Today in the corporate media, Venezuela’s
economic problems are used to paint the country as a failed state, in
need of foreign-backed regime change. To get the Bolivarian
government’s side of the crisis, Abby Martin interviews Venezuela’s
Minister of Economic Planning, Ricardo Menéndez. They discuss
shortages, oil dependency, the role of the US-backed opposition
movement and more. The Empire Files joined him in Cojedes, Venezuela,
where he was speaking to mass community meetings, organizing the
population to fight against what he calls an economic war.
In this part
of the interview, Menéndez says Venezuela will continue on the same
route towards Socialism, without dogmatic approach, despite the war
launched by the neoliberal circus in which the US empire has
dominantt role:
We are one
of the few nations in the world that pays all its financial duties on
time, all of its international commitments. Nevertheless, our
"country risk index" has increased continuously. These
conditions show one of the attacks we've been under in recent years.
This attack is expressed by raising the price of our debt.
Our economy
has shrunk 87% of its total income from oil revenue. The actual
income of the Republic is less. However, we have increased social
investment in our nation. These are some traits that, probably in the
international arena, and specifically in neoliberal circles, they
don't understand how we can increase the social investment when the
national revenue has decreased. We have fulfilled all our
international commitments. This demonstrates the actual strength of
the revolutionary model, the strength of the revolution.
From 1998 to
2012, Venezuela has doubled the family consumption values of its
population. Additionally, we have maintained constantly that every
time a raise in wages was needed, if the purchasing capacity of our
population was below the basic food basket, these adjustments are
made.
Our
Bolivarian constitution establishes in article 299 the existence of
the state along with the private sector. We are certain of the route
to the construction of Socialism. We are not dogmatic, we don't work
over dogmas for the construction of Socialism. Our vision is to untie
all productive factors and during this process everyone plays a role.
What our
constitution rejects is the existence of monopolies. Our constitution
doesn't allow that a single actor dominates the rest, that wants to
subdue our country.
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