Venezuela’s “normalization” of relations with Washington

[Judi Lynn]

Venezuela’s “normalization” of relations with Washington
12 June 2013

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro is flying to Rome next week, having obtained an audience with Pope Francis, the former Jorge Mario Bergoglio, who as a right-wing cleric in Argentina was complicit in the crimes of that country’s dirty war.

This turn to the church hierarchy comes on the heels of Maduro’s public accommodation with one of Venezuela’s wealthiest capitalists last month and the private meeting last week of his foreign minister, Elias Jaua, with US Secretary of State John Kerry to seek a “normalization” of relations between the Bolivarian Republic and US imperialism.

Some two months after his razor-thin election victory over the candidate of the Venezuelan right, Henrique Capriles, and confronting a deepening economic crisis characterized by a near hyperinflation rate of 35 percent, stagnant growth and chronic shortages, it is evident that Maduro is making a decided turn to the right in an attempt to bolster his government.

Equally significant, Washington and Venezuelan capitalists—represented in the person of the billionaire owner of the Polar Foods conglomerate, Lorenzo Mendoza, who was invited to a cordial meeting with Maduro at the Miraflores Palace have effectively lent their support to this effort.

The Obama administration, it should be recalled, was the only government in the world to withhold recognition of Maduro’s presidency following his 1.5 percent victory over Capriles. The US was also alone in demanding a full recount of the April 14 election ballots, despite there being no evidence of fraud, not to mention the lamentable record of the US electoral system, from the installation of an unelected president in 2000 to the computer rigging of the vote in Ohio in 2004.

More:
http://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2013/06/12/pers-j12.html

[Oele]

1. And you're accusing others of using biased sites as sources? ;-) n/t

[Socialistlemur]

2. I wouldn't call it a turn to the right

Seems to me it's realpolitik. I bet Maduro is feeling the pressure of a poor economy.

[ocpagu]

3. The more they get, the more they want.

"They are fully aware that Venezuela (...) remains a capitalist country and a source of super profits for transnational banks and corporations as well as Venezuelan capitalists. Fully 71 percent of production remains in private hands and the financial sector is among the most profitable in the world, recording a 31 percent growth in the first quarter of this year (...)"

The idea that Venezuela is heading to be a marxist economy is out of contact with reality. The fact is that the private sector is stronger now than it was prior to Chávez. The crisis and the collapse of the classic communist model can not be ignored. Wherever the leftist movement in Latin America is going to, it's not going to be a "remake" of old policies. It will be a new model, that is on the making. In almost every country where the left is on power, stability was achieved by either open or veiled alliances with the private sector - including Venezuela. They get what they want, as long as the government has the power to create its own policies to benefit the working class.

The polarization in Venezuela is less a direct consequence of PSUV policies than a result of irresponsible behavior and herd mentality of the Venezuelan private sector. With some sense of autonomy, they would realize this is much ado over nothing. But... the more they get, the more they want. I'm not sure the "nationalist bourgeoisie" idealized by Chávez is something possible to be achieved in Venezuela. But I trust Maduro to start drawing new strategies. And I hope he has realized some reform within PSUV is needed.

We have to be realistic. At some point, the opposition in Venezuela, Brazil, Argentina and elsewhere will regain power - for a short period of time, let's hope. What these governments need to do is implement permanent policies to avoid the dismantle of social welfare and keep permanent collaboration with grass roots movements to exercise powerful opposition when the tables turn.