Commentary on Venezuela: Chavez is surviving
"Thus far, the Venezuelan opposition’s tactics bear a remarkable and uncanny similarity to those which successfully overthrew Salvador Allende’s government in Chile in 1973 and which led to Michael Manley’s defeat at the ballot box in Jamaica in 1980. In each case, there was a sustained and organised attack on the legitimacy of the government led by the big business owned media monopoly. Each of the country’s leaders was subjected to a campaign of character assassination, and labelled a tyrant, a liar and an incompetent. The government was declared “undemocratic” and “communist” and lies and misrepresentations abounded. In turn, this created an atmosphere in which political violence would be seen as aimed not at the destruction of democracy, but at its preservation. Economic destabilisation then followed which included the flight of capital abroad."

Commentary on Venezuela: Chavez is surviving
"Thus far, the Venezuelan opposition’s tactics bear a remarkable and uncanny similarity to those which successfully overthrew Salvador Allende’s government in Chile in 1973 and which led to Michael Manley’s defeat at the ballot box in Jamaica in 1980. In each case, there was a sustained and organised attack on the legitimacy of the government led by the big business owned media monopoly. Each of the country’s leaders was subjected to a campaign of character assassination, and labelled a tyrant, a liar and an incompetent. The government was declared “undemocratic” and “communist” and lies and misrepresentations abounded. In turn, this created an atmosphere in which political violence would be seen as aimed not at the destruction of democracy, but at its preservation. Economic destabilisation then followed which included the flight of capital abroad."