The man from Venezuela said "NO!", now he's got to go!

Greg Palast Wrote this :

www.alternet.org...

Washing has alredy tried the Nicaragua tactic on them:

Around christmas 2003 there were reports from columbia that marxist rebels were being supported from across the venezuelan border...


Then there was the propaganda manipulation of the TV footage of the riots, wich were grossly misrepresentative of the actual situation in Caracas at the time.

And it goes on and on. Only beacuse Chavez was one of the few leaders in Latin America to say no to the NAFTA. They don't like this kind of attitude in Washington.
How dare they do what best for THEM and not whats best for US!

They prefer what's called pragmatism (read: accepting that the US is is bigger and badder that you'll ever be so be "pragmatic" and accept our demands), this word "pragmatism" when applied by the US in context of their foreign policy always comes down to mean "doing as we say".

Oh and i found this on www.gregpalast.com (another great journalist along the lines of G.Monbiot)

www.gregpalast.com...


[edit on 12/8/2004 by Corinthas]

You can go to this site here that documents contributions to opponents of Chavez from the National Endowment for Democracy (NED):

venezuelafoia.info...

They have a lot of documents there obtained under the freedom of information act.

IRI: International Republican Institute (�IRI�): A U.S. based non-governmental entity founded upon suggestion by former President Ronald Reagan, the IRI is a major recipient of NED funds for various projects around the world. In March 2002, just one month before the April 2002 coup d�etat, IRI received an impressive $300,000 grant from the NED for �Strengthening Political Parties� in Venezuela. IRI received an additional $116,000 in February 2003, at the culmination of the 64-day opposition imposed lockout that devastated the Venezuelan economy. One of the main political parties participating in both the coup and the lockout, Primero Justicia, is a major benefactor of IRI funds. IRI�s massive financing for its Venezuelan projects has almost exclusively been funneled into developing and strengthening political parties to oppose the Ch�vez Administration. IRI also maintains close contact with the U.S. Embassy, which has also been a backer of the opposition�s undemocratic tactics.

S�mate
S�mate The NED awarded a significant $53,400 grant to the Venezuelan group, S�mate, in September 2003, for the sole purpose of promoting a campaign for a recall referendum on President Ch�vez�s mandate. S�mate was established solely with the objective of removing President Ch�vez from office prematurely through a recall referendum, and has no credentials or history to evidence its accomplishments or democratic ideals. Nevertheless, the NED willingly handed S�mate the $53,400 needed to fund the entire referendum campaign and to develop propaganda encourage Venezuelans to vote against Ch�vez.

It's this type of intervention that breeds distrust and resentment toward the US. Venezuela is a democratic country and they should be allowed to handle their affairs internally.

BTW, I like the Chavez playing card you posted.
I especially this quote from a Whitehouse official:
"just because you win a majority of the vote doesn't make your government legitimate"

Sounds like an attitude some have in Washington.

Yes the card was kinda good, huh?

What a comment that was!

Here's another article on the NED funding:

LA Times Article
CARACAS, Venezuela - As this bitterly divided nation approaches a vote Sunday on whether to recall populist President Hugo Chavez, he and his supporters are accusing Washington of interfering in Venezuela's affairs by providing about $2 million to opposition groups.

Grants from the National Endowment for Democracy to more than a dozen organizations over two years account for only a fraction of opposition funding. But because some members of the U.S.-supported groups have ties to the opponents who briefly deposed Chavez in April 2002, the former paratrooper contends that the funding backs another effort to oust him.

"Washington has been financing the opposition with millions, including for this referendum," Chavez said during a news conference Thursday at the presidential palace.

We'll find out on Sundday how the vote went.
Hopefully he wont be recalled.
If he is, I think you'll see oil go well above $50.

Originally posted by Corinthas
Yes the card was kinda good, huh?

What a comment that was!

Yes Its almost as good a classic quote as the US State Department's 1990's description for the Ugandan regime of the time (which they were in favor of): they called it a uni-party democracy.

Thanks for finding this!

U.

[edit on 13-8-2004 by upuaut]