Indian peace campaigner backs Venezuela

India's peace movement defended Venezuela's “new spirit of democracy” against imperialist war threats yesterday.

Speaking at the opening of the Todos Somos Venezuela (we are all Venezuela) All-India Peace and Solidarity Organisation (AIPSO) Secretary-General Professor Sonia Gupta denounced the threats against Caracas from “those who think they own the world.”

“We are here to defend Venezuelan sovereignty and democracy,” she said.

“Those who threaten Venezuela with military action must see Venezuela as a threat,” Prof Gupta said.

“Yes, it is a threat, to the 'democracy' of parties taking turns to rule, a threat of true democracy.”

Remembering the 124 people who died during four months of opposition riots this year aimed at bringing down the government, she said: “The body is mortal but the soul is eternal. The souls of those who lost their lives are alive here today.”

“This is the new spirit of democracy. For this Venezuela is a threat,” Prof Gupta said. “Venezuela is creating an alternative for all.”

The mystery of the Guanches

The origins and language of the indigenous people of the Canary Islands remain a mystery, writes Dr Sabina Goralski Filonov Translation by James Tweedie The guanches, the aboriginals of the Canary Islands whose origin, lost in the mists of time, still arouses intense and passionate debate and great controversy about their origins and the how the seven Canary Islands were populated – which according to some studies occurred between 10,000 and 8,000 years BC. Literally, the word ‘Guan’ means man or person and ‘Chenech’ or ‘Chinet’ is applied to the island of Tenerife, thus meaning a man or inhabitant of Tenerife – although according to Núñez de la Peña, the Spanish named them the Guanchos during the conquest of the islands. But with the passage of time, experts in the subject are questioning whether the word Guanche was used to designate the primitive inhabitants of all the islands in the pre-Hispanic period. The term ‘Guanche’ has also ceased to be applied to the di...

Venezuela condemns MUD silence over terror attack

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Los Gigantes Beach Landslide Tragedy - Three Days of Mourning for Victims

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Ex-pats hail extinction of ‘mammoth’ development

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Venezuelan opposition declares "Zero Hour" for regime change

Venezuela’s opposition declared “Zero Hour” in its putsch against the socialist government on Monday — emboldened by US support. Leaders of the Democratic Unity Roundtable (Mud) coalition gathered for the announcement of their takeover plan a day after their unauthorised referendum seeking a mandate for regime change. National Assembly vice-president and Popular Will (VP) acting leader Freddy Guevara said the Mud-controlled parliament would announce the results of the plebiscite on Tuesday. It asked voters to reject President Nicolas Maduro’s calling of a constitutional reform assembly demand the army support the opposition and back a “national unity government.” But before the announcement of the result Mr Guevara said the national Assembly would form a new government on Tuesday — a move beyond its constitutional powers — along with 1,020 local “Zero Hour committees.” He called a “national general strike” for Thursday while on Friday the assembly would again exceed its powe...

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