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With 184 socialist communes in construction in Venezuela, yesterday, during his weekly TV show Alo Presidente, president Hugo Chavez emphasised the need for “production independent of the capitalist market” in these communes.

Dwarfing recent opposition protests, more than 100,000 supporters of Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez marched in the Venezuelan capital, Caracas, yesterday in defence of the ‘Bolivarian Revolution’.

Venezuela celebrated eleven years since President Hugo Chavez was first elected in 1998 on the back of a wave of popular rebellion against neo-liberalism in the Latin American country, signifying for many the beginning of what is referred to as the “Bolivarian Revolution.”

On Sunday Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez announced the creation of a special fund of $1 billion for the strengthening of the national electricity system; implementing 59 generation and distribution projects, and 50 operation and maintenance projects.

Following a range of sometimes violent protests across the country last week over the temporary suspension of TV station RCTV, as well as one protest last Monday in Merida which left two youths dead, Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez has called for calm.

Venezuela’s National Telecommunications Commission CONATEL has lifted the suspension of four of the television stations that were suspended for failing to comply with Venezuela’s radio and television social responsibility law.

According to a recently released UNESCO report on education, Venezuela’s number of children enrolled in school has significantly increased over the last 10 years, and its Education for all Development Index (EDI) has also increased considerably. Venezuela’s education minister welcomed the findings but said some of the data was inaccurate as it did not include any of the social missions.

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez announced the appointment of a new Vice-President, Defence Minister, and Environment Minister shortly after three ministers resigned on Monday.

On Monday, violent protests against the temporary suspension of cable channels that violated media social responsibility laws in Venezuela left one pro-government and one opposition student dead, more than twenty police injured, and parts of downtown Merida burnt and damaged, while peaceful protests occurred in other major cities.

President Hugo Chavez on Monday said that Petrocaribe, Venezuela's cut-rate regional energy alliance, will forgive quake-stricken Haiti's debt, AFP reported.