Sub-Saharan economies are growing faster but are they really getting stronger?

Caracas (Venezuela) | 11 July 2006 | Alia2 | In two articles, we weigh the evidence LUANDA is changing fast. A few years after the end of a devastating civil war, cranes are crowding the skyline of Angola’s capital. Derelict buildings are being spruced up, smart new houses and office blocks are sprouting. Roads are being patched up, which may ease the city’s maddening traffic jams.

CECOSESOLA: Four Decades of Independent Struggle for a Venezuelan Cooperative

By Michael Fox | Caracas (Venezuela) | 11 July 2006 | Alia2 | If you happen to one day find yourself in Venezuela, in the agricultural state of Lara, in the capital city of Barquisimeto, and you happen to ask a local where he or she gets their fruits and vegetables.

Take the IMF off life support

By Walden Bello, Soren Ambrose | Caracas (Venezuela) | 11 July 2006 | Alia2 | As economists and politicians debate what to do about the latest challenges facing the International Monetary Fund (IMF), civil society groups have a straightforward answer: take the IMF off life support.

International Energy Agency Increases Venezuela’s Oil Production Estimates, Maybe

By Gregory Wilpert , Michael Fox | Caracas (Venezuela) | 20 May 2006 | Alia2 | Last week, the Venezuelan Minister of Petroleum and Energy, Rafael Ramirez, declared that the International Energy Agency (IEA) has recognized that Venezuela is extracting over 3.0 million barrels of oil per day.

Venezuela Proposes Discounted Heating Oil to Low-Income Europeans

Caracas (Venezuela) | 20 May 2006 | Alia2 | Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez proposed providing a low cost heating oil program to low income Europeans. The proposal comes after Venezuelan subsidiary Citgo provided a well received heating oil subsidy to hundreds of thousands of households across six states in the US.

Oil Companies Not Running From Venezuela

By Brian Ellsworth | Caracas (Venezuela) | 25 April 2006 | Alia2 | Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez has rattled oil markets with tough anti-capitalist talk, higher royalties and oil field takeovers, but petroleum companies operating in the world’s fifth-largest crude exporter are hardly running scared.

China Has Issues Aplenty, None to Share

By Antoaneta Bezlova  | Caracas (Venezuela) | 7 April 2006 | Alia2 | For a country in the middle of a huge urbanisation process, involving the movement of hundreds of millions of peasants to the cities, China had surprisingly little to share with its developing counterparts at the World Social Forum, that concluded in the Pakistani city of Karachi on Wednesday.

Latin American "Populism" Doing Well

By Mark Weisbrot  | Caracas (Venezuela) | 4 April 2006 | Alia2 | A specter is haunting Latin America – the specter of “populism.” Hardly a week goes by without a warning from pundits that the region may return to its “populist” past. We are warned of economic failure, unfavorable investment climates, dictatorships, nationalism, Anti-Americanism, and protectionism. Non-native English speakers would be forgiven for thinking that populism was a dreaded disease, like botulism.

Expensive oil for least developed countries a quiproquo of curse and blessing in disguise

By Ignacy  | Caracas (Venezuela) | 29 March 2006 | Alia2 |

In Venezuela, Oil Sows Emancipation

By Luciano Wexell Severo | La Forteresse (Brésil) | 24 March 2006 | Alia2 | The data just released by the Banco Central de Venezuela (BCV) confirm that the Venezuelan economy grew at a cumulative 10.2 percent between the fourth quarter of 2004 and the fourth quarter of 2005.

Uruguay and Venezuela: Need to Strengthen Mercosur

By Jeroen Kuiper | Caracas (Venezuela) | 24 March 2006 | Alia2 | Venezuelan President Chávez and Uruguayan President Tabaré Vázquez signed a series of agreements and conventions in the Venezuelan capital today, as part of a three-day visit by the Uruguayan President. During their common press conference, both Presidents stressed the need to transform and strengthen Mercosur, the Common Market of the South (encompassing Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay, and Venezuela).

Venezuela Considers Increasing Taxes for Oil Companies (Again)

Caracas (Venezuela) | 24 March 2006 | Alia2 | According to Venezuela’s oil minister, oil companies operating along the so-called Orinoco Oil Belt will see a 16 percentage point increase in income tax.

Venezuela Begins Low-Cost Heating Oil Program in New York

By Cleto A. Sojo | Caracas (Venezuela) | 13 December 2005 | Alia2 | S. Congreeman José Serrano, Venezuela’s Ambassador to the United States Bernardo Alvarez, and CITGO CEO Félix Rodríguez announced today the details of a pilot program to deliver discounted heating oil to three non-profit housing corporations in New York State, specifically to Bronx county.

Ford to close five North American plants, cut 7,500 jobs

By Jerry Isaacs  | New York (États-Unis) | 6 December 2005 | Alia2 | Ford Motor Company plans to close at least five plants and eliminate 7,500 jobs, or 6 percent of its total North American work force, according to a report in the Wall Street Journal Friday. The job-slashing by Ford follows last month’s announcement by General Motors that it would eliminate 30,000 jobs and shutter 12 facilities in the US and Canada before the end of 2008.

Venezuela and Colombia Gas Pipeline to Promote Regional Integration

By Simone Baribeau | Caracas (Venezuela) | 30 November 2005 | Alia2 | In a $230 million agreement designed, in part, to help promote regional integration, Venezuela and Colombia have agreed to build a gas pipeline between the two countries. Venezuela’s President Hugo Chavez and Colombia’s Álvaro Uribe made the announcement yesterday, while they met at the oil refinery complex of Paraguaná, on Venezuela’s northeastern coast.

Economic Growth in Venezuela Continues With 9.8% for 3rd Quarter

Caracas (Venezuela) | 22 November 2005 | Alia2 | Economic growth for the 3rd quarter of 2005 reached 9.8% in Venezuela, relative to the same quarter the previous year, making this the 9th consecutive quarter in which Venezuela’s GDP has grown, according to Venezuela’s Central Bank, which released the figures yesterday. The private sector, with a growth rate of 11.1%, led the boom, with the public sector reaching 5.4% growth in the 3rd quarter.

Chavez Rejects Community of Andean Nations and Embraces Mercosur

By Alessandro Parma | Caracas (Venezuela) | 17 November 2005 | Alia2 | President Hugo Chavez said Venezuela will gain much more from closer links to Mercosur than to the Community of Andean Nations, or CAN. "Venezuela has nothing to gain from the current Andean Community, nothing," said Chavez.

US-China: Free market or statism

By James Petras | Caracas (Venezuela) | 26 October 2005 | Alia2 | The most striking aspect of the US (and European) trade conflict with China is Washington’s systematic rejection of the free market and its resort to heavy-handed dependence on state intervention.

Venezuela Increases Spending Social Programs and Balances Budget

By Alessandro Parma | Caracas (Venezuela) | 22 October 2005 | Alia2 | The Venezuelan Finance Minister, Nelson Merentes, presented a 2006 budget of $40.5 billion to the National Assembly. This budget is 27% higher than last year’s and 41% of it is committed to the social programs.

Lies, Damn Lies, and Oil Production Statistics: Venezuela Files SEC Report
Oil Wars

Caracas (Venezuela) | 20 October 2005 | Alia2 | Last week the Venezuelan state oil company, Petroleos de Venezuela, or PDVSA, submitted its audited financial statements to the U.S. Securities and Exchange commission for 2003. The full 150 page document is here and can be read by anyone who wants to review PDVSA’s performance.

Ibero-American Summit Brings Benefits for Venezuela and Cuba

By Alessandro Parma | Caracas (Venezuela) | 19 October 2005 | Alia2 | President Chavez declared that the 15th Ibero-American Summit in Salamanca, Spain held on October 14 and 15, was the one, “with the most advances and achievements.” The leaders of the Ibero-American countries present called for the end of the US blockade of Cuba and the extradition of wanted militant Luis Posada Carriles.

Poverty and Unemployment Down significantly in Venezuela in 2005

Caracas (Venezuela) | 18 October 2005 | Alia2 | Venezuela’s National Institute of Statistics (INE) says that poverty will drop by 8% points by the end of 2005, relative to the previous year. Similarly, unemployment dropped 0.6% points, from 12.1% in August, to 11.5% in September of this year.

Uruguay Announces Venezuela will be a Full Member of Mercosur

By Gregory Wilpert  | Montevideo (Uruguay) | 18 October 2005 | Alia2 | Uruguay, the country that currently heads up the four-member Common Market of the South, known as Mercosur, informed the public yesterday that Venezuela is scheduled to become a full member of the organization in December. Currently, Mercosur’s full members are Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay, and Paraguay.

Energy Minister Denies Venezuela is Planning to Buy Argentinean Nuclear Reactor

Caracas (Venezuela) | 18 October 2005 | Alia2 | Responding to news reports that Venezuela is interested in purchasing a nuclear reactor from Argentina, Venezuela’s Minister of Energy and Petroleum, Rafael Ramirez, denied that this true. Rather, Venezuela is interested in training and research on nuclear technology, in cooperation with Argentina, as part of its existing cooperation agreements.

Venezuela’s Central Bank Confirms it Deposited $20 Billion in Swiss Bank

By Gregory Wilpert  | Caracas (Venezuela) | 7 October 2005 | Alia2 | Following initial denials about that Venezuela had actually transferred its foreign currency reserves, Venezuela’s Central Bank director confirmed that several months ago the Bank transferred $20 billion of its slightly over $30 billion in foreign currency reserves from the U.S. to Basilea, the Bank for International Settlements in Switzerland.

Unemployment Drops 3.7% in Venezuela

Caracas (Venezuela) | 6 October 2005 | Alia2 |

Venezuela to Invest in Refineries in Brazil and Argentina

By Gregory Wilpert  | Caracas (Venezuela) | 6 October 2005 | Alia2 | Venezuela reached separate agreements with Brazil and with Argentina to invest in refineries in the two respective countries. Venezuela’s President Chavez announced the plans were during a summit of the Community of South American Nations (CSN), which took place last week and was attended by the leaders of Chile, Bolivia, Peru, Paraguay, Ecuador, Venezuela, Brazil, and Argentina.

Venezuela to Prove It Has World’s Largest Oil Reserves

By Gregory Wilpert , Sarah Wagner | Caracas (Venezuela) | 29 June 2005 | Alia2 |

Venezuelan Economy Grew 7.9 percent in First Quarter of 2005

By Sarah Wagner | Caracas (Venezuela) | 27 May 2005 | Alia2 |

Venezuela’s Tax Agency Fines News Channel Globovisión

By Jonah Gindin | Caracas (Venezuela) | 19 May 2005 | Alia2 |