Aviso para Venezuela / Warning for Venezuela
La consejera de Seguridad Nacional de EEUU, Condoleeza Rice, durante una audencia en el Comité de Relaciones de Exteriores del Senado avisó a nuestra herman@s en La Republica Bolivariana que debemos pasar al alto.
I'll try to translate this myself in the next reply, just because I think it's important.
Voy a tratar a traducir este entrada abajo porque creo que puede ser importante a iniciar ese dialogo con nuestr@s herman@s al sur de la frontera.
This is from the Eugene Register-Guard, I think it's a reprint from the New York Times:
She reserved some of her harshest language for President Hugo Chavez of Venezuela, whose government she said had "not been constructive" because of his tough tactics against the press and the opposition."Is it possible for you to say something positive about the Chavez administration?" asked Chafee, apparently taken aback at the toughness of her words. When Rice said "it's pretty hard, Senator, to find something positive," Chafee said her attitude "seems disrespectful to the Venezuelan people" who had elected Chavez.
Authentic Journalists in the US and our comrades in Venezuela should not underestimate the importance of these comments, especially considering the difficult situation the Bolivarian Republic finds itself in these days. I think the timing of the Uribe administrations recent kidnapping of Granda in Venezuela is significant, and it is particularly important for us to be highly sensitive to what could result in another attempt at "Regime Change" in Venezuela.
I believe that in the coming days, weeks, and months, we will see strategizing by the United States in another attempt to unseat President Chavez. The recent anouncement of the placement of the Venezuelan Tupumaros on the US list of terrorist organizations, timed closely with the Granda kidnapping could easily serve as a step towards the creation of imaginary evidence of a Venezuelan Government / FARC connection. As the propaganda machine in the US, this case manifested as Rice in the hearings this morning, steps up its attacks on Venezuela, we would be foolish not to pay attention.
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Aviso para Venezuela
Submitted on January 19th, 2005 by Ron SmithPeriodistas autenticas en los EEYY y nuestr@s compañer@s no deben subestimar la importancia de eses palabras, especialmente si consideramos la posicion en que se encuentra la republica bolivariana hoy dia. Creo que la sincronización del acto de secuestro de Granda en Venezuela por fuerzas alineados con el gobierno de Colombia se significa mucho, y esta bien importante para nosotros a ser altamente sensitivo por lo que puede resultar en "cambio de regimen" en Venezuela.
Creo tambien que en los proximos dias, semanas, meses, vamos a ver la strategia por los EEUU en otra obra de tombar con Chavez. El anuncio receintamente sobre la inducion los Tupumaros de Venezuela en la lista de organizaciones terroristas del EEUU, sincronizado con la secuestra de Granda, puede ayudar en la creacion de evidencia imaginaria de una connecion entre las FARC y el Gobierno Bolivariano. Debemos pagar atencion, especialmente en consideracion de eses palabras de la macina de propaganda hecho por Condaleeza Rice este mañana. Queria empezar un dialogo con nuestr@s compas de Colombia, Venezuela, y todo América Latina sobre eso.
<Algo como eso>
Bathtub gunboat bubbles
Submitted on January 19th, 2005 by Bill ConroyBut at least not everyone appears to be buying Rice and beans program in Congress.
As evidence, the following was released by the Venezuela Information Office today:
The Venezuela Information Office put together the following quotes from several U.S. Senators concerning Rice's anti-Boliviarian rhetoric:
Senator Lincoln Chafee (R-RI), on the Senate Floor, January 18, 2005
Senator Christopher Dodd (D-CT), on the Senate Floor, January 18, 2005
Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA), on the Senate Floor, January 18, 2005
Senator Russ Feingold (D-WI) from Newshour, January 18, 2005
Senator Norm Coleman (R-MN), on the Senate Floor, January 18, 2005
So it appears the wool has not been pulled over the eyes of all the sheep.
Well, there are always exceptions. It seems the Washington Post still likes to play with its gunboat in the bathtub.
Again, from the Venezuela Information Office:
VENEZUELA & THE WASHINGTON POST
We may have far more to fear from a yellow press than from any other source, as the truth has little to do with an agenda.
Time to mine the waters of the blogoshere, because the paper gunboats are out there, waiting to blow some more bubbles.
(The Post actually makes you register for this garbage, so the url links are included below as well, in case you're interested in taking a bath in some dirty water.)
Washington Post Editorial, "Venezuela's 'Revolution'"
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A808 8-2005Jan13.html
Washington Post Op-Ed, "Trouble in Our Back Yard"
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A147 29-2005Jan16.html
Rice and Gunboats
Submitted on January 21st, 2005 by Ron SmithI think that what we see in the above quotes by the Venezuelan Information Office is a split within the elites. Much as we saw during the referendum, when push came to shove, Wall Street couldn't tolerate the possibility of utter chaos in one of the largest Oil Suppliers, and decided to back President Chavez as opposed to the unknown of an unnamed opposition candidate. I think we're seeing the same split in regards to US policy in Iraq, specifically with Bechtel unhappy about the bid free contracts for Halliburton and its subsidiary KBR. What the current US administration has shown is that it is willing to alienate powerful groups within the US in order to complete its own agenda. While I think that the opposition highlighted by the information office is positive, I think we have two precedents to consider, namely the caving of the Legislature in the decision to invade Iraq, and Iran-Contra, where when there was enough opposition from within, the Reagan administration simply circumvented the rest of the government in order to acheive its primary goal. In the case of Iran-Contra, the elimination of the threat of a good example of government in Nicaragua was far too important to allow democracy in the US to stand in the way. At this time, we in the US have a significantly less democratic society, and the target is not only a "threat of a good example", but it has oil. If we consider that Iraq, Iran, and Venezuela all have oil, it seems that in the minds of the maniacal Bush Policy planners, the target that makes the most sense, more so than even Iraq, is the elimination of an administration that seeks to achieve massive social change AND has petroleum reserves. That's a bad precedent if your concern is complete hegemony.
The neo-Monroe Doctrine
Submitted on January 21st, 2005 by Bill ConroyI think your analysis is right on. I'm under no illusions having dealt with the knuckleheads inside the Beltway that to them it's little more than a numbers game; right and wrong have very little to do with it.
But even the most resolute oligarch has to pause and note how the overt use of military force in Iraq backfired in terms of securing oil reserves or economic windfall, at least in the short-term, which is how capitalists measure such things. Now that they've had their fingers burned (even if they are too prideful to admit it), it's good to keep the heat turned up, and any voice -- even a politician's -- that serves that purpose is of some help.
I think co-opting, psyop and covert action are the more likely strategies to be employed in South America. And I have little doubt that such a plan is in the works in the smoke-filled backroom of the Bush league. That fits right in with the stealth gunboat diplomacy employed in recent decades by our "elected" knuckleheads -- in the sense of a "Contra" type off-the-shelf operation (whitewashed with a pack of lies and sold to the mainstream yes-press and distracted populace of this country).
As evidence of your point, the following site is a good representation of how the Monroe Doctrine continues to this day -- and arguably was extended globally in Bush's recent inaugural speech. So, again, I think your analysis is on the mark -- and any optimism I might have is rightly tempered by the grim realities you point out.
Monroe by Proxy
Submitted on January 22nd, 2005 by Ron SmithIn the case of Venezuela, you have a perfect proxy state to the West, the narcostate. The Granda kidnapping illustrates perfectly Uribe's will to violate Venezuelan sovereignty. As diplomatic ties between Venezuela and Colombia steadily erode, the claims from Colombia are that Venezuela harbors terrorists, the usual pre-invasion propaganda. Colombia, then, provides the proxy and the plausible denial. Additionally, we have a case of "who's calling the shots." Uribe has his own agenda, and could very well be an architect of US policy in the Andes. How long did we really think an oligarchal administration, based on drugs, violence, and paramilitary activity, could tolerate a social revolution across its border?
Also of concern are the Venezuelan military participants in the kidnapping. The final piece of the puzzle is Venezuela's neighbor to the South, who with his targeting of Aristide supporters during the Brazilian leadership of the Haiti occupation, has shown himself more than willing to further the imperial agenda. With the Bush administration solidifying its foreign policy through the electoral win and recent inauguration, the window of opportunity is way open. That's what scares the living crap out of me.
Terrorist List
Submitted on January 20th, 2005 by Teofilo BallveI tried searching for an updated list of foreign terrorist organizations, but could not find one. Maybe the U.S. government has lost count.
Tupumaros
Submitted on January 20th, 2005 by Ron SmithTupamaro Controversy
Submitted on January 21st, 2005 by Ron Smith