Chavez says he voiced hope for U.S. thaw

[cal04]

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez said Saturday he had personally expressed hope to a high-ranking U.S. official for better relations between their two countries, just before meeting with Iran's hard-line, anti-American president.

Chavez, a frequent critic of the Bush administration, said he spoke with Thomas Shannon, head of the U.S. State Department's Western Hemisphere affairs bureau, on the sidelines of Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega's inauguration earlier this week.

"We shook hands and I told him: 'I hope that everything improves,'" Chavez said Saturday in his state of the nation address to government officials and legislators.

"I'm not anyone's enemy," he added.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070114/ap_on_re_la_am_ca/venezuela_chavez

[BayCityProgressive]

1. Impossible

he is a communist dictator far worse than Stalin. He must be stopped.:sarcasm:

[VegasWolf]

4. Exactly!! We AmeriKans must give more money to that fat Exxon CEO slob! He looks

like he is starving, poor thing!

:toast:

[Peace Patriot]

2. This AP article is so full of crap and corporate news monopoly editorializing,

I don't even know where to begin.

Try www.venezuelanalysis.com - for an antidote to this and other Bushite/Corporate diatribes that pass themselves off as "news." For instance:

Poll: Venezuelans Have Highest Regard for Their Democracy
Wednesday, Dec 20, 2006
By: Gregory Wilpert - Venezuelanalysis.com
http://www.venezuelanalysis.com/news.php?newsno=2179

And here is a more objective report and analysis of Chavez's new initiatives:

Chavez Announces Nationalizations, Constitutional Reform for Socialism in Venezuela
Monday, Jan 08, 2007
By: Gregory Wilpert – Venezuelanalysis.com
President Chavez speaks at the swearing-in ceremony of his new cabinet and outlines his plans for his second full term in office.
http://www.venezuelanalysis.com/news.php?newsno=2187

-------

I just want to point out one thing: Every one of Chavez's new initiatives is subject to votes in the National Assembly or by the general population, and Venezuela has the most closely monitored elections in the democratic world, as well as some of the best election practices. (For instance, they handcount 55% of the votes in elections, as a check against machine fraud, whereas we in the US handcount only 0% to 1%, depending on the stranglehold that Bushite corporations, Diebold and ES&S, have on local election officials and legislators--yes, in many states, we have ZERO check on voting machine fraud). If the Venezuelans want to take this left-turn toward more socialism, and they do it democratically, that is their right. The enemies of a more socialized Venezuela are, among others, George Bush and the Bush Junta, Exxon-Mobile, and all of the corporate news monopolies. Is socialism--or even communism--a bad word, if it is voted in by the people in transparent elections? I think not. I think the word for it is democracy. And one of the ways that this AP article is topsy-turvy, inside out and backwards--Alice in Wonderlandish writing--is that it doesn't point this out. Chavez is the CHOICE OF THE PEOPLE OF VENEZUELA. These policies are THEIR policies--or, we shall see to what extent they do reflect Venezuelan opinion when they are VOTED ON.

[SemperEadem]

3. In both Venezuela and in Nicaragua

the people themselves are voting for Socialism... and from the enormous crowd at Ortega's inauguration, it would seem that they are willing and ready for this type of democracy in their countries, no matter how far in the opposite direction Bush or this country's media want to spin it. I know that both Ortega is embracing a 'United Latin America' coalition, similar to the EU.. I think it's called ALBA or something to that effect.

Can't stop an idea whose time has come, that's for sure.

[Say_What]

5. ALBA: Bolivarian Alternative for Latin America and the Caribbean

and well they should be embracing a united LatAm.

<clips>

This document is a summary of information on the ALBA published by the Banco the Comercio Exterior (Bancoex)

The ALBA (Alternativa Bolivariana para las Américas), as its Spanish initials indicate, is a proposed alternative to the U.S.-sponsored Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA, ALCA in its Spanish initials), differing from the latter in that it advocates a socially-oriented trade block rather than one strictly based on the logic of deregulated profit maximization. ALBA appeals to the egalitarian principles of justice and equality that are innate in human beings, the well-being of the most dispossessed sectors of society, and a reinvigorated sense of solidarity toward the underdeveloped countries of the western hemisphere, so that with the required assistance, they can enter into trade negotiations on more favorable terms than has been the case under the dictates of developed countries.

By employing more effective mechanisms to eradicate poverty, ALBA—as proposed by the Venezuelan government—provides a counterweight to the policies and goals of the FTAA. This alternative model also identifies the most crucial impediments to achieve a genuine regional integration that transcends the prerogatives of the transnational corporations. One of the obstacles to confront is the deep disparity that exists in development between the countries of the hemisphere, whereby poor countries such as Haiti or Bolivia are compelled to compete with the world’s leading economic power. In order to help overcome trade disadvantages, ALBA pushes for solidarity with the economically weakest countries, with the aim of achieving a free trade area in which all of its members benefit (a win-win alliance).

Venezuela has voiced the need for identifying the economies with the greatest deficiencies and their principle requirements, arguing for a transfer of resources to the most underdeveloped countries so that these may develop the economic infrastructure they require to compete on more favorable terms with more developed economies. In order to do this, the corner stone in the design of the ALBA is the proposal for a “Compensatory Fund for Structural Convergence,” which would manage and distribute financial aid to the most economically vulnerable countries.

The ALBA favors endogenous development and rejects the type of employment that the sweatshop (maquiladora) industry generates because it does not contribute to the upsurge of the agricultural and industrial sectors of the poor countries and does not contribute to the elimination of poverty.

http://www.venezuelanalysis.com/docs.php?dno=1010

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

South American summit dreams of uniting continent’s governments, people

COCHABAMBA, Bolivia

Hopes for a continentwide trading community and a celebration of the region’s populist movements will highlight a two-day summit of South American leaders hosted by Bolivian President Evo Morales in this warm valley city.

Following a string of victories for Latin America’s emerging left, the Community of South American Nations, or CSN, summit begins Friday and will serve as a coming out party for Ecuadorean President-elect Rafael Correa, the newest face on the political block.

Correa will be joined by fellow election winners Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez and Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, both populists fresh off landslide wins. The left-leaning Chilean President Michelle Bachelet will also attend.

Though elected earlier this year on a center-left platform, Peru’s Alan Garcia will likely find himself alone on the opposite end of the political spectrum after verbally sparring with Chavez. Colombia’s Alvaro Uribe, a conservative president with strong ties to the United States, was expected to stay home to address an unraveling peace deal with right-wing paramilitary groups.

Center-left Argentine President Nestor Kirchner will also miss the event, but has not given a reason.

Outside the fancy hotel ballrooms, Morales has also convened a "complementary" summit of social movements from across the continent, hoping to grant the assembled Indian groups, trade unions, landless peasants, and local coca farmers a greater voice in South America’s future.

"We will hold meetings among both heads of state and leaders of social movements to create a cornerstone of the South American community," Morales said at a Thursday news conference. "Only together with the social movements can we guarantee a true South American community - not only among it states, but among its people as well."

Created in 2004 in the wake of the failed U.S.-backed Free Trade Agreement of the Americas, the summit aims to promote the continent’s own independent approach to trade and international relations.

http://www.bilaterals.org/article.php3?id_article=6664

[hogwyld]

6. Maybe it will spread here if we're lucky

We sure could use a LOT more people friendly policies in our government. I for one would welcome the nationalization of our resources to start. In the words of "The Donald"... Exxon/Mobil/Shell, etc. you're fired!

[OKthatsIT]

11. I support Socialism with some restraints.

Land grabs. I think this is where we all get upset. If the rich have all the land, then I say 'take it'...it was stolen from the people, anyway. But I have to disagree with systemic land grabs. I mention this because our own country(USA) is about to do huge land grabs for the NASCO/NAFTA HIGHWAY, designated to shoot through the center of our country.

I read Chavez is only taking land from the rich, who have hoarded it since the Spanish invaded hundreds of yrs ago.

[Say_What]

12. The Facts Regarding Chavez’s Land Reform

From COHA's analysis:

...to set limits on the size of landholdings, tax unused property as an incentive to spur agricultural growth, redistribute unused, primarily government-owned land to peasant families and cooperatives and, lastly, expropriate uncultivated and fallow land from large, private estates for the purpose of redistribution.

http://www.coha.org/NEW_PRESS_RELEASES/New_Press_Releases_2005/05.21%20Venezuela%20Land%20Reform%20the%20one.htm

[Judi Lynn]

7. Chavez Vows to Cut Venezuela Debt, Use Reserves in Social Fund

Chavez Vows to Cut Venezuela Debt, Use Reserves in Social Fund

By Theresa Bradley

Jan. 13 (Bloomberg) -- Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez today vowed to trim his nation's debt and funnel $8.7 billion of its international reserves from the central bank to a social spending fund as part of his plan to implement socialism in the oil-rich country.

``We could pay our entire foreign debt with the reserves we have if we wanted to -- that's one of our strengths,'' Chavez said in an annual address to the legislature today.

The use of central bank reserves to fund social spending projects echoes a pledge Chavez made this week to strip the central bank of its autonomy, calling bank independence a ``neoliberal'' concept counter to his vision for Venezuela. Lawmakers have also said the government plans to use international reserves to finance the nationalization of the country's largest and publicly held telephone, power and oil companies.
(snip/...)

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601086&sid=aPIZA0LsAbmM&refer=latin_america

[Judi Lynn]

8. Here are some details which get touched upon time after time in threads,

with the loudest voices always being the misinformed ones!

These points have been "discussed" lately, and need to be seen clearly. This recent article can help:

Beyond the panic among corporate circles is the simple fact that the plan to reverse privatisations is nothing more than the legitimate exercising of Venezuela’s right to national sovereignty. In the 1990s, thousands of formerly state-owned firms across Latin America shifted into the hands of multinational corporations — a direct factor in the impoverishment of millions across the continent.

The corporate media have largely ignored the fact that in the expropriations of idle land and firms that have occurred as part of the revolution so far, the former owners have all been fully compensated, as is required under Venezuelan law. Also, the plan to re-nationalise CANTV comes after Chavez threatened the firm with nationalisation last year unless it agreed to the demand of CANTV workers to obey Venezuelan law and raise pension payments to meet the minimum wage. CANTV cannot claim it wasn’t warned.
(snip/...)

http://www.greenleft.org.au/2007/694/36058

[Flanker]

9. What is also interesting is that the day before

a judge ruled that CANTV should only pay 30% of what it owed the workers, so much for the judiciary being in government hands, sadly it is in far worse hands... corruption.

[Judi Lynn]

10. Yikes! Sounds like the right-wing judges infesting our own court system!

Very pro-bidness, by all means, and screw the working man/woman.

That's a contemptible judgement. You'd think these people would be ashamed to have these actions on their personal records.

[SemperEadem]

13. In his inauguration speech

Chavez is very adamant about rooting out corruption at all levels of government--and for the Catholic church to butt out of state affairs. It was refreshing.