Chavez extends his influence to Mercosur

[bemildred]

Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez arrived late Tuesday night in Montevideo as part of a brief visit to the “Southern axis” which includes Uruguay, Argentina and Brazil where he’s scheduled to sign several bilateral trade and integration agreements.

---

Uruguayan authorities are also expecting a strong influx of Venezuelan funds for the local government owned oil and refining company, ANCAP, and airline Pluna, which have began negotiating association agreements with their Venezuelan counterparts, the all powerful Petroleos de Venezuela, PDVSA and the airline Conviasa.

Venezuela is interested in investing heavily in Uruguay’s only refinery, (several hundred million US dollars) as part of the oil rich country’s market diversification policy which includes selling fuel and refined products to energy short Mercosur members.

Mr. Chavez and his Uruguayan counterpart Tabare Vazquez are scheduled to sign the agreement by which Venezuela will supply 43,600 barrels per day of crude on special terms, 75% to be paid in three months time, either cash or in exchange for Uruguayan goods and/or services, and the rest in 25 years with an annual accumulated 2% interest.

MercoPress

[SteppingRazor]

1. Pity our idiot-in-chief has so ostracized this guy...

That he's turned rabidly against us. I mean, here's one of our major chances to reduce our dependence on Middle Eastern oil, and what do we do? We foment a rebellion against him.

Well, that certainly makes sense to me! :sarcasm:

[bemildred]

2. I don't think he is against us, but I don't think he likes the Bushites.nt

[SteppingRazor]

3. To hear Chavez say it on his weekly addresses on state radio...

It's America. Period. He doesn't say "down with Bush" anymore. He says "Down with America," "Down with Yanquis," and so on. I think, at one point, he could have been a useful ally to this country. At this point, though, we'd be fools to trust him further than we can throw him. Since that attempted coup, he's built up a massive army, nationalized a lot of the media -- basically started turning depressingly similar to the old Soviet model -- or perhaps, more accurately, the Cuban model. One can just hope he draws the line before he goes too far.

[David__77]

4. Chavez is right, the US is an imperialist country....

...no matter if the president is Clinton or Bush, the US pursues global dominance and hegemony--that is called imperialism. The country is imperialist. Chavez points out that the people of the US aren't the problem--it's the US system. While this is more broad an attack than against a particular administration, it is not an attack against you or I.

[SteppingRazor]

9. Agreed. However...

The U.S.'s billgerent attitude toward the Chavez administration has resulted in Chavez moving toward a far more centralized, rather dictatorial government. Despite his railing against the depredations of the United States, the man's been looking awfully scary the last couple of months, especially as we've turned a blind eye and focused attention on the Middle East.

Poverty has creeped back up in Venezuela, as Chavez's initial social reform programs have taken a backseat to military spending. The press has only a shred of freedom. The opposition (admittedly utterly corrupt when it was in power) is mercilessly silenced.

I agree with a lot of Chavez's critiques of American foreign policy. I'm just saying it's wrong to look at him as a good man simply because he speaks truth to power -- it doesn't change what he's doing in his own backyard. The same could be said of Castro, for that matter.

[Guy Whitey Corngood]

13. I really don't know where you're getting these things.

Barrio adentro, the very succesful health and education program is going to get even more funding this year. The economy actually improved in spite of the national strike. What is he doing in his own back yard?

[Judi Lynn]

14. It would be better if you provided links to back up your claims

that poverty has creeped back in Venezuela. That's not the news we've been reading here.

Would like to see your claims substatiated that Venezuela's going into the hole financially due to the military spending, as well.

[SteppingRazor]

17. Here ya go.

http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/news/columnists/andres_oppenheimer/11272295.htm

Whatcha make of those numbers -- The Venezuelan government's OWN numbers -- that poverty rose from 43 to 54 percent in the last four years?

I blame it on the destruction of Chavez's initial social programs in favor of military spending, which is the result of the coup, which is mostly our fault.

Also, you say that's not the news "we've been reading here." where's that? Are you in Venezuela? Just curious.

[1932]

26. And here's the rebuttal:

Covering events up to 2003:

http://www.venezuelanalysis.com/articles.php?artno=1051

And the rebuttal to that article specifically:



Despite the progress, Venezuela still has a huge legacy of dire poverty to overcome. On June 5, Venezuela Analysis’s Jonah Gindin reported that a study by market research company Datos Information Resources identified a “dramatic impoverishment” of Venezuela over the last 20 years. As a result of harsh neoliberal measures, since 1984 the number of poorest Venezuelans has increased from 40% to 58%, while the number of middle-and-upper-class Venezuelans has decreased from 28% to 4%. One direct cause was that government spending decreased almost 50% between 1987 and 1997.

The anti-Chavez opposition makes much of the fact, reported in the March 31 Miami Herald, that, by the end of 2004, the number of households living in poverty was greater than when Chavez was first elected in 1998 (53% up from 49%).

However, this ignores two important things. Firstly, poverty is now decreasing and the figure was lower in 2004 than 2003. Indeed, according to the Datos study, the living standards of the poorest 84% of Venezuelans, thanks to the missions and increases in the minimum wage, increased by one third last year, after inflation is taken into account.

Secondly, the increase in the number of families in poverty was due in large part to the actions of the opposition, who, after organising a failed military coup in April 2002, initiated in December of that year a two month-long lock-out of workers across the country, demanding that Chavez resign.

http://www.venezuelanalysis.com/articles.php?artno=1494

[SteppingRazor]

41. What was it you said in post #30, 1932?

Ah yes. "pointing out evidence of bias is responding to the message." And now you're going to refute a post with a pro-Chavez Web site? Nice. I'd say that's hypocritical, but, well, since I'm going to now dismiss this rebuttal post because it's from a pro-Chavez site, that makes me a hypocrit too.

So I'll just return to my original claim that dismissing opposition reports simply because they're from the opposition is not an intellectually sound argument. That said, I have to admit I'm unaware of the Datos study, thanks for pointing it out to me, and I'll research it as much as I can.

Thanks again.

[1932]

18. Dictatorial how? By having elections all the time and working to help the

people, and by devolving economic and political power?

Poverty hasn't been creeping up. It has been decreasing and the economy has been growing since the oil strike.

And, for the sake of argument, say those things were happening. What would you suggest an appropriate US response would be? Invade?

[AllieB]

56. Hi SteppingRazor

I was wondering if you could provide some links to substantiate your belief that Venezuela no has a more centralizedand dictatorial government. It seems to me that perhaps we're getting one side of the story, and that side is what the Bush administration wants us to see.

I look forward to your response. I'm eager to learn about this subject more.

Allie

[Judi Lynn]

5. Would you provide a link to your claim he nationalized the media?

It would be beneficial to DU's large group of Venezuela-watchers who have been posting heavily since the US-supported April coup in 2002.

One of DU's greatest posters was in Caracas at the time, writing wonderful updates to DU almost around the clock during that time.

By the way, were you aware that one of the largest media owners in Venezuela, Gustavo Cisneros, who was completely involved in the coup, is a fishing buddy of George H. W. Bush? We certainly are here at D.U.

Here he is with _{George Bush.}

Philadelphia, Jan 29 (Venezuelanalysis.com).- The U.S. based NGO Global Women’s Strike issued a press release today protesting an award expected to be given by the Inter-American Economic Council to Gustavo Cisneros, a Venezuelan billionaire identified by sources such as Newsweek, local Venezuelan publications and analysts as one of the protagonists and financiers of the April 11, 2002 coup d’etat against President Hugo Chavez.
Cisneros is also credited with being a driving force behind the December 2002 nationwide lock-out and sabotage of the oil industry, which instead of ousting President Chávez from his elected office, drove the Venezuelan economy into the ground by causing a historical drop of 27% in the country’s GDP in the first trimester of 2003.

Cisneros is the owner of AOL, Coca-Cola, DirecTV and Pizza Hut in Latin America, Univision in the US, and Venezuela’s biggest TV network Venevision.
(snip/...)

http://www.independent-media.tv/item.cfm?fmedia_id=5404&fcategory_desc=Venezuela


We also know that Venezuelan right-wing media controlled almost ALL of the information coming in and going out of Venezuela for ages, including the complete media blackout when the poor of Venezuela went into the streets to overturn the illegal coup.

I really would appreciate seeing your links about nationalizing Venezuela's media.

[bemildred]

8. Aw, c'mon Judi, we've seen this before. nt

[Judi Lynn]

11. True. We need some NEW Cisneros news.

Probably most of Cisneros's business concerning Chavez is clandestine, I'd betcha. Just like his meetings with other media owners prior to the coup.

[bemildred]

20. That's one point for you, Judi:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=102&topic_id=1690897&mesg_id=1691017

[SteppingRazor]

12. Well, I didn't say he's nationalized all media...

But the state-run TV and radio are now the largest in the country. They weren't before Chavez took power. As for independent press, it is intimidated whenever it speaks out against the government. Here's the latest from the InterAmerican Press Association, which monitors press freedom in Central and South America:

http://www.sipiapa.org/pressreleases/srchcountrydetail.cfm?PressReleaseID=1439

Here, we see the Chavez government intimidating a free paper because of an editorial -- not even a legitimate news story! Is that a free press?

[Judi Lynn]

22. Your source is heavily populated by Cuban Americans

áAlberto Ibarguen is an "exile" and has slanted the entire content of the Miami Herald to appeal to the right-wing extremists living in South Florida.

Also on the Advisory Council appears a man from the Miami Herald's Spanish edition formed to "inform" the Cuban "exiles," "El Nuevo Herald," which is so wildly irregular it often bears no resemblance to truth whatsoever.

One of the advisors is from an "opposition" newspaper in Venezuela: El Universal. Etc., etc., etc.

Very Florida-heavy, this organization.

By the way, Elián should NEVER have been kept prisoner in Miami, away from his home.

[SteppingRazor]

28. Killing the messenger instead of responding to the message...

Isn't going to change anything. Are you saying this entire report is wholly fabricated? That none of the events actually happened?

[1932]

30. Pointing out evidence of bias is responding to the message.

And didn't we learn recently that a "Reporters Without Frontiers"-like organization was a front organization for promoting the interests of multinational corporations and their bias was revealed by who they targeted for criticism.

[K-W]

32. Your sources arent credible. That is the issue. EOM

[Flanker]

42. From what I know about this

The case against the editorial was that it published libel, and that a snippet written was blatantly false.

That said I have yet to read the actual editorial, and the punishment should only be a fine not jail time IMHO.

The media is quite free overall, just that the bellicose elements have been fired.

[SteppingRazor]

40. I live in South Florida...

The content of both the Herald and its Spanish edition is well known to me, as I read the former almost everyday and the latter when the mood strikes me. I agree the paper can display a right-wing bias when reporting on Cuban affairs. That hardly changes what the IAPA does in defending press freedom. And just saying the association is "filled with Cuban Americans" and therefore dismissing it smacks of racism.

[Judi Lynn]

45. I should have indicated RIGHT-WING Cuban-Americans

Don't drag out that "racism" bit again. It's been done to death by right-wing "exile" and "exile-"related posters here and other message boards.

Racism is a problem the right-wing Battista-loving gusanos still haven't overcome, and has nothing to do with my perceptions of them. Only information of their own politics and behavior can predispose peoples' view of them.



From the crowd outside
Elián's temporary home
in Miami. Threats to
Democrats.

"We're getting even," said Angelo Gonzalez, 59, a Cuban immigrant carrying the famous photo of Elian being seized by an armed FBI agent, but with Clinton's image superimposed over the agent's face. "We are giving the Democrats their medicine now. They are suffering for it."
(snip/...)

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/2000/11/23/MN78204.DTL&type=election

[SteppingRazor]

48. That's all I wanted to hear...

I've got a lot of great Cuban friends that are just as progressive as me (and, yes, I'm definitely very left-wing, despite our disagreeing here. Would I be here otherwise?). Especially among the younger generation of Cuban Americans, I think we'll see -- if not a turn to the left -- then at least an evening out between left and right in the coming years as the old generation that remembers Castro's revolution gives way to more Americanized people who don't care as much about the land of their great-grandfathers.

[Judi Lynn]

50. There's a DU'er here who worked on the campaign

of the Democrat who ran against (I think...) Mario Diaz-Balart, Annie Bettancourt.

It will be one fine day when the Cuban American community FINALLY elects a Democratic Congressperson.

Then everyone will know the evil spell has been broken.

[SteppingRazor]

61. Bettancourt did indeed run against Mario Diaz-Balart...

A campaign that was kinda doomed from the start for several reasons:
First, there is the aforementioned prevalance of conservatives in the South Florida Cuban community
Second, Diaz-Balart is a household name among Cubans here.
Third, even without the name recognition, I was shocked when I heard moderate Cubans say they voted for Diaz-Balart simply because his name "sounded Cuban" or cited his Cuban roots -- which, of course, shows that they knew nothing about Annie.

One thing I will say for the Bettancourt campaign. I think she was ahead of her time in calling for an end to the travel ban to Cuba. Younger Cubans care more about visiting family still in Cuba than they do about useless attempts to hurt the Castro regime. In time, demanding an end to the travel ban will be something politicians will have to do to GAIN votes among Cubans. That time just hasn't quite arrived yet.

[rman]

23. "state-run media the largest" - how? in ratings?

would not surprise me.

[SteppingRazor]

44. Yes. In ratings.

Doesn't surprise me either.

[rman]

55. So how does that equate to Chavez having "nationalized" the media?

(or most of the media)

It looks more like a majority of viewers prefers not to watch the anti-Chavez corporate media.

[Judi Lynn]

57. Well, maybe this grab from google would relate to your Oppenheimer

article. Dunno. I get bored, actually, rummaging around looking for numbers as that was never my strong point. I think the author makes extremely important points:

VENEZUELA: The fight on poverty


Stuart Munckton

On June 1, 20,686 people graduated from Mission Ribas, which gives poor Venezuelans their first chance to pass high school. One of the most obvious aspects of Venezuela’s Bolivarian revolution, led by President Hugo Chavez, the social missions are changing the face of Venezuelan society.

Chavez recently announced that Ribas, which provides free education, including food, accommodation and travel, will have its budget increased to US$50 million a month. The vast majority of Mission Ribas graduates have now enrolled in Mission Sucre, which provides university education. By the end of the year, 210,000 will graduate from Ribas.

On the June 12 episode of television program Hello President, Chavez noted the beginning of the second phase of the community health-care program Mission Barrio Adentro and announced plans for the third phase, which will revamp Venezuela’s faltering hospital system.

A February opinion poll released by Datanalysis — a company associated with Chavez’s opponents — found support for Chavez at 70.5%, an increase on the 60% support Chavez received in a August referendum. The reason for the growth can be guessed: Datanalysis found that 73% of the population had benefited from the social missions.
(snip/...)

http://www.greenleft.org.au/back/2005/632/632p19.htm

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

What is happening in Venezuela among the poverty-level citizens who have continually been blocked by poverty from health care, from education, from even the most meager liveable housing, not to mention food, clothing, etc. is dramatic, it's BIG. People know this.

The people who are raising hell are the ones who want things to remain as they were, who think this is acceptable.

http://www.salonchingon.com/exhibits/caracas2004/source/barrio-goods-98.html

http://www.salonchingon.com/exhibits/caracas2004/source/barrio-bests-10.html

[K-W]

6. Luckily he isnt nearly the boogeyman you make him out to be.

I see you reference the soviet union and cuba. Good to know you are doing an educated analysis and not relying on cold war propaganda for your political frame of reference.

[bemildred]

7. I have seen him carefully distinguish the US government from its people.

Quite a number of times.
You may think as you like, of course.

[Guy Whitey Corngood]

10. When did he say those things?

Last year he had nothing but good things to say about J Kerry. He even compared him to JFK. To which Kerry replied by repeating a bunch of "opposition" talking points. As far as nationalizing the media. From what I know there is one government station that has always existed. He has also been involved with the creation of an international channel, which is a private enterprise.

[Name removed]

15. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[rman]

21. By far most of the Ven. media still are commercial.

You are spouting nothing but RW propaganda.

[xxqqqzme]

16. I'd be leary of some one

who tried to overthrow me; fund a national strike of yuppies.

[bemildred]

19. Definitely not the best way to build trust between nations. nt

[SteppingRazor]

24. Me too. Hell, I'd be more than leary...

I'm just wary of painting someone as a saint simply because we have enemies in common. The enemy of my enemy is not necessarily my friend.

[rman]

27. You're not weary of painting him a dictator though,

in spite of overwhelming evidence to the contrary.

[1932]

29. This isn't about painting saints and devils.

It's about spinning the truth to American audiences so that they're more tollerant of US intervention that undermines the sovereignty of a foreign country. Regardless of whether Chavez is a saint or a sinner, a lot of the stuff you're posting would do that. You write in a style that seems to encourage people to not be so upset if the US undermined the Venezuelan government.

[SteppingRazor]

33. On the contrary...

I would be virulently opposed to U.S. intervention in Venezuela, just as I was opposed to the U.S. invading Iraq. I think the coup was a travesty, I'm aware it hurt Venezuela considerably (and can therefore be blamed for some of the downturn in Venezuela's economy), and I'd be opposed to any further anti-Venezuelan actions by our government.

But just because I'd be opposed to it doesn't mean I have to defend what's there. Otherwise, I'd be cheering for Saddam. And no, I don't compare Chavez to Saddam at all, before anyone goes off half-cocked screaming that.

[Guy Whitey Corngood]

36. WHAT, YOU'RE COMPARING MR. CHAVEZ TO SADDAM? YOU BASTARD.

:evilgrin:

[SteppingRazor]

38. I hate you.

:evilgrin:

[Guy Whitey Corngood]

39. Yeah well...... fool me once...........oh fuck . How did that go? n/t

[Judi Lynn]

46. Even a student who made better grades than Al Gore

can't remember that one. It's too complicated!

[Guy Whitey Corngood]

51. I heard Dan Coulter say that this same student got better grades than

John Kerry. I swear my whole world is collapsing around me.....

[Judi Lynn]

53. Oh, yeah! That was recent, too. Good lord.

The right-wing passed that one around a bit, but no one apparently gave a damn enough to comment on it to them, and then they dropped it faster than you would have expected, considering how stupid it was! Could be their short attention span.

[K-W]

37. No you only compared Chavez to the Bolsheviks. EOM

[Guy Whitey Corngood]

34. Either that or that or he might be saying that

it's the US govt's fault that Pres. Chavez is turning into an "evil commie dictator". I guess............

[Guy Whitey Corngood]

31. I don't recall anybody painting him as a "saint". However I think some

people might have a problem with your broad statements and allegations.

[rman]

25. Fomented a coup you mean.

Which failed misserably.

[bemildred]

35. Venezuela govt seeks early full membership of Mercosur trade bloc

CARACAS (AFX) - Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez will try to speed up the process to achieve full membership of the Mercosur trade bloc, said Venezuelan deputy minister for foreign trade, Roger Figueroa.

State-run news agency ABN quoted Figueroa as saying that this could be achieved rapidly if done in good faith.

Venezuela is currently an associate member of Mercosur, which includes Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay.

http://story.irishsun.com/p.x/ct/9/id/48f13dd806dfb545/cid/88176adfdf246af5/

[Judi Lynn]

43. It's slow sledding looking through tons of links with "Andres Oppenheimer"

mentioned in them, but I know I'll strike it rich eventually, with a great article explaining just how wildly ####ed up that Miami tumor/Herald columnist really is. He's most certainly NO decent authority for anyone to read beyond the hopelessly twisted Miami reactionaries and their Freeper soul-mates.

This is amusing, and painful for us DU'ers who saw John Kerry take the off-ramp concerning Venezuela:

Now that Andrés Oppenheimer --that obnoxious columnist over at the Miami Herald who routinely bashes Hugo Chávez and supports U.S. military aid to murderous military thugs in Colombia-- is saying such nice things about John Kerry, I'm getting a little worried.
(snip)

http://narcosphere.narconews.com/story/2004/6/23/194224/927



Oppenheimer in the middle.

[SteppingRazor]

47. It'll be tough to paint him as a neocon, Judy...

Like you said, he supported Kerry.

He's also written in support of alternative fuels:
http://www.energybulletin.net/5021.html

And here's a column making Condoleeza Rice look like a stooge:
http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/news/columnists/andres_oppenheimer/11874643.htm


Of course, there's also plenty of anti-Castro and anti-Chavez columns, as you could certainly point out, and as I freely admit.

I'm still a little bugged by your ealier comment about news "we have heard here" about Venezuela. I took it to mean you were referring to DU. In which case, I'm a little taken aback by that. I mean, am I not just as much a part of this community as you are?

[Judi Lynn]

49. A quick answer about "here" would refer to the group of DU'ers

who have had a deep, abiding interest in what has been happening there since the coup, and have been involved in threads since then, meeting one after another right-wing poseur as they have come and gone, feeling such a loss when they leave.....

One particularly feisty escaped lunatic was "Windnsea" or "Surfnturf" or something similar. He went completely ape-#### before the tenders came and got him.

[Judi Lynn]

54. And Kerry was on the wrong track concerning Venezuela.

Many DU'ers were determined to support Kerry regardless, as we knew this was only one issue, but hoped when he had more time he would come to a deeper understanding of the complete story, not a view based on fragments learned on the run.

Free Venezuela, the Venezuelan right-wing group in South Florida took credit for Kerry's position on Venezuela. Very tacky.

Here's a bit written by their central figure, Curtis Reed. I'm fairly convinced that he was one of the posters who blew up real good here once:

Published: Tuesday, March 23, 2004
Bylined to: Curtis Reed


Tampa-based Free Venezuela, Inc: Our goal is regime change in Venezuela

Date: Tue, 23 Mar 2004 17:39:42 GMT
From: Curtis Reed [e-mail]
To: [e-mail]
Subject: Error: It was Venezuelans in TAMPA

In David Coleman's article "Venezuela's relations with USA to improve if Bush 2 loses election this fall" you stated that Senator Kerry's statement regarding the Chavez regime amounted to "Parroting anti-Venezuelan Miami Herald propaganda."

In fact, the Kerry position statement was the result of the effort of Venezuelan-Americans from the Tampa area who contacted his camp and conducted an education campaign to be sure that Kerry understood what a threat the Chavez regime represents to US interests, regional stability, and how it endangers democracy across the hemisphere.

We have been working constantly over several years to establish good contacts with our representatives, and it was through those contacts that we made direct contact with John Kerry and delivered to him the message you will find below.

We are now in the process of publishing more Op-Ed articles, organizing round table discussions about the Chavez regime, and speaking out on nationally syndicated radio shows. Let there be no confusion: the "Miami Mafia" had nothing to do with this. It was the result of hard work by US citizens and Venezuelan expatriate organizations like FREE VENEZUELA that we influenced Kerry, and we will continue to push US policy until we achieve our goal.

Our goal: regime change in Venezuela.

Finally, let your communist friends know that their propaganda machines are failing, and the tide has turned against the Chavez dictatorship. We have convinced Democrats and Republicans alike that Chavez and his criminal henchmen are the antithesis to Democratic principles.

Have a nice day.

Curtis Reed
[e-mail]
(snip/)

http://vheadline.org/readnews.asp?id=16656

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Here's a letter to John Kerry from Eva Golinger, a Venezuelan native, and American Democrat:

March 24, 2004

An Open Letter to John Kerry
You Are Wrong on Venezuela, Senator
By EVA GOLINGER

As a registered Democrat who supports major changes to current US governance, I must express my utmost disappointment and disillusionment with your March 19, 2004 Statement on Venezuela. I am a US citizen of Venezuelan origin. I have voted on the democratic bill since I was first legally permitted to vote many years ago. Along with many other residents and citizens in this country, I believe the current US administration has acted in ways contrary to my beliefs and perceptions of democracy and progress, and has betrayed notions of what the United States of America should truly represent and pursue in the world community.

Up until Friday's statement, I had hope that you, as a presidential candidate, could offer the American people a true alternative and change from the brutal, insensitive and interventionist government we have had during the past four years. As a Venezuelan-American, I must tell you that your statement on Venezuela is not only highly misplaced, but also demonstrates how truly uninformed you are about the situation in Venezuela. It also leads me to believe that you have been influenced by interested parties insisting you take a stand on this issue in their favor.
(snip/...)

http://counterpunch.org/golinger03242004.html

[Judi Lynn]

52. Good info., some of which refers to points raised in this thread.....

Venezuela: the Gang's All Here
Replay of Chile and Nicaragua?
By ALEXANDER COCKBURN

You can set your watch by it. The minute some halfway decent government in Latin America begins to reverse the order of things and give the have-nots a break from the grind of poverty and wretchedness, the usual suspects in El Norte rouse themselves from the slumber of indifference and start barking furiously about democratic norms. It happened in 1973 in Chile; we saw it again in Nicaragua in the 1980s; and here’s the same show on summer rerun in Venezuela, pending the August 15 recall referendum of President Hugo Chávez.

Chávez is the best thing that has happened to Venezuela’s poor in a very long time. His government has actually delivered on some of its promises, with improved literacy rates and more students getting school meals. Public spending has quadrupled on education and tripled on healthcare, and infant mortality has declined. The government is promoting one of the most ambitious land-reform programs seen in Latin America in decades.

Most of this has been done under conditions of economic sabotage. Oil strikes, a coup attempt and capital flight have resulted in about a 4 percent decline in GDP for the five years that Chávez has been in office. But the economy is growing at close to 12 percent this year, and with world oil prices near $40 a barrel, the government has extra billions that it’s using for social programs. So naturally the United States wants him out, just as the rich in Venezuela do. Chávez was re-elected in 2000 for a six-year term. A US-backed coup against him was badly botched in 2002.

The imperial script calls for a human rights organization to start braying about irregularities by their intended victim. And yes, here’s José Miguel Vivanco of Human Rights Watch. We last met him in this column helping to ease a $1.7 billion US aid package for Colombia’s military apparatus. This time he’s holding a press conference in Caracas, hollering about the brazen way Chávez is trying to expand membership of Venezuela’s Supreme Court, the same way FDR did, and for the same reason: that the Venezuelan court has been effectively packed the other way for decades, with judicial flunkies of the rich. I don’t recall Vivanco holding too many press conferences to protest that perennial iniquity.
(snip/...)

http://counterpunch.org/cockburn06262004.html

[sintax]

58. Thanks for your due diligence on this matter JL

The disinfo spread about Ven-Cuba aimed at the ignorant Amerimasses is at a fever pitch.

Never, NEVER does anyone who criticizes Chavez, and he does have flaws (unlike my perfect self), present their discussion in historical context. How much is S. America trying to overcome from the legacy of mercantile-capital annihilation and the conquest of their cultural fabric.

[SteppingRazor]

59. In historical context,

I'll actually be the first to say Chavez is a good thing. Compared to the history of South American governance, he's a freakin' philosopher-king. I don't think that should stop criticism of his administration, though.

[sintax]

60. Who supported- armed

the brutal dictators in S. America in the last, let's just say 75 years as a starting point?

Do we have to go over this again and again?

Who just GAVE land to Indigenous people in Ven?

And yes Chavez, like all politicos should be scrutinized and criticized. Chavez, unlike most politicos, is quite open to criticism and willing to engage with the critics in open forums.

One area where Chavez should be critiqued is his environmental record, particularly in the mining sector. There are big forces at work. He's doin' alot.

[Judi Lynn]

62. They'd have a hard time destroying the developing government

if they couldn't undermine and distort people's perception of it, right?

That's the foundation on which _Bush needs to build in order to gain support from his sponsors, the American taxpayers, as in the ignorant fantasy contrived to inflame Americans against the Iraqii government. They STILL are hard at it, too, trying to reinforce the lies they know we already see through.

Obviously they think we're idiots. In the case of a country like Cuba, it's pretty easy to tell us almost any yarn, knowing that as long as they can keep us from going there and checking it out for ourselves, we'll be tempted to believe it, UNLESS we start suspecting they've lied to us! Ha Ha Ha. We have had enough travelers to Cuba, some from outside the U.S. and not influenced by our own propaganda, right here on DU to help sharpen our reality-based awareness of that island.

You're right. Without context we got nada as a starting place for building perception.

Don't know if you've seen this, but maybe someone might find it interesting, even though it's sparse, and spotty. It's a timeline of Venezuelan events:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/1229348.stm

Your illustration is absolutely SUPERB. Couldn't be better.

[sintax]

63. At present in our relatively small city newspaper

there have been a spate of editorials and LTTE's about the "Dictator Chavez".It would be funny, if it wasn't damaging, as the articles are threadbare and extremely poorly researched. What's interesting is that I am quite sure in many smalltown newspapers around the US similar articles are being floated to mold the minds of the ill informed. It's not just the slanderous Wash Post, which is virulent and racist in this regard, which is hammering on Chavez. This is all orchestrated.

However, there are LTTE's and articles that are rebutting the disinfo and our local rag does print them unlike some others. Your timeline will help in this regard.

"To live in this process is absolutely not to be able to notice it - please try to believe me - unless one has a much greater degree of political awareness, acuity, than most of us had ever had occasion to develop.  Each step was so small, so inconsequential, so well explained or, on occasion, "regretted," that, unless one were detached from the whole process from the beginning, unless one understood what the whole thing was in principle, what all these "little measures" that no "patriotic German" could resent must some day lead to, one no more saw it developing from day to day than a farmer in his field sees the corn growing.  One day it is over his head.

[Judi Lynn]

64. Your quote is excellent.I've only heard a small part of it.

Did a search and got the entire thing. This is great. Thanks.

Milton Mayer, They Thought They Were Free.