By Natalia Garcia Bonet

It appeared to be a confrontation between humanitarianism and military force. In February, the Venezuelan government placed troops along the country’s border with Colombia to block the entry of humanitarian aid coming from the US and supported by the opposition leader, Juan Guaido.

The blockade was widely covered by the news and sparked controversy when the trucks carrying the supplies were accidentally burned during the clashes between the military and those trying to clear their passage.

Similar scenes were repeated on Venezuela’s border with Brazil – albeit with even more tragic consequences. There, the military convoy sent to guard the border was stopped by the local indigenous police in the Pemon community of Kumarakapay – in the Gran Sabana national park, an area considered official indigenous territory. The military opened fire, resulting in at least two casualties. Zoraida Rodriguez – an indigenous woman – was killed in her own home.

The unrest at the border between Venezuela and Brazil, however, received much less media attention than the troubles at the Colombian border – partly because events didn’t fit the western media’s dominant narratives about Venezuela.

These mainly focus on the country’s failing economy, and the threat of a potential US military intervention, based on America’s historic record of involvement in other Latin American nations. In the West, the story is often portrayed as a dispute between the troubled Venezuelan government and US imperialism, assuming the Venezuelan nation is internally homogenous. But this ignores the contentious relationship that many Venezuelans, indigenous people included, have historically had with the government.

A matter of sovereignty

The confrontations between Pemon indigenous people and the military along the Brazilian border, then, should also be understood as an issue of sovereignty over indigenous territories. Indeed, they also stand in sharp contrast to the Venezuelan government’s own rhetoric, which positions the state as a champion of the indigenous cause.

National sovereignty has been a recurrent theme of Venezuela’s Bolivarian Revolution, which was proclaimed by former president Hugo Chavez. This movement espouses socialist policies and a resistance to foreign, particularly US, interference. But the history of indigenous resistance to colonial invasion has also been used by both Chavez and his successor, Nicolas Maduro (who took power in 2013), to symbolise this defiance of foreign intervention.

In 1998, Hugo Chavez gained power with the highest electoral margin in 40 years. His victory was partly because he included marginal populations, such as indigenous people, in his Bolivarian nation-building project.

In fact, many indigenous peoples in Venezuela initially saw their incorporation into the Venezuelan nation as part of the Bolivarian Revolution. The 1999 constitution, for example, was the first to provide a host of rights for indigenous groups, including “native rights over the land”.

In the 20 years that have elapsed since then, however, many of the state’s promises regarding indigenous people and their territories remain largely unfulfilled and disaffection among them is growing.

Digging in

Historically, state expansion into indigenous territories in the south of the country has been linked to natural resources, particularly gold and bauxite, which are abundant in the area. Since colonial times, policing and regional control have been used by the state to exert its monopoly over mining resources.

This hasn’t changed much under the Bolivarian governments since 1998. In 2016, for example, the government launched a large-scale and widespread mining project to combat the economic crisis. This project has resulted in the increased militarisation of mining areas in the north of Bolivar and Amazonas states, near indigenous territories.

In the early 2000s, during the early years of Chavez’s revolution, the authorities’ presence in indigenous territories, such as the area of Gran Sabana – where Zoraida Rodriguez was killed during the recent unrest – was cast in a more “benevolent” light. The state still enforced its control through a heavy police presence, but a number of special programmes (misiones) were also set up by the government, which benefited many local people through goods and other forms of aid. The programmes were made possible thanks to high international oil prices, and reached remote areas of the territory which had been overlooked by previous governments.

Since the beginning of the economic crisis in 2015, however, state aid has reduced, and now reaches indigenous territories only intermittently, or not at all. The military presence, on the other hand, has increased. The result of this is a breakdown of the relationship between the Venezuelan state and indigenous people, and a return to the longstanding struggle over territory and mining resources.

The February confrontations between the military and indigenous people over the entry of US aid are symptomatic of this increasingly contentious relationship. These tensions have been exacerbated by the internal contradictions of the Bolivarian Revolution, which seemingly acknowledges indigenous people’s autonomy and rights over their lands, while simultaneously exercising control over the territory they occupy in the name of national sovereignty. And with the economy in freefall, things may only get worse.

 
(This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/venezuela-indigenous-people-are-forgotten-victims-of-crisis-115724">original article</a>)

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL.)&nbsp;

By Natalia Garcia Bonet It appeared to be a confrontation between humanitarianism and military force. In February, the Venezuelan government placed troops along the country’s border with Colombia to block the entry of humanitarian aid coming from the US and supported by the opposition leader, Juan Guaido.

By Natalia Garcia Bonet It appeared to be a confrontation between humanitarianism and military force. In February, the Venezuelan government placed troops along the country’s border with Colombia to block the entry of humanitarian aid coming from the US and supported by the opposition leader, Juan Guaido. The blockade was widely covered by the news and sparked controversy when the trucks carrying the supplies were accidentally burned during the clashes between the military and those trying to clear their passage. Similar scenes were repeated on Venezuela’s border with Brazil – albeit with even more tragic consequences. There, the military convoy sent to guard the border was stopped by the local indigenous police in the Pemon community of Kumarakapay – in the Gran Sabana national park, an area considered official indigenous territory. The military opened fire, resulting in at least two casualties. Zoraida Rodriguez – an indigenous woman – was killed in her own home. The unrest at the border between Venezuela and Brazil, however, received much less media attention than the troubles at the Colombian border – partly because events didn’t fit the western media’s dominant narratives about Venezuela. These mainly focus on the country’s failing economy, and the threat of a potential US military intervention, based on America’s historic record of involvement in other Latin American nations. In the West, the story is often portrayed as a dispute between the troubled Venezuelan government and US imperialism, assuming the Venezuelan nation is internally homogenous. But this ignores the contentious relationship that many Venezuelans, indigenous people included, have historically had with the government. A matter of sovereignty The confrontations between Pemon indigenous people and the military along the Brazilian border, then, should also be understood as an issue of sovereignty over indigenous territories. Indeed, they also stand in sharp contrast to the Venezuelan government’s own rhetoric, which positions the state as a champion of the indigenous cause. National sovereignty has been a recurrent theme of Venezuela’s Bolivarian Revolution, which was proclaimed by former president Hugo Chavez. This movement espouses socialist policies and a resistance to foreign, particularly US, interference. But the history of indigenous resistance to colonial invasion has also been used by both Chavez and his successor, Nicolas Maduro (who took power in 2013), to symbolise this defiance of foreign intervention. In 1998, Hugo Chavez gained power with the highest electoral margin in 40 years. His victory was partly because he included marginal populations, such as indigenous people, in his Bolivarian nation-building project. In fact, many indigenous peoples in Venezuela initially saw their incorporation into the Venezuelan nation as part of the Bolivarian Revolution. The 1999 constitution, for example, was the first to provide a host of rights for indigenous groups, including “native rights over the land”. In the 20 years that have elapsed since then, however, many of the state’s promises regarding indigenous people and their territories remain largely unfulfilled and disaffection among them is growing. Digging in Historically, state expansion into indigenous territories in the south of the country has been linked to natural resources, particularly gold and bauxite, which are abundant in the area. Since colonial times, policing and regional control have been used by the state to exert its monopoly over mining resources. This hasn’t changed much under the Bolivarian governments since 1998. In 2016, for example, the government launched a large-scale and widespread mining project to combat the economic crisis. This project has resulted in the increased militarisation of mining areas in the north of Bolivar and Amazonas states, near indigenous territories. In the early 2000s, during the early years of Chavez’s revolution, the authorities’ presence in indigenous territories, such as the area of Gran Sabana – where Zoraida Rodriguez was killed during the recent unrest – was cast in a more “benevolent” light. The state still enforced its control through a heavy police presence, but a number of special programmes (misiones) were also set up by the government, which benefited many local people through goods and other forms of aid. The programmes were made possible thanks to high international oil prices, and reached remote areas of the territory which had been overlooked by previous governments. Since the beginning of the economic crisis in 2015, however, state aid has reduced, and now reaches indigenous territories only intermittently, or not at all. The military presence, on the other hand, has increased. The result of this is a breakdown of the relationship between the Venezuelan state and indigenous people, and a return to the longstanding struggle over territory and mining resources. The February confrontations between the military and indigenous people over the entry of US aid are symptomatic of this increasingly contentious relationship. These tensions have been exacerbated by the internal contradictions of the Bolivarian Revolution, which seemingly acknowledges indigenous people’s autonomy and rights over their lands, while simultaneously exercising control over the territory they occupy in the name of national sovereignty. And with the economy in freefall, things may only get worse. (This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article) (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL.)

Indigenous people are forgotten victims of the ongoing crisis in Venezuela

Juventus fell behind to a first-half penalty before scoring three times after the break to beat Bologna 3-1 on Saturday and close in on their seventh successive Serie A title.

The Turin side capitalised on dreadful defending by the visitors as they moved seven points clear at the top and will clinch the title without playing on Sunday in the unlikely event that challengers Napoli loses at home to Torino.

Otherwise, they would need three more points from their last two games which include a home match against a Verona side who were relegated earlier on Saturday in a 4-1 defeat at AC Milan.

"Nothing is decided yet but this was definitely a big step in the right direction. We still need three points to be mathematically sure," said Juventus coach Massimiliano Allegri.

"We made life difficult for ourselves with that mix-up in the penalty area but, fortunately, we reacted well."

Bologna, comfortably sitting in midtable, took a shock lead in an incident which raised more questions about the use of the video assistant referee (VAR) which is being trialled in Serie A and other domestic leagues this season.

Lorenzo Crisetig was pushed over by Daniele Rugani as he intercepted a weak pass out of the goal by Gianluigi Buffon and the referee pointed to the spot amid Juventus protests.

Simone Verdi stepped up for the penalty but had to wait for three minutes as the referee checked the incident with VAR officials.

There appeared to a communication problem as the referee went over to look at the pitchside monitor himself before confirming the decision. Verdi kept his cool and virtually rolled the ball into the goal as Buffon went the wrong way.

Juve were gifted an equaliser seven minutes into the second half when Bologna's Sebastien de Maio turned Juan Cuadrado's cross into his own goal.

Emil Krafth hit the post for Bologna but the visitors were sunk by more bad defending.

Sami Khedira headed Juve in front after goalkeeper Antonio Mirante flapped half-heartedly at a long looping Douglas Costa cross from the left and Paulo Dybala swept in the third from another Costa cross after the Brazilian won an aerial battle with Vasilis Torosidis far too easily.

"We had the chance to go back in front when it was 1-1 but we were imprecise, and that is the difference between ourselves and our opponents," said Bologna coach Roberto Donadoni. "It's a lesson for the future."

Hakan Calhanoglu, Patrick Cutrone, Ignazio Abate and Fabio Borini shared the goals as Milan comfortably dispatched Verona in the early match at San Siro while Lee Seung-woo scored a consolation for the visitors.

Verona were left seven points adrift of safety with two matches to play and went straight back down after being promoted last season.

Juve were gifted an equaliser seven minutes into the second half when Bologna's Sebastien de Maio turned Juan Cuadrado's cross into his own goal

Juventus fell behind to a first-half penalty before scoring three times after the break to beat Bologna 3-1 on Saturday and close in on their seventh successive Serie A title. The Turin side capitalised on dreadful defending by the visitors as they moved seven points clear at the top and will clinch the title without playing on Sunday in the unlikely event that challengers Napoli loses at home to Torino. Otherwise, they would need three more points from their last two games which include a home match against a Verona side who were relegated earlier on Saturday in a 4-1 defeat at AC Milan. "Nothing is decided yet but this was definitely a big step in the right direction. We still need three points to be mathematically sure," said Juventus coach Massimiliano Allegri. "We made life difficult for ourselves with that mix-up in the penalty area but, fortunately, we reacted well." Bologna, comfortably sitting in midtable, took a shock lead in an incident which raised more questions about the use of the video assistant referee (VAR) which is being trialled in Serie A and other domestic leagues this season. Lorenzo Crisetig was pushed over by Daniele Rugani as he intercepted a weak pass out of the goal by Gianluigi Buffon and the referee pointed to the spot amid Juventus protests. Simone Verdi stepped up for the penalty but had to wait for three minutes as the referee checked the incident with VAR officials. There appeared to a communication problem as the referee went over to look at the pitchside monitor himself before confirming the decision. Verdi kept his cool and virtually rolled the ball into the goal as Buffon went the wrong way. Juve were gifted an equaliser seven minutes into the second half when Bologna's Sebastien de Maio turned Juan Cuadrado's cross into his own goal. Emil Krafth hit the post for Bologna but the visitors were sunk by more bad defending. Sami Khedira headed Juve in front after goalkeeper Antonio Mirante flapped half-heartedly at a long looping Douglas Costa cross from the left and Paulo Dybala swept in the third from another Costa cross after the Brazilian won an aerial battle with Vasilis Torosidis far too easily. "We had the chance to go back in front when it was 1-1 but we were imprecise, and that is the difference between ourselves and our opponents," said Bologna coach Roberto Donadoni. "It's a lesson for the future." Hakan Calhanoglu, Patrick Cutrone, Ignazio Abate and Fabio Borini shared the goals as Milan comfortably dispatched Verona in the early match at San Siro while Lee Seung-woo scored a consolation for the visitors. Verona were left seven points adrift of safety with two matches to play and went straight back down after being promoted last season.

Juventus survive fright to move close to Serie A title

Chile beat Colombia 2-0 in the Copa America semi-final on Wednesday and will face Argentina in Sunday&#39;s final after surviving a tumultuous match in Chicago that was halted for more than two hours due to a torrential rain storm. 
 
Chile were already two goals up at half time, but the second half was delayed as an electrical storm powered towards Soldier Field and drenched the stadium with rain. 
 
The teams came back to a waterlogged pitch and Colombia, who had a man sent off early in the second period, could not reduce the deficit. 
 
&quot;We played well but Chile are a very strong side,&quot; Colombian midfielder Juan Cuadrado said after the final whistle. 
 
&quot;We thought a comeback was possible but sometimes things don&#39;t work out like you want.&quot; 
 
The result takes Chile into a mouth-watering final against Argentina in New Jersey on Sunday. The game will be a repeat of last year&#39;s final in Santiago that the host nation won on penalties. 
 
The reigning champions came into the game on a high after beating Mexico 7-0 and took only six minutes to make their mark again. 
 
Former Chelsea midfielder Cuadrado misdirected a header across his own goal straight to Charles Aranguiz and the Leverkusen midfielder had the straightforward task of sidefooting past David Ospina. 
 
Chile doubled their lead four minutes later after an Alexis Sanchez shot rebounded off the post into the path of Jose Pedro Fuenzalida. 
 
With Ospina beaten, the Universidad Catolica full back scored one of the easiest goals of his career by sidefooting into the empty net. 
 
Chile, who were already missing midfielders Arturo Vidal and Marcelo Diaz, lost Pedro Pablo Hernandez after half an hour when he limped off injured and the resulting reshuffle took the wind out of their sails. 
 
Colombia came back into the game, with James Rodriguez coming close with two shots and creating chances for Roger Martinez and Edwin Carmona. 
 
However, Claudio Bravo was in fine form and it stayed 2-0 at the break. 
 
Colombia pushed on after the restart with a lively Rodriguez leading the attack but were dealt a huge blow in the 56th minute when influential midfielder Carlos Sanchez was sent off for a second yellow card offence. 
 
Colombia did not give up and came close on several occasions but conditions underfoot were difficult for both sides and the score remained 2-0. 
 
The Andean side will now play hosts United States in the third-fourth place playoff on Saturday. 
 
Argentina beat the United States 4-0 on Tuesday night to reach their second consecutive Copa America final. 
 
(Reuters)

Chile were already two goals up at half time, but the second half was delayed as an electrical storm powered towards Soldier Field

Chile beat Colombia 2-0 in the Copa America semi-final on Wednesday and will face Argentina in Sunday's final after surviving a tumultuous match in Chicago that was halted for more than two hours due to a torrential rain storm. Chile were already two goals up at half time, but the second half was delayed as an electrical storm powered towards Soldier Field and drenched the stadium with rain. The teams came back to a waterlogged pitch and Colombia, who had a man sent off early in the second period, could not reduce the deficit. "We played well but Chile are a very strong side," Colombian midfielder Juan Cuadrado said after the final whistle. "We thought a comeback was possible but sometimes things don't work out like you want." The result takes Chile into a mouth-watering final against Argentina in New Jersey on Sunday. The game will be a repeat of last year's final in Santiago that the host nation won on penalties. The reigning champions came into the game on a high after beating Mexico 7-0 and took only six minutes to make their mark again. Former Chelsea midfielder Cuadrado misdirected a header across his own goal straight to Charles Aranguiz and the Leverkusen midfielder had the straightforward task of sidefooting past David Ospina. Chile doubled their lead four minutes later after an Alexis Sanchez shot rebounded off the post into the path of Jose Pedro Fuenzalida. With Ospina beaten, the Universidad Catolica full back scored one of the easiest goals of his career by sidefooting into the empty net. Chile, who were already missing midfielders Arturo Vidal and Marcelo Diaz, lost Pedro Pablo Hernandez after half an hour when he limped off injured and the resulting reshuffle took the wind out of their sails. Colombia came back into the game, with James Rodriguez coming close with two shots and creating chances for Roger Martinez and Edwin Carmona. However, Claudio Bravo was in fine form and it stayed 2-0 at the break. Colombia pushed on after the restart with a lively Rodriguez leading the attack but were dealt a huge blow in the 56th minute when influential midfielder Carlos Sanchez was sent off for a second yellow card offence. Colombia did not give up and came close on several occasions but conditions underfoot were difficult for both sides and the score remained 2-0. The Andean side will now play hosts United States in the third-fourth place playoff on Saturday. Argentina beat the United States 4-0 on Tuesday night to reach their second consecutive Copa America final. (Reuters)

Copa America Centenario report: Chile beats Colombia 2-0 to set up final against Argentina

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Indigenous people are forgotten victims of the ongoing crisis in Venezuela

Juventus survive fright to move close to Serie A title

Copa America Centenario report: Chile beats Colombia 2-0 to set up final against Argentina