Venezuela “deeply troubled” by arrest of US reporter

[bemildred]

CARACAS - President Hugo Chavez’s government said on Friday it was concerned about the plight of a US reporter under house arrest for refusing to reveal a confidential source to a judge.

“There is a very deep concern within the Venezuelan government,” Information Minister Andres Izarra told reporters.

“We are stunned,” he said: “deeply troubled,” borrowing the latter phrase—in English—from US State Department deputy spokesman Adam Ereli.

Ereli recently used the phrase to describe the US position on a new Venezuelan law regulating the content of radio and television. The United States said it feared the law could censor the electronic media, which largely oppose Chavez.

Khaleej Times

[impeach the gop]

1. Touche!!!!

Viva Chavez!!!!!!

I LOVE it when the CHICKEN HAWKS come home to roost!!! Payback
is a Mudder, ain't it :)

Nah Nah Nah Nah Nah!!!

Oops, pardon me. Weak moment. Mustn't enjoy the bushtista meltdown.
LOL

[Minstrel Boy]

2. This is the Golden Age of Irony.

Everything else may be turning to shit, but at least we have that. :)

[apple_ridge]

3. Amen to that!

[Chicago Democrat]

4. Yes, nihilism can be fun!

[Bono71]

5. Judi Lynn, AP...I am on record as a less than enthusiastic

Chavez supporter (which you know since we have gone a few rounds)...

But dog-gone-it, that is funny as hell. Good for him.

[Judi Lynn]

6. People as rigid as the Bush clan make taking shots at them irresistable!

It really was just about perfect!

Posting a link published yesterday:

CIA Documents Cast New Light on Washington's Role in Venezuela

Friday, Dec 10, 2004 Print format
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By: Mark Weisbrot - Center for Economic and Policy Research

WASHINGTON. When it comes to Venezuela's rocky diplomatic relations with the United States, Venezuela's President Hugo Chavez is usually given the blame. His frequent denunciations of U.S. "intervention" in Venezuela are taken as indications that he is hostile to America.

But the evidence is mounting that Washington is the party responsible for friction with our third largest oil supplier. Last week the New York Times reported on recently released CIA documents showing that our government had advance knowledge of the military coup that briefly overthrew Venezuela's democratic government on April 11-13 of 2002. The Bush Administration not only failed to warn Venezuela of the coup, but actually pretended that it wasn't a coup at all.

"They lied about not knowing about coup threats before April 11th, and when they claimed that the coup was a popular uprising when they knew that it was actually being planned for weeks," said U.S. Congressman Jose Serrano of New York City today.

The documents (available at http://www.venezuelafoia.info/CIA/CIA-index.htm), show clearly that the White House knew that there were detailed plans for a coup in April, that these plans included arresting the President, and that "to provoke military action, the plotters might try to exploit unrest stemming from opposition demonstrations." That is exactly what happened on April 11.

Yet on April 12, White House spokesman Ari Fleischer gave the coup leaders' version of events -- that violence at the demonstrations had led to Chavez' "resignation," and that the government was responsible for the violence. "The results of these events are now that President Chavez has resigned the presidency. Before resigning, he dismissed the vice president and the cabinet, and a transitional civilian government has been installed."
(snip/...)

http://www.venezuelanalysis.com/articles.php?artno=1333



"I hear there's rumors on the internets."

[HuckleB]

7. One more single act among many that ought to mean impeachment for *.

Why aren't we in the streets when we hear about these things? And, yeah, I know I'm hypocritical in asking that question, sitting by my fireplace reading a book and watching a movie on this rainy December night.

Still, ugh. Thanks for sharing the link.

[juliagoolia]

8. MY Elderly Mothers was Stomping mad about this one and wants to know

When we are going to take to the streets over this. She is saying we can't wait four more years or there will not be a press at all by then.

She is right, Venezuela is right.

We need to pitch a hissy fit over the press!