Elias, a leading member of Lucha de Clases, appeared on Out of Left Field Podcast, offering a balance sheet of the Bolivarian Revolution and the crisis faced by Venezuela today. He explained that what has failed in the country is not socialism, but all attempts to regulate capitalism in the interests of the Venezuelan people.

Jorge Martin appeared on Chicago-based radio station, This is Hell!, reporting on the re-election of Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro, amidst a history of US influence in the elections and a deepening economic crisis, and examining the two futures for the Bolivarian revolution: forward and beyond the Maduro government's aims, or backwards into the hands of oligarchs.

Nicolas Maduro was re-elected for another term of office in the Venezuelan presidential election on Sunday 20 May. The majority of the reactionary opposition, with full support from Washington and Brussels, had called for a boycott, which led to a very low turnout in the middle-and-upper-class areas of the main cities. Their demand that the elections be cancelled was echoed by right-wing governments in the region. This meant that many in the working-class and poor areas turned out to vote as a way of rejecting brazen imperialist meddling. However, even here turnout was visibly lower than in previous elections. The deep economic crisis is the major issue in people’s minds and many are

Venezuela is being bombarded from all sides by imperialist intervention and the impacts of the world crisis of capitalism. But the current leadership of Maduro and the PSUV bureaucracy is not offering a way forward. The Bolivarian revolution needs a new leadership, forged from the mass movement of workers and peasants, and based on a genuinely socialist programme.

As the Venezuelan presidential election on 20 May draws closer, the campaign of imperialist aggression by the US and its allies intensifies. The aim is clear: to implement regime change. At the same time, the economic crisis gripping the country has reached intolerable levels for the workers and the poor, and the government’s policies are impotent to resolve the situation. A revolutionary alternative is required, one capable of fighting the right wing andshowing a real way out of hyperinflation, scarcity and economic depression.

Today marks the anniversary of the defeat of the coup that attempted to remove President Hugo Chavez from power in 2002. Within 48 hours, reaction was defeated by a magnificent movemenet of the Venezuelan masses. Here we reproduce the analysis of those events written by Ted Grant and Alan Woods, originally published on 14 April 2002.

As the presidential elections of 20 May draw nearer, our country is entering a new, uncertain period. The deep economic depression, hyperinflation, the generalized collapse of public services, and as a consequence, the rise in the workers’ and popular struggles, frame the explosive national political context.

Han pasado cinco años desde la muerte de Hugo Chávez. Lo conocía desde hacía casi diez años y sentía un gran respeto por su valor, honestidad y dedicación en la lucha contra la opresión y la explotación. Por esto se ganó el odio de todas las fuerzas de la vieja sociedad: los banqueros, los capitalistas y terratenientes, los imperialistas, la CIA y, por supuesto, la llamada "prensa libre" que no es más que la boquilla servil de la antigua orden.

Five years have passed since the death of Hugo Chávez. I had known him for almost ten years and had an enormous respect for his courage, honesty and dedication to the fight against oppression and exploitation. For this he earned the hatred of all the forces of the old society: the bankers, capitalists and landowners, the imperialists, the CIA and of course the so-called ‘free press’ that is merely the slavish mouthpiece of the old order.

In this article, originally published on venezuelanalysis.com, Ricardo Vaz provides an interesting analysis of the situation in Venezuela. He argues that the Venezuelan people must take the fight to their parasitic importer bourgeoisie if the nation is to overcome the international imperialist siege.

Queda claro que en las últimas semanas el imperialismo estadounidense y sus países lacayos han aumentado la agresión contra Venezuela. El objetivo es público y declarado: propiciar un golpe de estado que derroque el gobierno del presidente Maduro y permita a la oligarquía capitalista volver a tomar control. Es necesario responde con medidas revolucionarias que golpeen el poder económico de la oligarquía, los agentes del imperialismo el país.

It is clear that US imperialism and its lackey countries have increased aggression against Venezuela in recent weeks. The aim has been declared publicly: to trigger a coup d'etat against the government of President Maduro and allow the capitalist oligarchy to take control again. It is necessary to respond with revolutionary measures that strike a blow at the economic power of the oligarchy: the agents of imperialism in the country.

Como hemos venido señalando, específicamente en nuestro artículo “Venezuela: crisis, saqueos y hambre ¿Cuál es la salida?”, la actual crisis que atraviesa el país ha golpeado principalmente a las masas trabajadoras. Esta, enmarcada dentro de la crisis del capitalismo mundial, afecta principalmente a los países que, como el nuestro, se insertan en la economía mundial de forma dependiente, haciéndonos el eslabón más débil de la cadena. El aumento de la oferta mundial de crudo –principalmente en EEUU–; sumado a la desaceleración de la economía de China, y como

The economic situation facing the masses in Venezuela has suffered a sharp turn for the worse over the Christmas period. The problems that already existed have worsened, with prices spiralling out of control, a further collapse of the transport system and an aggravation of scarcity (of food, fuel and cash). This has led to scattered protests and incidents of looting.

Venezuela en los actuales momentos es escenario de un proceso de descomposición social sin parangón en la historia nacional. Problemáticas como la brutal escasez de productos de primera necesidad, la hiperinflación y la insuficiencia de los salarios, combinadas a su vez con el colapso generalizado de los servicios públicos, han alcanzado niveles tormentosos e insoportables para las familias trabajadoras cuya capacidad para seguir resistiendo los embates de la crisis económica comienza a agotarse. Tanto los días finales del 2017 como los primeros del año que recién comienza, han estado marcadas por innumerables protestas, tomas de carreteras y conatos de saqueos, en innumerables ciudades