set the share sale process in motion. https://venezuelanalysis.com/news/venezuela-conocophillips-closer-to-seizing-citgo-shares-over-massive-award/