I interviewed a prominent academic who is a profound critic of the Venezuelan government, and in contrast a strong academic supporter. The conversations were relaxed, open and I believe worthwhile.There is no serious dispute that the Venezuelan government shifted to some degree towards economic liberalism under President Maduro. The question is to what extent this was an unavoidable response to crippling economic and financial sanctions, and whether there is still a socialist trajectory. There are several more videos from my time in Venezuela still in production, which embody much of what I learnt, and after publishing them over the next few days I shall publish an article giving my considered reflections on the country.As ever we need to spread the load and please we are looking primarily to those who have never donated or contributed before. Our Gofundme link for the Venezuelan operation is here:This is the same crowdfunding account we used for Lebanon so discount the first 35,000 raised as it was spent in Lebanon.Anybody is welcome to republish and reuse, including in translation.Because some people wish an alternative to PayPal, I have set up new methods of subscription payment including a Patreon account and a Substack account if you wish to subscribe that way. The content will be the same as you get on this blog. Substack has the advantage of overcoming social media suppression by emailing you direct every time I post. You can if you wish subscribe free to Substack and use the email notifications as a trigger to come for this blog and read the articles for free. I am determined to maintain free access for those who cannot afford a subscription.Subscriptions to keep this blog going are gratefully received.Choose subscription amount from dropdown box:Recurring Donations3 Pounds : 3.00 GBP – monthly5 Pounds : 5.00 GBP – monthly10 Pounds : 10.00 GBP – monthly15 Pounds : 15.00 GBP – monthly20 Pounds : 20.00 GBP – monthly30 Pounds : 30.00 GBP – monthly50 Pounds : 50.00 GBP – monthly70 Pounds : 70.00 GBP – monthly100 Pounds : 100.00 GBP – monthlyPayPal address for one-off donations: craigmurray1710@btinternet.comAlternatively by bank transfer or standing order:Account nameMURRAY CJAccount number 3 2 1 5 0 9 6 2Sort code 6 0 – 4 0 – 0 5IBAN GB98NWBK60400532150962BIC NWBKGB2LBank address NatWest, PO Box 414, 38 Strand, London, WC2H 5JBBitcoin: bc1q3sdm60rshynxtvfnkhhqjn83vk3e3nyw78cjx9Ethereum/ERC-20: 0x764a6054783e86C321Cb8208442477d24834861aVenezuela GoFundMe The post Has Venezuela Abandoned Socialism? appeared first on Craig Murray.