Clifton Ross: Conversation in Miami

I left the U.S. for Venezuela two days after the United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV) held a national vote for candidates in which nearly three million militants participated. In a country of roughly 26 million, three million militants in any party is a significant showing, especially if one considers that the party has 6 million members and many of the most militant revolutionaries of the country prefer to remain outside of the party structure. Many find it puzzling that the Socialist Spanish government maintains what might be described as icy relations with Socialists of Venezuela. According to a recent poll in Spain, as reported on May 30 by UPI, “The survey of 2,500 Spaniards in 2007 found the leftist Chavez ranks first among major world leaders the Spanish do not care for, ahead of the U.S. president and Cuba's former leader Fidel Castro.”