In Venezuela, the date April 19th is known as the “Signing of the Act of Independence”, a major move towards separation from Spain. The full declaration of independence came the next year, on July 5, 1811. This was followed by a decade of bloody battles in which Simón Bolívar rose to fame, finally defeating the Spanish in June, 1821. For nearly the next ten years the Republic of Gran Colombia was ruled as one entity, constituting the countries we now know as Colombia, Panama, Ecuador and Venezuela.
President Hugo Chávez spoke on Sunday, declaring that Venezuela is entering a new chapter of its history. In the next twenty years he stated that the country will consolidate “the socialist revolution, full independence and unity between the countries in Latin America and the Caribbean”. His message also included the common refrain, “Fatherland, Socialism or Death!” According to the BBC, Russian-made Sukhoi jets flew overhead as large numbers of red-clad government supporters marched through the streets.
Yesterday, the leaders of other members of ALBA, the Bolivarian Alliance for Latin America and the Caribbean, also gathered in Caracas to celebrate the bicentennial. They included, among others, Raúl Castro of Cuba, Rafael Correa of Ecuador, Evo Morales of Bolivia, and Daniel Ortega of Nicaragua. One of ALBA’s main goals at present is the creation of a common currency. Beyond the formation of political alliances they are also working together on social issues including health and education. Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner, President of Argentina, spoke to a special session of the Venezuelan National Assembly, and described a second era of independence in Latin America.
What will be made of these statements in the coming years? Chávez has once again made his intentions clear: socialism will continue full-steam ahead. However, does ALBA represent an ideological coalition that acts as a counterweight to US influence in the region, or are its members merely held together by Venezuelan oil?
A few months ago, I wrote about the early stages of the conflict in Ukraine through the lens of Sun Tzu’s The Art of War. While it appears likely that the war will carry on into the foreseeable future, enough time has passed for us to make an honest assessment of each side’s relative […]
The Ukrainian Army has made dramatic strides in the last few weeks. Ukraine’s tactical commanders have outfoxed their Russian counterparts, and by issuing a feint towards the south the UA has been able to earn substantial gains in the north of their country. The impact of these efforts have been compounded by the steady stream […]
In mid-May the Irish political party, Sinn Féin, won the plurality of seats in the Northern Ireland Assembly. Many American readers might not fully understand the significance of Sinn Féin’s political victory- but rest assured that subjects of the United Kingdom and a wide range of political movements the world over have heard the message […]
The first wave of the Russian offensive in Ukraine has fallen short of Russian autocrat Vladmir Putin’s ambitions. Most analysts deduced that Putin had hoped to achieve a decapitation strike of the Ukrainian government- taking Kiev and replacing Ukrainian President Vladimir Zolinski with a pro-Kremlin voice. Kiev has been threatened repeatedly through the course of […]
On the weekend of March 26th, the notorious MS-13 gang went on a massive killing spree in El Salvador which left more than 70 people dead by Sunday. Even for a country where powerful gangs hold massive sway, this recent tragedy stands out considering that it was the bloodiest day on record since the civil […]
