By Christian Marx

Once again mainstream media is lying and omitting key information in the ongoing situation in Venezuela. The manufactured narrative is all about blaming the Maduro government for the food shortages. However the real truth is buried under a mountain of US centric propaganda. Independent media is far closer to the truth.

First for those who are unaware of the current problem of food shortages in Venezuela and its recent history, here is a brief outline. Since the right wing government fell in 1998 and Hugo Chavez became the democratically elected president, the wealthy 1% and their CIA allies have continuously tried to destroy the government. Chavez himself was kidnapped by the rabid right in 2002. They could not tolerate his support for the poor and were concerned their profits were at risk. This coup d`etat lasted for less than 48 hours, with the majority of the army, being loyal to the socialist government.

This latest food crisis is entirely the making of wealthy right-wing business owners in Venezuela, intentionally starving their own people, in order to sell their stock at higher prices to neighbouring countries. It has also been revealed that many opposition controlled, foreign offshore companies have been re-directing imports of food from the public sector to the private sector.

The propaganda from western media is sadly a regular occurrence whenever a socialist government is under attack around the world. Blatant lies and misinformation are the order of the day. Corporate owned media will do everything in their power to try and dissuade the people of their own countries to dismiss socialism. Why? Because if the majority knew the truth and how much socialism has benefitted the poor and the middle class in South America, the majority would demand the system of Neoliberalism is abolished in Western countries.

One just has to see the blatant smear campaign against Western politicians who dare fight for the rights of the many against the few. The disgusting smear campaign against Jeremy Corbyn was blatant, particularly from the convicted phone hacker and war monger, Rupert Murdoch. Imagine the lies being told about foreign countries, if the media is so dishonest in covering even the left wing leaders of the West!

Fearless investigative journalists such as Abby Martin have made an effort to go into Venezuela itself and do some real research. Meanwhile the usual group of sock puppets, pump out opinion pieces from their computers in the U.S and Australia, having never even set foot in Venezuela.

Western media also continue to avoid reporting on the four fundamental improvements to the lives of Venezuelans. These are healthcare, housing, education and civil rights. In a country racked by US Imperialist intervention and right wing sabotage, these gains are remarkable and put our own countries to shame. For example, while increased housing and healthcare are on the rise in Latin American countries such as Venezuela, our own country, Australia is actively trying to destroy universal healthcare and our subsidized housing is now virtually nonexistent.

Once again, the capitalist/Neoliberal paradigm is one of obfuscation, smears and the omission of facts. The western press has been spinning these lies and deceptions from Vietnam to Chile, and increasingly even in their own countries against left wing leaders who want to tackle the corrupt status quo and the evil geed of the 1%. It is high time that corporate owned media was put out of its misery. Their blatant bias and extreme Neoliberal agenda will seal their own demise. Thank goodness for the internet and Independent, citizen funded media. Truth is the mightiest hammer. Seek it out and bin the highly paid liars of the establishment!