Venezuelanalysis is a pro-Bolivarian Revolution website that describes itself as "an independent website produced by individuals who are dedicated to disseminating news and analysis about the current political situation in Venezuela". Its stated objective is "to provide a counter-narrative to mainstream media coverage of the Bolivarian Revolution, based on the perspective of leftist and grassroots movements in Venezuela".
History
Greg Wilpert founded the website in 2003 with Martin Sanchez, one of the founders of Aporrea.org, a pro-Chavez website, who set up the "technical side" of the site. The set up of Venezuelanalysis.com was also aided by the Venezuelan government. Venezuelanalysis describes itself as "an independent website produced by individuals who are dedicated to disseminating news and analysis about the current political situation in Venezuela". Its stated objective is "to provide a counter-narrative to mainstream media coverage of the Bolivarian Revolution, based on the perspective of leftist and grassroots movements in Venezuela". The website's founder Gregory Wilpert has described this perspective as "clearly pro-Bolivarian Revolution, but also critical of some aspects from a leftist perspective". In 2008 after Wilpert's wife was named Consul General of Venezuela in New York by the Chávez government, the two moved to New York City. Wilpert continued to work as the main editor of the website until 2009, though he still serves on its board of directors. That year, Venezuela Analysis, Inc. was registered as a domestic not-for-profit corporation in New York State.
Organization
Venezuelanalysis.com says it is a "project of Venezuela Analysis, Inc., which is registered as a non-profit organization in New York State and of the Fundación para la Justicia Económica Global, which is registered in Caracas, Venezuela".
Personnel
Gregory Wilpert is one of the two co-founders of venezuelanalysis.com, together with Martin Sánchez, when the site launched in September 2003. He was the site’s main editor for six years, until 2009, and continues to do volunteer work for venezuelanalysis.com and is on the site’s Board of Directors. The Global Post described Wilpert as "perhaps the most prominent Chavista." Wilpert's wife Carol Delgado was named Consul General of Venezuela in New York in 2008. According to Venezuelanalysis.com, "as of early 2008 its writers are all working on the site from their homes in various places in Venezuela, with volunteers contributing from around world." The website also lists contributors from England, Australia, and the US with a mix of activist and academic credentials, which have included authors Nikolas Kozloff, who periodically contributes to the site, and Eva Golinger, who was a team member through 2017. The staff as of 2019 are listed on the website as Gregory Wilpert, Jan Kühn, Rachael Boothroyd, Lucas Koerner, Jeanette Charles, Katrina Kozarek, Paul Dobson, Cira Pascual Marquina and Ricardo Vaz.
Funding and support
In 2007, Wilpert stated the site had received "some funding" from the Venezuelan government's Ministry of Culture, in addition to accepting "grassroots donations". He also indicated that Venezuelanalysis.com had "mutual support agreements" with the groups Green Left Weekly, Alia2, and "briefly" with TeleSUR, along with other organizations. Up to February 2014, Venezuelanalysis.com's 'about' page stated that its "Web server services and bandwidth is donated by Aporrea.org, a larger site maintained by grassroots groups in Venezuela" and as of April 2014, the website said that Venezuelanalysis "depend 100% on reader donations and receive no funding from any governments".
Reception
Venezuelanalysis.com is "pro-Bolivarian Revolution"; other sources say it is "left-leaning". The Global Post described Wilpert as "perhaps the most prominent Chavista." In a May 2004 wire concerning the Venezuelan government's use of Bolivarian propaganda, the United States government placed Venezuelanalysis.com on a list of websites that the Venezuelan government allegedly used to "spread its war on the oligarchy, neoliberalism, the United States government, and the proposed Free Trade Area of the Americas". According to Brian Nelson, author of The Silence and the Scorpion, Venezuelanalysis.com performs "damage control" for the Venezuelan government and "tried to discredit virtually every independent human rights study" while Hugo Chávez was in office as part of "an integral part of Venezuela’s propaganda complex," according to Venezuelan government sources.
