April 11-13 marks 8 years since the revolutionary movement of the masses swiftly defeated the counter-revolutionary coup in Venezuela. It is worth re-reading this article by Alan Woods and Ted Grant, which was widely circulated amongst working class activists in Venezuela at the time and laid basis for the formation of the Marxist tendency. The tasks outlined at the end of the article remain, mostly, unfulfilled. Revolution and Counter-Revolution in Venezuela

In the build up to the September elections, the right-wing opposition is preparing on several fronts. Economic sabotage is one of them, as are the manoeuvres on the part of right-wing elements within the Bolivarian movement itself. Meanwhile, all this is having a radicalising effect on the left.

A few weeks ago an article was published in the leading bourgeois newspaper in Brazil O Estado de Sao Paulo, attacking both Chavez and Alan Woods. The latter answered these attacks and his reply was published and widely circulated in Venezuela, where it provoked a lot of comment and controversy. This has now resulted in an editorial article that appeared on the front page of TalCual, a prominent Venezuelan opposition newspaper on March 2.

A highly influential – and right-wing Brazilian bourgeois commentator wrote an article for O Estado de Sao Paulo attacking Chavez from the right, tracing his evolution from his early days to his latest turn to the left. In doing so the author names the editor of Marxist.com, Alan Woods as one of the main influences responsible for Chavez’s move to the Left. Here we publish the original article and a reply from Alan Woods.