An image of Hugo Chavez’s eyes used to peer down on Venezuela from seemingly everywhere: the rooftops of government offices, housing developments, even the scanners at airport customs. Today, Venezuelans are more likely to find an advertisement for makeup or jeans than a tribute to the country’s revolutionary icon. Fabiola Zerpa and Ezra Fieser. Full Text -> Bloomberg News 

Traducción de cortesía -> Una imagen de los ojos de Hugo Chávez solía mirar a Venezuela desde aparentemente todas partes: los techos de las oficinas gubernamentales, urbanizaciones, incluso los escáneres en la aduana del aeropuerto. Hoy en día, es más probable que los venezolanos encuentren un anuncio de maquillaje o jeans que un tributo al ícono revolucionario del país.

La Ley Orgánica de Ciudades Comunales fue aprobada en primera discusión el 13 de marzo de 2021 en sesión plenaria, de la AN del 6Dic. Para entonces, el presidente de la Comisión de Comunas, Luis José Marcano, destacó que el instrumento legal va dirigido a concretar el proceso de transferencia de competencias del Poder Público nacional, estadal y municipal al poder popular, dándole rango legal a la creación de dichas figuras territoriales. La mayoría del chavismo en la AN dice apoyarse en el artículo 5 de la Constitución, según el cual la soberanía reside en el pueblo (para el caso) organizado en miles de Consejos Comunales distribuidos en todo el país, los cuales, de acuerdo con Marcano, plantearon propuestas para el texto legal. Por Deisy Martínez. Texto Completo -> EfectoCocuyo

Courtesy translation->

The Organic Law of Communal Cities was approved in the first discussion on March 13, 2021, in the plenary session of the AN elected on Dec 6 . By then, the president of the Communes Commission, Luis José Marcano, stressed that the legal instrument is aimed at specifying the process of transfer of powers from the national, state and municipal Public Power to the popular power, giving legal status to the creation of said territorial figures. The majority of Chavismo in the AN claims to rely on Article 5 of the Constitution, according to which sovereignty resides in the people (for that matter) organized in thousands of Communal Councils distributed throughout the country, which, according to Marcano , raised proposals for the legal text.

Sugerente el reciente editorial del ABC del 14 de agosto en el que el economista José Luis Feito, desde su especialidad, arroja luces que se me antoja, encaja cada una de sus reflexiones, como en un rompecabezas, en la crisis que vive Venezuela. Me limito a transcribir algunos párrafos para que cada uno saque sus conclusiones, habida cuenta de que los siguientes párrafos están pensados desde una realidad distinta pero no tan distante a la nuestra. Por Cardenal Baltazar Porras Cardozo. Texto completo-> America 2.1

Courtesy translation-> The recent ABC editorial from August 14, by the economist José Luis Feito, sheds lights that, I belive fits, as in a puzzle, in the crisis that Venezuela is experiencing. I limit myself to transcribing a few paragraphs so that each one can draw conclusions from him, taking into account that the following paragraphs are thought from a different reality but not so distant from ours

In Peru, Pedro Castillo, leader of the Marxist-Leninist Peru Libre party, has now been elected president by a narrow majority. The party describes itself as “a left-wing socialist organization” that embraces Marxism and Leninism. Castillo has said that he opposes communism, but that is in no way unusual.  By Rainer Zitelmann. Full Text -> WashingtonExaminer

For the most part, this heyday of left-wing fascism is occurring with the overt and hypocritical complicity of the moderate, social-democratic Left. The only exceptions are the countries where leftist fascists already control government. There, the revolutionaries are actively persecuting members of the moderate, “soft” Left who once supported them. By Álvaro Vargas LLosa. Full Text -> Independent

Venezuela Vice President Delcy Rodriguez, says that the economic reforms recently implemented by President Nicolás Maduro are consistent with the administration’s guiding principles of Bolivarian socialism. She spoke exclusively in Caracas with Bloomberg’s Erik Schatzker. Full Video -> Bloomberg

“Living in Venezuela is way worse than people might think that they see in the news, or maybe on documentaries,” he says. “You just picture that, you start convincing yourself that maybe eating three times a day is not necessary, and that the quality of the food that you have to eat probably is not that one that you expect it to be,” he added. “So, you have to get used to, like I was when I was in college, that if I had that breakfast, most likely I didn’t have lunch. If I had lunch, it’s because I skipped breakfast.” By Rachel del Guidice. Full Text -> TheDailySignal

Sunday marked the 100th anniversary of the start of Lenin’s New Economic Policy (NEP). In a stunning about-face on March 21, 1921, the NEP began undoing the previous four years. Expropriation of businesses and the nationalization of industries stopped. Lenin proclaimed a partial restoration of, in his own words, “a free market and capitalism.” Even state-owned firms would seek to operate on a “profit” basis. Individuals could own small enterprises again. Market prices would be permitted in place of state directives. By Lawrence W. Reed. Full Text-> FEE

The Free Market Foundation (FMF) is heartened by recent press reports of the Venezuelan government relaxing its controls over the economy. This comes after the government of Zimbabwe also in recent years signalled its intention to open up for business and set right the disaster of Mugabe-era land grabs. South Africa would do well to take heed of this trend away from socialism toward freedom. By Melani Nathan. Full Text -> BizNews

Saddled with hundreds of failed state companies in an economy barreling over a cliff, the Venezuelan government is abandoning socialist doctrine by offloading key enterprises to private investors, offering profit in exchange for a share of revenue or products. Dozens of chemical plants, coffee processors, grain silos and hotels confiscated over the past two decades have been transferred — but not sold — to private operators in so-called strategic alliances, nine people with knowledge of the matter said. Managers cover payroll and investments, and deliver products and a percentage of their income to the government. By By Fabiola Zerpa and Nicolle Yapur. Full Text -> Bloomberg