Background reports on Venezuela from "The Real News"

"Venezuela is Latin America's biggest exporter of crude oil and has the world's largest petroleum reserves." - Brian Ellsworth and Andrew Cawthorne, Venezuela death toll rises to 13 as protests flare Reuters 02/24/2014

The Real News is running a series on Venezuela featuring commentary and analysis by Edgardo Lander, a professor of sociology at the Universidad Central de Venezuela in Caracas. These are the first four installments:

From Exile to Radicalization in Venezuela - Edgardo Lander on Reality Asserts Itself (1/8) 04/10/2014:

The Modern History of Venezuela from 1908 to 1973 - Edgardo Lander on Reality Asserts Itself (2/8) 04/13/2014. This one talks about how Venezuela's status as a petrostate has shaped the country's internal politics for decades:

The Modern History of Venezuela from 1973 to the Caracazo Massacre - Edgardo Lander on RAI (3/8) 04/14/2014:

The Beginning of the Chavez Era - Edgardo Lander on Reality Asserts Itself (4/8) 04/11/2014:

Tags: venezuela