What's true and what's not in Venezuela: A recent report from on the ground in Caracas

The political situation in Venezuela is a subject of extremely polarized debate which will likely continue for many months, if not years.

The legitimacy of President Maduro is still in dispute, people are starving and leaving the country. It's a country in crisis, that much can be agreed upon. But it can be hard to find the middle ground between the different points of view regarding the reasons for the crisis. Today's interview guest walks that middle line well. Yes, there is a humanitarian crisis in Venezuela. Few people would say that's not true. But the reasons for it are not being told in the media, except in the progressive press.

Dimitri Lascaris is a lawyer, journalist and activist best known for his support of justice for Palestine. In July 2016, he retired from the full time practice of law in order to devote more time to activism and journalism. Among other things, he is now a correspondent and board member of The Real News Network.

He went on a fact-finding mission to Caracas for The Real News from February 1-8, 2019 to talk to to both the supporters and the critics of Nicolas Maduro.

This interview is by Dave Kattenburg of The Green Blues Show, a music and social justice podcast produced in Winnipeg by The Green Planet Monitor.

Disclosure – One of Dimitri Lascaris current cases is a lawsuit against the Liquor Control Board of Ontario over the sale of two wines produced in Israel's illegal settlements. Those wines are sold in Canada bearing labels which, the plaintiffs say, falsely proclaim them to be "Product of Israel". David Kattenburg is the man who has filed the lawsuit against the LCBO. He is also a close friend of Lascaris but they don't work together on cases related to Venezuela.

Image: Dimitri Lascaris in Caracas. Used with permission of Dimitri Lascaris

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