Alternative Resources on Venezuela

Compiled by Dana Lubow, Librarian, LA Valley College

Resources listed on this page do not necessarily reflect the views of IRTF, SRRT, or ALA.

Alternative News, Analysis, and Commentary

  • Agencia Bolivarian de Noticias - Venezuelan state news agency. Searchable. Available only in Spanish.
  • AlterNet.org - "AlterNet.org is a project of the Independent Media Institute, a nonprofit organization dedicated to strengthening and supporting independent and alternative journalism."
  • American Friends Service Committee - The American Friends Service Committee (AFSC) is a Quaker organization that includes people of various faiths who are committed to social justice, peace, and humanitarian service." (Search site for "Venezuela.")
  • Antiwar.com: Venezuela - "This site is devoted to the cause of noninterventionism, . . . . our own politics are libertarian . . . ."
  • Aporrea.org - Alternative news from Venezuela.  Included are news and opinions from grassroots groups, unions, street reporters, independent columnists and government sources. The majority of the articles are in Spanish. From the Popular Revolutionary Assembly.
  • Axis of Logic - “Selected news and commentary which are often ignored or whitewashed by the mainstream media.” An American E-Zine "Finding Clarity in the 21st Century Mediaplex". Often features news and opinion articles on Venezuela and Latin America. 
  • Caracas Connect   A blog "working to provoke discussion and provide up-to-date information and analysis on US-Venezuelan relations, politics, policies, and culture." There are related links. Archived back to January 2005.
  • Centre for Research on Globalisation - ". . . an independent research and media group of progressive writers, scholars and activists committed to curbing the tide of "globalisation" and "disarming" the New World Order." 
  • Common Dreams News Center "Common Dreams is a national non-profit citizens' organization working to bring progressive Americans together to promote progressive visions for America's future."
  • Council on Hemispheric Relations - "Monitoring Political, Economic, and Diplomatic Issues Facing the Western Hemisphere."
  • Counterpunch.org - "CounterPunch is the bi-weekly muckraking newsletter edited by Alexander Cockburn and Jeffrey St. Clair. . . . Ours is muckraking with a radical attitude . . . ."
  • Democracy Now! – "Democracy Now! is a national, daily, independent, award-winning news program airing on over 140 stations in North America" Website includes transcripts as well as audio recordings.
  • Fairness & Accuracy in Reporting – "FAIR, the national media watch group, has been offering well-documented criticism of media bias and censorship since 1986."
  • Foreign Policy in Focus - "A think tank without walls. . . . .Working to make the U.S. a more responsible global leader and partner."
  • Hands Off Venezuela - A trade union initiative from around the world in solidarity with Venezuela. It includes News and Analysis, Labour and Trade Union NewsCulture and ArtFlyersWorld Festival of Students and Youth, and Letters from Venezuela. Available in Danish, Dutch, French, German, Greek, Hebrew, Italian, Norwegian, Portuguese, Romanian, Russian, Spanish, Swedish, and Turkish.
  • In These Times ". . . a national, biweekly magazine of news and opinion" providing "groundbreaking coverage of the labor movement, environment, feminism, grassroots politics, minority communities and the media."
  • Independent Media Center -"Indymedia is a collective of independent and alternative media activists and organizations offering grassroots, non-corporate coverage of important social and political issues."
  • The InterActivist Info Exchange - "The Info Exchange provides original content and links to important or interesting stories on the net."
  • Latin American Network Information Center – Venezuela  -From the Latin American Information Network at the University of Texas, Austin  a directory of resources.  Includes links to resources on Academic ResearchGovernment,  Human Rights & LawNews,  and Political Parties & Elections.
  • NACLA (North American Congress on Latin America) –  "NACLA provides policy makers, analysts, academics, organizers, journalists and religious and community groups with information on major trends in Latin America and its relations with the United States." Articles from NACLA:
  • OneWorld.net -"OneWorld is dedicated to harnessing the democratic potential of the Internet to promote human rights and sustainable development."
  • Rebelión - Alternative news and analysis from around the world. Publishes "news and opinions suppressed by political and economic capitalist interests seeking to maintain their status and privileges." Includes articles about Venezuela. Searchable. In Spanish.
  • Resource Center of the Americas – "The Resource Center of the Americas informs, educates and organizes to promote human rights, democratic participation, economic justice and cross-cultural understanding in the context of globalization in the Americas." There is "a selection of background and analysis articles on the current situation in Venezuela."
  • The Revolution will not be Televised - About the film, which covers the 2002 coup in Venezuela. Background information includes:  The Shadow of Bolivar,  Politics of Oil,  Challenge to Neo-Liberalism,   Media,   USA in Latin America, and Chronicle of a Coup.
  • Seven Oaks Magazine - Canadian magazine of politics, culture and resistance. Often features analytical articles about Venezuela and Latin America.
  • TomPaine.com – ". . . seeks to enrich the national debate on controversial public issues by featuring the ideas, opinions, and analyses too often overlooked by the mainstream media."
  • truthout – ". . . critical news and commentary on world events . . . ."
  • VenezuelaFOIA.info - “A website devoted to investigating U.S. meddling in Venezuela.” Contains a collection of U.S. CIA documents that reveal that the U.S. government had prior knowledge of the coup in Venezuela. Also available in Spanish.
  • Venezuela Information Office - Articles about political events and the social changes occurring in Venezuela. There is an action tool kit and related links. From the Venezuelan government.
  • Venezuela on Videos: the videos of the Bolivarian Revolution  A collection of videos whose "objectives are to break the media siege that distorts the truth and shows the world a false image of the revolutionary process, led by the constitutional president of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, Hugo Chavez Frias." A wide range of categories is available, including: interviews, special programs, events, music, and more. Available only in Spanish.
  • Venezuela Solidarity - News about Venezuela. From a Venezuela solidarity organization in the United Kingdom.
  • Venezuela Watch - A collection of articles from Z Magazine. “Venezuela is the site of a Latin American government that has shown a desire for democratic and social reform and an independent foreign policy. This has made it an enemy of the United States. This site covers the US-supported coup in Venezuela of April 2002, and news on the situation in Venezuela before and since, including the National strike of Dec 2002. Topics include: the U.S. RoleMovementsActivismMedia Analysis, and  Human Rights.
  • Venezuelanalysis - Venezuela News, Views and Analysis. "Ongoing news and analysis from Venezuela." Topics include: The Bolivarian ProjectInternational RelationsEconomyPolitical DevelopmentsConstitution, Law & JudiciaryLabor,  Opposition, and Indigenous communities.  Searchable.
  • Vheadline.com - Bilingual news from Venezuela. An “independent e-publication promoting democracy in its fullest expression and the inalienable right of all Venezuelans to self-determination and the pursuit of sovereign independence without interference. We seek to shed light on nefarious practices and the corruption which for decades has strangled this South American nation's development and progress. Our declared editorial bias is most definitely pro-Constitutional, pro-Democracy and pro-VENEZUELA.” The Venezuelan constitution is available in English.

Special Reports and Articles

Reference and Background (Mainstream and U.S. Government Resources)

  • Background notes – Venezuela - Statistics, geographical information, history, government, political conditions, economy, foreign relations, and basic travel information are provided. Additionally, U.S. officials and consulate officers are given. Updated regularly. From the U.S. Department of State.
  • CIA World Factbook - Venezuela - A reference work for basic statistical data about Venezuela. From the Central Intelligence Agency.
  • Venezuela Country Profile - "A gateway to information on development issues, providing free and easy access to wide range of high quality online resources." Includes social, economic, political and environmental issues. Searchable. News feeds and emails available. From Eldis Country Profiles.
  • Venezuela Country Studies - Contains a historical overview, and information on the geography, economy, government, transportation and telecommunications, foreign relations, and people and society of Venezuela. Includes a glossary, a bibliography, and statistical tables. Searchable. "Completed [in] December 1990." A part of the Web site Country Studies, from the Federal Research Division of the Library of Congress.