Venezuela's Chavez stronger after coup

[seemslikeadream]

CHRISTOPHER TOOTHAKER

Associated Press


CARACAS, Venezuela - Three years after dissident generals briefly drove him from power, President Hugo Chavez is stronger than ever, but he is facing increased criticism from the United States as he moves to buy arms and more of his political foes face criminal charges.

Having survived the short-lived coup of 2002, a two-month strike that petered out in 2003 and a presidential recall referendum in 2004, Chavez and his "revolutionary" movement appear unstoppable.

"He is stronger now than he ever was in the past and has successfully managed to use each of these episodes to consolidate his grip on power," said Steve Johnson, a Latin America analyst at the Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank in Washington.

The Venezuelan leader is maintaining his popularity as he pours millions of dollars from windfall oil prices into programs for the poor, while increasing the size of the military reserves and brushing aside criticism that his government is cracking down on dissent.
more
http://www.kansascity.com/mld/kansascity/news/politics/11361319.htm

google link
http://news.google.com/news?hl=en&ned=us&ie=UTF-8&q=venezuela

[MasonJar]

1. Yea! Chavez, go for it! Do not pay attention to the tin pot country

run by criminals to your north.

[Cha]

3. Who knew we'd ever

be rooting for a South American Country's leader over our own?

[NNN0LHI]

4. Who ever thought America would turn into a banana republic? n/t

[htuttle]

2. "consolidating his grip on power"

I'd say it was more a matter of the poor in Venezuela becoming aware of their own power.

Once they saw how many they were, and how they were able to turn back the coup, I think the possibility of the Bolivarian revolution being reversed disappeared, no matter what happens to Chavez.

National politics (for want of a better word) would never be the same after something like that.

[aneerkoinos]

7. Yup

Ain't it terrible when a nation realizes that it is indeed WE, THE PEOPLE that rules. The day will come when also the oppressed people of USA realize the same and scrap the rest of the constitution, when they see that democracy is more than oligarchy of corporatocracy and mediocracy.

[CoffeeCat]

5. This article reads like a Rove move, to me.

The impression I get from this article--is that the US is puffing up Chavez as a maniacal, powerful man that we need to fear.

A quote from the Heritage Foundation...now there's an unbiased source! Clearly, that's a clue to the agenda behind the article.

The wording,
"President Hugo Chavez is stronger than ever..."

"...as he moves to buy arms...",

"He is stronger now than he ever was in the past and has successfully managed to use each of these episodes to consolidate his grip on
power,"

"...maintaining his popularity as he pours millions of dollars from windfall oil prices into programs for the poor, while increasing the size of the military reserves and brushing aside criticism that his government is cracking down on dissent."

I could go on. The article makes him sound manipulative and suspect.

The last quote (above) suggests several bad things: He's propping up his popularity by bribing the poor with oil money, bolstering his military and probably cracking down on anyone who disagrees with him--but lying about doing it.

This article is total propaganda--designed to instill fear of Chavez and to paint him as a frightening, lying, suspect tyrant.

The US is continuing its campaign against Chavez.

Will they ever stop?

[aneerkoinos]

6. Why?

Why does USA give sanctuary to terrorists and criminals? And I don't mean just Kissinger, but ex-leaders of Venezuela, Bolivia etc...

[Judi Lynn]

8. Most of they head right for Miami, Florida, too.

I doubt there's any place on earth as odd as that population. Heavy right-wing influence due to the presence of so many right-wing puppets, and their hordes of lackeys.