US State Dept's Roger Noriega Says Venezuela Could Soon be "Hopeless"

[chlamor]

US State Dept.’s Roger Noriega Says Venezuela Could Soon be “Hopeless”


Thursday, Mar 10, 2005

By: Gregory Wilpert – Venezuelanalysis.com

Caracas, Venezuela, March 10, 2005—During a hearing at the U.S. House of Representatives, Roger Noriega, the Assistant Secretary of State for Western Hemisphere Affairs, said that Chavez’s “efforts to concentrate power at home, his suspect relationship with destabilizing forces in the region, and his plans for arms purchases are causes of major concern.”

Noriega went on to say that the U.S. government “will support democratic elements in Venezuela so they can fill the political space to which they are entitled.” He did not specify what form this support would take, but recent investigations have shown that the U.S. Congress, via the National Endowment for Democracy and the US Agency for International Development is spending an average of $5 million per year to support opposition groups in Venezuela.

With regard to Venezuela’s neighbors, Noriega explained that the administration wants them to “understand the stakes involved and the implications of President Chavez’s professed desire to spread his ‘Bolivarian’ revolution.” According to Noreiga, “Should the United States and Venezuela’s neighbors ignore President Chavez’s questionable affinity for democratic principles we could soon wind up with a poorer, less free, and hopeless Venezuela that seeks to export its failed model to other countries in the region.”

http://venezuelanalysis.com/news.php?newsno=1541

[VegasWolf]

1. Or, Venezuela, could be incredibly rich with the OIL deals that

they are striking up with the non boosh countries!

[Say_What]

2. BROWNFIELD Background: John Negroponte, William Brownfield and Death S

Brownfield, US ambassador to Venezuela: "people who hate the United States must be controlled, arrested or eliminated."

<clips>

John Negroponte, William Brownfield and Death Squads Inc.

...In El Salvador, one player stands out from the rest, the current ambassador to Venezuela, William Brownfield. He played a decisive role along with John Negroponte as a political officer in the embassy cover-up of U.S. involvement in the assassination Archbishop Oscar Romero. He also worked to cover up the murder of the four American Maryknoll nuns and other nuns escaping the violence there. Brownfield also played a key role in directing the death squads and El Salvadorean military, who butchered tens of thousands of trade unionists and members of the FMLN. The death squads did not just kill these people, but in a lot of cases they dismembered them and placed their heads on poles as a warning to the rest of the population.

In Venezuela, ambassador Brownfield has been brought in as a relief pitcher to former ambassador Robert Shapiro, himself no stranger to coups. Shapiro helped in the staging of the April 2002 coup against President Chavez and the destabilization programs that followed. He was also involved in the CIA-backed murderous overthrow of Chilean President Salvador Allende in September of 1973, and death of thousands of people under a military dictatorship that lasted a decade.

In fact, William Brownfield, as ambassador to Chile on the anniversary of the overthrow of that government in 2003, stated publicly in a memorial service that "people who hate the United States must be controlled, arrested or eliminated."

Brownfield's game plan for Venezuela is to unite the opposition, the 400 U.S. corporations, and the fifth-columnists and create an atmosphere for the overthrow of the Bolivarian Revolution. He along with Negroponte will be at the forefront in trying to stop the flowering of the Latin American and World revolutions that we find ourselves in this epoch.

http://www.handsoffvenezuela.org/john_negroponte_william_brownfield_and_death_squads_inc.htm

[Say_What]

3. Rice: US Not Seeking Confrontation With Venezuela's Chavez (PUKE ALERT)

more information at this thread as well...

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x1298676

[RDANGELO]

4. wow

I just finished reading "Confessions of an Economic Hit Man" by John Perkins. Anyone who wants to know what is really going on should read this. The US corporations are trying to get control of the oil. Chavez must have a lot of loyal people around him to last as long as he has.

[DURHAM D]

5. So, the jackals are not successful - send in our military. n/t

[seemslikeadream]

6. Today in Paris Sincor II has been born

Chávez strikes oil deal with France-based Total

Operating under new Venezuelan oil royalty laws, Europe's Total hopes to increase the output of heavy crude from the South American nation.

Total SA, Europe's third-largest oil company, will begin talks next week with Venezuela for a $5 billion expansion of a heavy-oil joint venture in the South American country, Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez said.

Total agreed to create the venture under Venezuela's new oil law and pay a higher royalty, Chávez said in a televised press briefing after meeting French industrialists in Paris. Venezuela is the world's fifth-largest oil exporter.

''We have given the green light'' to expand the Sincor venture, Chávez said. ``Today in Paris Sincor II has been born.''

Total is moving ahead with the project while rival Exxon Mobil Corp. of Irving, Texas, challenges Venezuela's October decision to raise royalties on four heavy-oil joint ventures. Chávez said the country was within its rights to raise the royalty rate to 16.67 percent from 1 percent without consulting its foreign partners.

http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/business/internati...

[chlamor]

10. Chavez increased oil royalties from 1% to 16.66%-Exxon Mobil pissed

Caracas, Venezuela, February 28, 2005—Exxon Mobil, the world’s largest corporation, is considering arbitration to challenge Venezuela’s recent increase of oil royalties from 1% to 16.66%, according to a report by the Reuters news agency. The increased royalties are expected to raise oil revenue for the Venezuelan state from $46 million to over $750 million.

Last October the Chavez government decided to raise oil royalties, the percentage of oil an oil company is required to give to the Venezuelan state. According to government spokespersons at the time, the royalty increase was justified because, first, the projects for which the 1% royalty had been negotiated had matured and, second, because the price of oil had reached historical heights that made such an increase affordable.

<snip>

Last week Exxon Mobil said that it was interested in meeting with PDVSA President and Oil and Energy Minister Rafael Ramirez, but Ramirez turned down the request, saying that the decision to raise royalties would not be changed.

Earlier in the month, the other oil companies involved in similar projects which had their royalties raised, said that they would not challenge the royalty increase. Reuters reports that analysts speculate that the reason Exxon Mobil is challenging the increase is because it has less to lose than the other companies, since its Venezuelan project represents only a small fraction of its total worldwide operations.

http://venezuelanalysis.com/news.php?newsno=1527

[Say_What]

11. Exxon is the ONLY oil company challenging the tax hike...

[punpirate]

7. Translation:

"efforts to concentrate power at home, his suspect relationship with destabilizing forces in the region, and his plans for arms purchases are causes of major concern."

Concentrating power at home=building an electoral base by treating peasants well and foreign oil companies not so well.

Suspect relationship with destabilizing forces=trading oil for medical services with Cuba.

Arms purchases are causes of major concern=Chavez bought weapons from Russia instead of us.

These idiots are so friggin' transparent, it's laughable.

[Media_Lies_Daily]

8. Oh, brother. They trot that same old rhetoric out with every new enemy...

...don't they ever get tired of hearing themselves repeat the same old crap?

[firefox]

9. We hate them for their democracy

Noriega thinks that South America should take their raping at the hands of U.S. imperialism like they have for a hundred years.

The source of this- http://www.venezuelanalysis.com/ - is really a very good website to counter the mass media that represents the wealthy. It is worthy of a bookmark. Reading about Venezuela there and http://www.narconews.com/ and http://www.zmag.org just shows the lies we are told by our government and the importance of controlling the media everywhere possible.

[Zerex71]

12. They're readying the sniper rifles as we speak.

Check the other DU threads on this.

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

13. -snip-

*Chimp's* “efforts to concentrate power at home, his suspect relationship with destabilizing forces in the region, and his plans for arms purchases are causes of major concern.”

[IndianaGreen]

14. "the political space..." to which the elites are entitled

as opposed to what they failed to win at the ballot box. Freedom and democracy are just empty slogans to the Bush regime. If the people choose someone like Chavez, we try to topple that government replacing it with one to our liking.

[The Magistrate]

15. This, Sir, Is unusually Nonesensical Even By Noriega's Standard

Col. Chavez was elected to office, and retained in office by a rewsounding majority in a referendum of recall. Why those who oppose him should receive the title "democratic elements" escapes me, unless one accepts the meaning of "democratic elements" is "those elements that support, and are supported by, the current regime in Washington." Doubtless that is the usage Noriega intends, though just as doubtless he hopes those who hear him will continue to use the commonly accepted usage, "those elements that wish the government to reflect the people's desires," when they hear him....

[IndianaGreen]

16. Attention American Embassy in Caracas!

We are watching you!

If any of you engage in another Allende-style coup, you can rest assured that your names will be posted all over the internet as the criminals you all are.

Hitler thought the Third Reich would last for a 1,000 years. He was mistaken, just as the American Hitler Bush is sorely mistaken if he thinks he can place his jackboot on the entire world.

To express your displeasure at the US Embassy in Caracas:

http://www.embajadausa.org.ve/acs.html

Note: They ignored my e-mails during the last coup, just as they will ignore the one I sent them last week, but they are on notice that there are people in the US that are writing down names of those officials that play golpista games.

On edit:

You will find this rather unique webpage that the US Embassy maintains to inform people of the upcoming coup:

http://www.embajadausa.org.ve/situation.html

[go west young man]

17. Man the U.S. has a weak hand nowadays...

Every country in the world knows that Chavez is actually using the oil money to pay for programs for the poor. He was elected not once but twice. The U.S. tried to perform a coup and it failed and that Chavez is famous in his own country for being a cop who actually killed the most wanted drug baron in Venezuela. Why would anyone in their right mind want to depose him? Because we are greedy, deceitful, oil loving fat cats who have no respect for true democracy. We are like a desperate drug addict trying to get a fix. We are lashing out at someone we have screwed over and they are taking the thing we are addicted to away from us. Bush deserves whatever he gets. If he kills or overthrows Chavez the U.S. will continue to cement its reputation as a deranged oil addict with no real concern for the rest of the world.

[not fooled]

19. but...but...

why do you hate America?? (standard answer from kool-aid drinkers to anyone who points out facts and states the truth)
:eyes:

[magellan]

18. CHAVEZ'S questionable affinity for democratic principles?

My goodness, is there anyone in this administration who doesn't possess an ironic wit?

Democracy: the remaining obstacle to unfettered elitist Corporatism.

[FlemingsGhost]

20. That's spook-speak for "target."

Here's hoping Castro taught Hugo well ...

[struggle4progress]

21. The Ownership Society: "We don't play well with others."

[leesa]

22. Venezuela's gonna be in a LOT better shape than the US

Go Chavez!

[seemslikeadream]

23. Roger Noriega at the Haiti hearing

Ms. WATERS. Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman. I thank you for allowing those of us who are not Members of the Committee to be here today. I want you to know that several of you, including you, Mr. Chairman, have said that it is a fabrication that he was forced out, that there was no coup d'etat, he was not kidnapped.

I talked to President Aristide this morning. He called me, and he maintained that he was forced out, he was literally kidnapped, he did not go of his own will, so I want to put that on the record.

Secondly, I want to put on the record that I have been to Haiti three times since January 1, and I have met with the opposition, that is, Mr. Apaid, Jr., and some of those from the committee of 184 and talked to many people about what was going on.

In addition to that, I was in Haiti a week ago this past Saturday where you came and led the delegation of the international community, where Mr. Aristide signed off on the CARICOM proposal. So I want to put that on the record.

But I am very interested in some things that you have said, and I do want yes or no answers. Don't take up my time.

I want to know, you have said that you have no responsibility to protect a Head of State. Are you going to protect the new Chief Justice that was just sworn in, who is now the Head of State of Haiti, or not?

Page 116 PREV PAGE TOP OF DOC

Mr. NORIEGA. We believe that he is part of this——



We believe that he is part of the interim government that will govern Haiti during the political transition period, that is, before free and fair elections are held to put a new permanent government in place. We have to make sure that the political transition is effective and democratic, so yes, we will protect him.

Aristide was protected by a private security firm, paid for by the Haitian government. He had security protection throughout all of the events preceding his resignation. His security detail went to the airport with him, and boarded the plane as well.

President Alexandre does not have the advantage of a private security firm, which the interim government cannot afford, and the Haitian National Police are incapable at this point. As the police force and Haiti's interim government become stronger, Haiti's domestic security forces will become responsible for protecting high-level officials.

Ms. WATERS. Are you going to protect him or not, yes, or no.

Mr. NORIEGA. Yes, we are, because he is part of a sustainable political solution.


Page 117 PREV PAGE TOP OF DOC
Ms. WATERS. Did you refuse to protect Mr. Aristide, who was then the Head of State? So you have a different standard for these two; is that correct?

That is all I want to know, yes or no.

Mr. NORIEGA. These are very different men and very different political solutions.

Ms. WATERS. So, yes, for the chief justice; no, for Mr. Aristide.

So you don't have a policy that is consistent about having no responsibility to protect Head of State.

Mr. NORIEGA. That is not what I said the policy was, ma'am. You are misstating what the policy was.



That is not what I said the policy was, ma'am. You are misstating what the policy was. Interim President Alexandre is a vital part of the transition to a democratic Haiti through free and fair elections. For the transition to be successful, he has to be protected from harm. Issues concerning protection for Aristide before his resignation were different. He had his own private security detail, paid for by the Haitian government. President Alexandre does not have such protection, because the interim government can't afford to pay for it and Haiti's domestic security forces are too weak now. As a matter of policy, we protect President Alexandre because the future of democracy in Haiti depends on it, and we can arrange this protection under the umbrella of stability that the Multinational Interim Force provides. Before his resignation, Aristide had his own personal protection, not to mention the pro-Aristide armed gangs standing between him and the insurgents. We did not need to give Aristide protection.

Page 118 PREV PAGE TOP OF DOC

Ms. WATERS. Let's go on to the next question.

Mr. Noriega, people are assuming that you knew——

Mr. NORIEGA. You are misstating what the policy is.

Ms. WATERS . That the so-called ''rebels,'' who they were. I just want some yes or no answers.

Did you know about the history of Louis-Jodel Chamblain? Did you know that he was the right hand of Emmanuel Constant, who is now up in New York; and did you know that he had murdered Mr. Antoine Izmery, along with thousands of other Haitians? Did you know that before they reentered Haiti in this last coup d'etat that took place? Did you know about him? Had you ever heard about him and his history?

Mr. NORIEGA. Yes, I have.

Ms. WATERS. Have you ever met him?

Mr. NORIEGA. No.

Ms. WATERS. Did you know about Mr. Guy Philippe? Did you know that he was a convicted drug dealer and that he attempted a coup on President Aristide in 2002, and that he is responsible for killing 26 members of Lavalas. Had you heard about him before he entered Gonaives?

Page 119 PREV PAGE TOP OF DOC

Mr. NORIEGA. I had heard of him, but not——



I had heard of him, but not of any specific allegations about the activities you mention. We knew that Philippe was in the Dominican Republic. We also knew that in 2003 armed groups were attacking government facilities in the central plateau region, but we had no information connecting Philippe to these attacks.

Ms. WATERS. You knew about his history as a convicted drug dealer?

Mr. NORIEGA. I did not know the details of that.

Ms. WATERS. Did you know that he had been a killer, that he was accused of killing?

Mr. NORIEGA. I do not know any details that——



I do not know any details that would link Philippe to accusations of involvement in killings. Of course, I know from the media that he was one of several leaders of so-called rebel gangs that were involved in political violence, including killing. I also am aware of accusations of his involvement in other forms of criminality.

Page 120 PREV PAGE TOP OF DOC

Ms. WATERS. Did you know that he was in exile?

Mr. NORIEGA. I do not know the details.

Ms. WATERS. Do you know that he was in exile?

Mr. NORIEGA. I knew that he was in exile, yes.

Ms. WATERS. Did you know that he had returned and he was up in Gonaives and Cap Haitien?

Mr. NORIEGA. I knew that he returned; I saw it on television.

Ms. WATERS. Did you know about Mr. Jean Tatoune and did you know that he was a member of FRAPH, and did you know about him before he came back into the country?

Mr. NORIEGA. No, I have never heard of him.

Ms. WATERS. Had you heard that he was involved in the massacre at Raboteau?

Mr. NORIEGA. I had heard of that incident.


Page 121 PREV PAGE TOP OF DOC
Ms. WATERS. Had you met Mr. Guy Philippe before he returned to Haiti?

Mr. NORIEGA. No, I have never met him.

Ms. WATERS. Did you ever met Mr. Emmanuel Constant?

Mr. NORIEGA. No, I have not.

Ms. WATERS. Did you know that he was the head of FRAPH?

Mr. NORIEGA. I have heard that.

Ms. WATERS. Did you know that Mr. Chamblain was his right hand?

Mr. NORIEGA. I have heard that from you folks.

Ms. WATERS. Did you know that Mr. Constant was hired and worked for the CIA?

Mr. NORIEGA. No, I don't know that.

Ms. WATERS. It was in the public domain. It was in the papers. You never knew it? You never heard it?


Page 122 PREV PAGE TOP OF DOC
You are not sworn in, but you are on record. Did you know that Mr. Constant worked for the CIA?

Mr. NORIEGA. Ma'am, I am telling you, we don't generally comment on these things, but I do not know that.

Ms. WATERS. You do not generally—you are qualifying your statement.

Mr. NORIEGA. I am telling you that——

Ms. WATERS. What you are telling me is, you don't want to tell me that you know.

Mr. NORIEGA. I am trying to tell you, but you won't give me an opportunity.



I am trying to tell you, but you won't give me an opportunity. I am telling you that I have no knowledge that Constant in fact worked for the CIA. I believe that when he first came to the U.S., he claimed that he had worked for the CIA, but that is all I know.

Ms. WATERS. Okay. I think I know enough.

Page 123 PREV PAGE TOP OF DOC

Now, you knew that these thugs had returned and that they had taken over Gonaives and Cap Haitien. Did you at any time publicly denounce the thugs that you knew were thugs before they came in and invaded Haiti? Did you ever denounce them?

Mr. NORIEGA. We said that these people should have no business in the political process and they should lay down their arms.

Ms. WATERS. Did you ever attempt to make them lay down their arms or to tell them that they were in exile, they were crooks and criminals and that they should not be in that country?

Mr. NORIEGA. They shouldn't be in Haiti. We have told them they should lay down their arms and go home. These violent folks have no——



They shouldn't be in Haiti. We have told them they should lay down their arms and go home. One of our guiding principles for engagement in Haiti is that power will not be turned over to those who have participated in political violence, including irregular armed groups. Another principle is that Haitian citizens will be held accountable for past crimes through the system of justice, not through revenge.

Ms. WATERS. But you did nothing to enforce it?

Page 124 PREV PAGE TOP OF DOC

Mr. NORIEGA. We are doing that now, ma'am.

Ms. WATERS. Yes, after the fact. After the fact, the same crooks and criminals and thugs and killers that you knew were in the country, that you did nothing to intervene with, you are now, after the fact, saying they should leave; is that right?

http://commdocs.house.gov/committees/intlrel/hfa92343.000/hfa92343_0f.htm

[bemildred]

24. Can we run her for the Senate? nt