Moderate Rebels episode 33 (part 1/2): Max Blumenthal and Ben Norton speak with Professor Steve Ellner about Venezuela’s right-wing opposition, and how the corporate media whitewashes its use of violence and economic sabotage. Ellner explains some of the economic problems faced by President Nicolás Maduro, including manipulation of exchange rates and low oil prices.
Topics
0:00 Intro
1:27 Steve Ellner and Latin America solidarity movements
6:46 Venezuela’s opposition
11:45 Opposition leader Leopoldo Lopez
13:03 Violent tactics of Venezuela’s opposition
15:45 Economic problems in Venezuela
18:21 The biased OAS and Luis Almagro
20:00 Comparing Venezuela with Mexico
22:40 Venezuela’s Bolivar exchange rates
28:28 The centrality of Oil to Venezuela’s economic ills
32:25 Oil prices and OPEC
35:40 US sanctions (to be continued in part 2)
36:35 Outro
Show Notes
Venezuela
Dismantling media propaganda on Venezuela and Nicaragua – August 2018 Moderate Rebels interview with Abby Martin
Leopoldo López
The New York Times’ Uncanny Comparison of Leopoldo Lopez with Martin Luther King, Steve Ellner, Venezuelanalysis, 5 March 2018
Meet Thor Halvorssen, Neocon Scam Artist Who Heads Bogus Human Rights Foundation, Ken Silverstein, ShadowProof, 28 September 2015
Mexico
AMLO vs. neoliberalism: The resurgence of Mexico’s left w/ John Ackerman (E31) – Moderate Rebels interview from December 2018
Steve Ellner
Website: steveellnersblog.blogspot.com
Twitter: @sellner74
