U.S. official: Venezuela democracy at risk

[sabra]

http://www.bradenton.com/mld/bradenton/news/politics/13193999.htm

U.S. official: Venezuela democracy at risk


Associated Press

WASHINGTON - Democracy in Venezuela is in grave peril because President Hugo Chavez is trying to concentrate power in his own hands, a top State Department official said Thursday.

Newly appointed Assistant Secretary of State Thomas Shannon, in charge of Latin American affairs, told a congressional committee that Chavez's government was "subverting democratic institutions by using them to restrict the rights of those who disagree with it, slowly undermining economic freedoms and rejecting the opportunities of globalization."

Shannon's remarks were the latest in a verbal battle between the Bush administration and Chavez. At this month's Summit of the Americas, Chavez led a protest against U.S. policies and opposed President Bush's efforts to win support for a hemisphere-wide free trade zone.

The Venezuelan government did not immediately respond to Shannon's comments.

[CottonBear]

1. Oh! The irony is killing me. n/t

[1932]

26. They need a new word to describe irony that is based on a lie.

It's one thing to say something true about someone else that describes yourself. It's another whole realm of insanity to say a lie about someone else that descrives yourself. Maybe they should call it "BushvGoreony."

[StopThief]

2. So what?

Chavez is in. . .they don't need any more elections.

[David__77]

21. What is your point?

Do you oppose elections in Venezuela? Hugo Chavez certainly does not. The Venezuelan republic is certainly more democratic than the U.S.--they can recall their public officials and have many more social rights.

[datadiva]

3. Mind your own business

Bushwad. Leave this people alone! Methinks repugs want their share of Venezuelas oil. Ya think?

[Tempest]

12. Poll: US 'should mind own business'

"The percentage of Americans who agree that the 'US should mind its own business internationally and let other countries get along the best they can on their own' has risen from 30% in 2002 to 42% currently," the poll, conducted by the Pew Research Centre in Washington, showed.

http://www.news24.com/News24/World/News/0,,2-10-1462_1836292,00.html

[jsamuel]

4. I don't like people who power grab. Bush has been doing it for 5 years

Chavez is power grabbing, but from corporations for the government rather than for the executive branch from the other branches.

[K-W]

8. Not to mention his support of local/community governance.

If Chavez is trying to consolidate power, then he must be some kind of an idiot, because he is doing a pretty poor job of it.

[Realityhack]

17. Ding! n/t

[Jacobin]

5. Actually, that's true. At risk from a coup d'etat staged by Bush's

minions.

Hell, they tried it 18 months ago and started celebrating in the WH until he came back to office after a day.

Fuckwads

[saigon68]

6. President Hugo Chavez will be murdered by the NEOCONS

If they have their way

[katinmn]

7. Looks like a good reason to invade. Bring 'em Amerkun democracy

:eyes:

[rocktivity]

9. Rocknation: Venezuela democracy at risk from U.S. Pretzel-Dunce

:evilgrin:
rocknation

[bemildred]

10. Continuing the failed policies of the past, I see. nt

[annabanana]

11. If an administration "U.S. Official" says it is...

than I guess it is NOW....

(duck and cover Hugo baby)

[sofa king]

13. Oh, yes, democracy is indeed at risk.

Venezuela coup linked to Bush team

http://observer.guardian.co.uk/international/story/0,6903,688071,00.html

The failed coup in Venezuela was closely tied to senior officials in the US government, The Observer has established. They have long histories in the 'dirty wars' of the 1980s, and links to death squads working in Central America at that time.

_______________________

US Supports Anti-Democratic Forces in Venezuela Recall

http://www.venezuelanalysis.com/articles.php?artno=1241

In the case of Venezuela, "strengthening democratic institutions" has meant financing groups that helped carry out the failed coup attempt against Chavez in April 2002. Coup leaders representing the traditional oligarchy in Venezuela, and their supporters in the U.S. government, saw a "problem": Chavez is genuinely interested in a fairer distribution of wealth and refuses to subordinate his country to U.S. policy. Their "solution" was a coup that lasted for 48 hours, during which an illegal decree installed a businessman as president and dissolved the National Assembly and the Supreme Court. The United States quickly backed the coup, until loyal officers and civilian groups restored Chavez to office.

In the continued quest to promote "democracy," the NED kept funding some of those same opposition figures as they shifted to a strategy of work stoppages and lockouts aimed at crippling the country's vital oil industry. When that failed to dislodge Chavez, they finally took up a legal route, the recall election. (Documents regarding NED funding obtained through the Freedom of Information Act are available online at: www.venezuelafoia.info)

___________________

Venezuelan opposition demands recount of votes

http://www.voltairenet.org/article121850.html

Opposition leaders in Venezuela are calling for a recount of referendum results despite repeated assurances by both the Carter Center and the Organization of American States (OAS), long-standing international observers in Venezuela, that their numbers coincide with those announced by Venezuela’s national electoral authority (CNE) that gives President Hugo Chavez a win over recall efforts.

______________________

Yeah, that's what America stands for now. The right of the wealthy oligarchy to snatch democracy from the hands of the people. And why not? It's what got the Bush Administration in power in the first place and kept them there.

[ChavezSpeakstheTruth]

14. One word - oil

very simple







Redstone

[dethl]

15. Me: U.S. official has head up ass

[Megahurtz]

16. Oh Shut The Fuck Up Shannon!!!

Nobody's listening anymore.:boring:

[phusion]

18. Good luck trying to convince most Venezuelans of this (See Poll):

http://www.vheadline.com/readnews.asp?id=46803

The Venezuelan Information Office (VIO): People in Venezuela consider their country "totally democratic" more than any other nation in Latin America, according to region-wide survey results released last week.

The annual poll, conducted by Chilean firm Latinobarometro, is based on 20,000 face-to-face interviews in 18 Latin American countries.

Pollsters found this year that while enthusiasm for democratic governments has generally declined throughout the hemisphere, Venezuela is bucking the trend, fueled by new optimism in the economy and overall satisfaction with government.

[Zorra]

19. At risk because of impending US invasion maybe?

Republicans are what threatens democracy worldwide

Shannon should be more worried about regaining democracy in the US...oh, yeah...fascists don´t like democracy.

[bemildred]

20. Chavez relies on confrontation: US

In a new charge, the top US diplomat for Latin America, Thomas Shannon, said Mr Chavez relied on confrontation to fuel the nationalist passions of his key support base, the majority poor.

Mr Chavez's strategy is "based on confrontation and conflict, and in order to sustain it over time it requires an ever-increasing search for enemies", the assistant secretary of state for Western Hemisphere affairs told the Us Congress.

"And I believe that the anti-American rhetoric by the president is part of a larger effort to get his constituency mobilised," he said.

The charge was the latest from a Bush administration that has sought to stigmatise Mr Chavez but has failed to enlist Latin American governments in opposing a leader popular with many in the region for rejecting US free-trade policies.

http://www.news.com.au/story/0,10117,17285064-38199,00.html

[oregonindy]

22. Only from the U.S. government

[ninkasi]

23. This is pathetic on the administration's part...

I just finished another article in LBN, showing that Venezuela's economy is growing at over 9%. Compared to the nightmare we face, with jobs leaving, more people in poverty, for Bush to keep scolding Chavez is indeed ironic. I'm sure the rest of the world wonders when Americans will wake up, and get these idiots out of office.

Edit to include link to article about Venezuela's economy.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x1932243

[Kralizec]

24. LIES!!! LIES!!! LIES!!!

[1932]

25. How? They are devolving power to a government structure that is MORE REPRE

SENTATIVE of the public. How is that concentrating power? How is it undemocratic?

[IndianaGreen]

27. "rejecting the opportunities of globalization"

Do these people ever tell the truth about anything or anyone? How dare any American official representing an unelected regime dare to accuse the democratically elected Chavez of being undemocratic?