I hadn't seen this when I wrote yesterday's post, but this photo-rant (in Oil Wars, of all places) nicely illustrates the collapse ...

I've updated the links column with some deliciously incriminating Chavez-hugs-a-tyrant pics, and added a link in the Reader's Guide ...

Democracy implies a clear delineation of the conceptual boundaries between "party," "government," "state," and...

The essence of a revolutionary regime is permanence. The essence of a democratic regime is alternance. "No volverán" is the essent...

At the center of the Chávez Revolution we have a contradiction in terms. In democracies dissent is healthy, alternance the norm. In revoluti...

Katy says : A few weeks ago, Quico asked me to post my thoughts on why I think Julio Borges is the best of the current group of non-Chavist...

Well, in defense of Ciudadania Activa, it turns out that the mistranslated English version of La Lista I linked to is nothing to do with t...

A shortened version of The List, Ciudadanía Activa's documentary on the Chávez government's systematic use of IT to discriminate ag...

It's too long and involved to translate, but those of you interested in the inside story on the LVA-Jesse pissing match should look at t...

This scholarly paper by Pablo Villatoro, published in the CEPAL Review, analyses the "conditional cash transfer programs" that ha...

Compare and contrast. In Brazil, this video showing a Post Office official receiving a $1,000 bribe sets off a massive scandal which domina...

Katy says: This article shocked me; read it and weep. The author is a friend of mine, and he may be visiting the comments section. He gave ...

OK, it's not so topical anymore, but looking at this picture: really reminded me of this Quino strip: [Yes, it's true, we ran out of...

Britain's Channel 4 put together this remarkable news spot on Venezuela, which has pulled off the ultimate coup: it impressed both me a...

I like Juan Carlos Zapata's style... The decay of the powerful seems unstoppable Since there are no parties, there are cliques, and with...

Finally, the Bolivarian government is starting to react to the epidemic of violence in Venezuela's slums. And what oh what is Caracas Ma...

Nobody in Venezuela seems to have noticed, but in The Hague they think they're having a diplomatic crisis with Venezuela. It all started...

Katy says: This NY Times article on the current oil boom in Alberta, Canada is worth a look. (Free registration required.) As has been rep...

Lost amid the polemics on media bias and government intimidation in Venezuela is a fundamental observation about our journalism: it sucks. C...

The scandal developing around not-yet-quite-ex-Supreme Tribunal Magistrate Luis Velásquez Alvaray (LVA) speaks a ton and a half about the d...

I try not to pick silly fights with Venezuelanalysis these days, but this headline is just too much...

I think this 1997 Foreign Affairs article (warning: large PDF file) by Fareed Zakaria is a really helpful read for anyone trying to under...

Hat tip to Feathers for pointing me to Viejas Fotos Actuales , a stunning archive of Venezuelan historical sound recordings and film clips....

A reader writes: It's important to separate out two quite different strands of this issue, which tend to get confused: Whether or not t...

Honestly, I can't follow all the ins and outs of Supreme Tribunal Magistrate Luis Velasquez Alvaray's defenestration saga, but some...

Two days ago, a group of opposition parties dubbed "Meeting Point" and led by Accion Democratica took ten demands to CNE, portray...

This is big news. The worst case scenario has been averted. In a speech oozing out-of-place bitterness, opposition bete-noire Jorge Rodrígue...

The opposition rank and file sees it as self-evident that there should be a primary election to choose a single opposition candidate to run ...

Sorry, folks, I can't seem to think of any topics worth blogging about these last few days. Maybe you can use the comments to suggest st...

Quico has asked me to clarify the logic through which indirect subsidies work as gifts. Suppose you own an apartment that is worth 200 thous...

"...it's a syndrome endemic to our madhouse: hysteria. Studying what's been written about this disease - which we usually, unfa...

“ .....Particularmente es un síndrome que es endémico en nuestro manicomio: la histeria. Estudiando lo escrito sobre esta enfermedad -que ...

Congratulations to Miguel for getting on and staying on the Gonzalez-family story. Some gringo journos have noticed. Opponents of Venezuel...

Juan Forero roasts the horde of anti-conformists... Evoking other cities transformed by revolutionary leaders, like Managua, Nicaragua, in ...

Here's a fun Reuters piece on the contradictions of the revolution... Even as Chavez promises a 21st century socialist revolution to e...

So, guess who called George Bush an ignorant, immoral, cowardly, lying, genocidal, kiddy-murdering, ridiculous, sick, drunk donkey? No, it...

Well, Consultores 21's latest poll is not for the faint of heart. Conducted from January 27th through February 7th and based on 1,500 l...

Just discovered the e-lecciones website and spent way too much time surfing through the various powerpoints. I realize looking at polling p...

From my inbox: I have the impression Teodoro just launched his campaign. 1. He appeared on Alo Ciudadano 2. In answer to the question ...

Two years on, it's kind of crazy that this stuff is still relevant, but... Keller Yes: 34% No: 45% Poll conducted June 14 - July 1st 200...

How petty and destructive can Chavez's pissing match with the Americans get? This petty and destructive: The U.S. government warned Ven...

Well, the European Union Electoral Observation Mission (EU EOM) final report has been published (strictly for Spanish speaking masochists) ...