Voltaire Network

Gregory Wilpert

Gregory Wilpert is a German-American sociologist, who grew up in Germany and spent most of his adult life in the U.S. and most recently in Venezuela. He studied sociology at University of California San Diego (B.A. in 1988) and at Brandeis University (Ph.D. in 1993).

83 articles

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Smearing a film about Chávez’s Venezuela

by Gregory Wilpert

Caracas (Venezuela) | 2 July 2010

Oliver Stone’s documentary South of the Border — about Venezuela and its President Hugo Chávez — was trashed in the New York Times in a feature story by correspondent Larry Rohter. Rohter complained the film was full of mistakes — but supporters of the film point out that he made far more errors (…)

International Energy Agency Increases Venezuela’s Oil Production Estimates, Maybe

by Gregory Wilpert , Michael Fox

Caracas (Venezuela) | 20 May 2006

Last week, the Venezuelan Minister of Petroleum and Energy, Rafael Ramirez, declared that the International Energy Agency (IEA) has recognized that Venezuela is extracting over 3.0 million barrels of oil per day.

Venezuela Considers U.S. Weapons Ban Sale Prelude to Further Aggression

by Gregory Wilpert

Caracas (Venezuela) | 20 May 2006

Reacting to announcement that the U.S. would no longer sell weapons to Venezuela because Venezuela is “not cooperating fully” in the “war on terrorism,” numerous Venezuelan government officials, starting with President Chavez, reacted to the announcement with indifference and derision.

Venezuela’s Main Airport-Capital Artery Closed

by Gregory Wilpert

Caracas (Venezuela) | 17 January 2006

The main artery that carries traffic from Caracas to the country’s main airport and to one of the country’s main ports, La Guaira, had to be closed indefinitely today because one of the artery’s bridges could collapse. The closure of the freeway will increase the time it takes to get to the (…)

Delegation of Prominent U.S. Progressive Leaders Visits Venezuela

by Gregory Wilpert

Caracas (Venezuela) | 17 January 2006

The singer, actor, and civil rights activist Harry Belafonte visited Venezuela this week, leading a delegation of 13 other prominent activists from the U.S. During their visit, the delegation toured the complex of cooperatives, known as the Endogenous Development Nucleus Fabricio Ojeda, visited (…)

How and Why Venezuela’s Opposition Imploded

by Gregory Wilpert

Caracas (Venezuela) | 6 December 2005

For the fourth time, Venezuela’s opposition parties are undergoing a bizarre process implosion. Like lemmings, they are committing mass political suicide by withdrawing from one of the country’s most important elections in the past five years.

Chavez’s Party Wins 68% of Seats in Venezuela’s Parliament

by Gregory Wilpert

Caracas (Venezuela) | 6 December 2005

Chavez’s party, the Movement for the Fifth Republic (MVR), won 114 or 68% of the 167 seats in the new National Assembly, according to preliminary results that MVR deputy William Lara announced this evening. Pro-Chavez parties won all 167 seats in the new National Assembly.

Venezuela’s Electoral Council Agrees to Opposition Demand

by Gregory Wilpert

Caracas (Venezuela) | 2 December 2005

Following bitter arguments between the opposition and Venezuela’s Electoral Council about whether Venezuela’s voting system is secret, the Electoral Council decided yesterday to withdraw one of the voting system’s more controversial elements, the fingerprint scanners. Venezuela is scheduled to (…)

Arrest Warrants Issued for Four in Assassination of Venezuelan Prosecutor

by Gregory Wilpert

Caracas (Venezuela) | 9 November 2005

Venezuela’s Attorney General, Isaias Rodríguez, issued arrest warrants for four prominent individuals in the case of last year’s assassination of state prosecutor Danilo Anderson. According to Rodriguez, the four masterminded the conspiracy that led to Anderson’s assassination with a car bomb.

Bush Implies Venezuelan Nuclear Reactor is OK

by Gregory Wilpert

Caracas (Venezuela) | 4 November 2005

In an interview with Latin American print correspondents, U.S. President George Bush said that he could accept Venezuelan acquisition of a nuclear reactor, as long as it adheres to “international safeguards.” The statement came a bit as a surprise, following off the record comments by Bush (…)

Venezuelan Opposition Leaders Call for Unity and Moderation

by Gregory Wilpert

Caracas (Venezuela) | 29 October 2005

In a joint announcement, the General Secretaries of three of Venezuela’s main opposition parties, said that the opposition must defeat Chavez at the ballot box and not with a “rapid exit,” such as the “activation” of article 350 of Venezuela’s constitution, which specifies that Venezuelans have (…)

Uruguay Announces Venezuela will be a Full Member of Mercosur

by Gregory Wilpert

Montevideo (Uruguay) | 18 October 2005

Uruguay, the country that currently heads up the four-member Common Market of the South, known as Mercosur, informed the public yesterday that Venezuela is scheduled to become a full member of the organization in December. Currently, Mercosur’s full members are Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay, and (…)

Venezuelan Officials Call Pat Robertson’s Latest Comments “Crazy”

by Gregory Wilpert

Caracas (Venezuela) | 14 October 2005

Venezuelan officials, including the Vice-President, Venezuela’s Ambassador to the U.S., and the President of Venezuela’s National Assembly, emphasized the ridiculousness and irrationality of Pat Robertson’s latest comments about Venezuela that he made on CNN.

Venezuela’s Central Bank Confirms it Deposited $20 Billion in Swiss Bank

by Gregory Wilpert

Caracas (Venezuela) | 7 October 2005

Following initial denials about that Venezuela had actually transferred its foreign currency reserves, Venezuela’s Central Bank director confirmed that several months ago the Bank transferred $20 billion of its slightly over $30 billion in foreign currency reserves from the U.S. to Basilea, the (…)

Venezuela to Invest in Refineries in Brazil and Argentina

by Gregory Wilpert

Caracas (Venezuela) | 6 October 2005

Venezuela reached separate agreements with Brazil and with Argentina to invest in refineries in the two respective countries. Venezuela’s President Chavez announced the plans were during a summit of the Community of South American Nations (CSN), which took place last week and was attended by the (…)

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