Chavez grants amnesty to 2002 coup opponents

[Judi Lynn]

Source: Xinhua

Chavez grants amnesty to 2002 coup opponents

www.chinaview.cn 2008-01-01 15:12:32

CARACAS, Dec. 31 (Xinhua) -- Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez on Monday granted an amnesty to many prisoners, especially to his opponents accused of backing a failed 2002 coup against him.

Chavez said the amnesty decree would also pardon others accused of attempting to overthrow the government or to murder him in recent years.

"Nobody (in Venezuela) can talk about political prisoners," Chavez told state television on New Year's Eve. "It's a matter of turning the page ... We want a country that moves toward peace."

"We want there to be a strong ideological and political debate but in peaceful conditions." he added.




Read more: http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2008-01/01/content_7348003.htm

[Radical Activist]

1. But he's a brutal dictator!

Keep saying it until everyone is convinced!

[Occulus]

21. Notice, the Chavez haters aren't here.

This action puts the lie to just about everything they have ever said about him.

Bookmark this thread, and whenever someone calls him a dick-tater, whip it out and smack 'em with it.

The *thread*, people. The *thread*.

[last1standing]

2. That communist bastard!

Chavez isn't the second coming, but he's not the precursor to it either. This is a good thing and is a sign of a man who believes in democracy.

[Judi Lynn]

3. DU'ers may recall Chavez pardoned Colombian paramilitaries involved in a coup attempt against him,

Venezuela's Chavez pardons Colombian prisoners accused in plot
The Associated Press
Published: August 30, 2007

CARACAS, Venezuela: President Hugo Chavez on Thursday pardoned dozens of Colombians imprisoned in Venezuela on charges of involvement in an alleged 2004 plot against his government.

The order to free the 41 prisoners took effect with its publication in the government's official gazette that dismissed their convictions on charges of military rebellion.

Chavez announced his decision to free the prisoners last week as a goodwill gesture as he tries to help broker an unrelated prisoner and hostage exchange between Colombia's government and leftist rebels.

In May 2004, 118 Colombians were arrested at a ranch outside Caracas. Authorities said they were wearing Venezuelan military uniforms and were suspected of belonging to paramilitary group that was plotting to create chaos in the country and assassinate Chavez.

More:
http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/08/30/america/LA-GEN-Venezuela-Colombia.php







Their temporary quarters on the ranch
of Cuban-Venezuelan (with Miami ties)
Roberto Alonso, brother of actress Maria Conchita Alonso.

Venezuela frees Colombians convicted in alleged 2004 plot against Chavez

SAN ANTONIO, Venezuela (AP) — More than two dozen Colombian prisoners arrested three years ago in an alleged plot to assassinate President Hugo Chavez were freed Saturday after being pardoned by the Venezuelan leader.

The 27 Colombians were serving prison terms after being convicted of military rebellion. They were among more than 100 Colombians arrested in 2004 on accusations of plotting to stage a rebellion and assassinate Chavez.

Justice Minister Pedro Carreno, who shook hands with each of the prisoners at a ceremony, said that with Chavez's pardon "a beautiful message is being sent to the world."
The young men were then met by Colombian authorities and boarded a bus to take them across the nearby border to Colombia.

Chavez called the pardons a goodwill gesture that he hopes will spur an exchange of prisoners between the Colombian government and leftist rebels.

"There were people who were caressing the idea of assassinating me, and some continue to . . . and in this case (they were) fooling a group of boys," Chavez said of the young prisoners during a meeting with President Alvaro Uribe in Colombia late Friday.

More:
http://72.14.205.104/search?q=cache:6M1Pcl0avvsJ:news.findlaw.com/ap/i/630/09-02-2007/012a0018eb2dfbb3.html+More+than+two+dozen+Colombian+prisoners+arrested+three+years+ago+in+an+alleged+plot+to+assassinate+President+Hugo+Chavez+were+freed+Saturday+after+being+pardoned+by+the+Venezuelan+leader.&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=2&gl=us

[Judi Lynn]

4. AP: Chavez Pardons Those Accused of Coup

Chavez Pardons Those Accused of Coup
10 hours ago

CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) — President Hugo Chavez granted amnesty Monday to those accused of involvement in a failed 2002 coup that briefly drove him from power.

Chavez said he signed an amnesty decree that would also pardon others accused in suspected attempts to overthrow the government or assassinate him. It was not immediately clear how many accused opponents would be affected by the amnesty.
(snip)

Chavez read aloud the law, which grants amnesty to those who signed a decree recognizing the interim government that briefly took power during the 2002 coup. Chavez was ousted by dissident military officers, but within two days he was returned to the presidency loyalist generals amid protests by his supporters in the streets.

Opponents accused of violently taking over the state television channel would also fall under the amnesty, along with those who sought to violently sabotage oil tanker ships during an opposition-led strike that followed the coup.

More:
http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5iaZxjPDMi6wSRyvmNFMuiCcsaX-QD8TSMP680

[niceypoo]

5. Chavez is the leftist buffoon

He, Bush and Ahmadinejad are the three stooges. They are the three clowns of the apocalypse.

[ima_sinnic]

6. nominated for most ignorant post of 2008

happy new year

[provis99]

7. welcome to the ignore button

Congratulations; you're the first person in 2008 on DU I will never hear from again!

[Name removed]

8. Deleted message

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

[harmonicon]

17. I post a lot while drunk, and it sure isn't the most clear

but one thing being drunk has never done is causing my head to actually go up my asshole and get lodged in my colon.

[Occulus]

20. .

:spray:

:rofl:

[pepperbear]

27. that happened to my 2nd cousins wife's minister.....

he couldn't remove it for a week, and when he did, he'd lost his sense if taste and smell.

It was horrific.

[dipsydoodle]

9. Not quite sure

whether to laugh at you or simply pity you.

[indimuse]

10. oh boy..

Happy New Year All!:party:

[boricua79]

15. you make no sense

The three men you mentioned have absolutely nothing in common.

1) One is the leader of a theocratic state and elected within the confines of a restricted democratic process (Iran). He is also a religious extremist.

2) One is the leader of the world's most powerful nation and a semi-functional democracy. He is a right-wing, religious-believer.

3) One is the leader of a South American nation flush with oil, and at the head of one of latin America's most prominent people's democracy movements. He is also a leftist.

I do not see the commonalities that would make these three share any apocalypse.

Either you forgot the sarcasm button, or you're talking out of your ass.

[bitchkitty]

19. One thing I do not like about political forums -

sometimes I feel as if I'm surrounded by morons. You're the first one today - I have a feeling it's going to be a long day...

[fascisthunter]

23. Bah duh erp fart

:crazy:

[Bacchus39]

46. agreed

Chavez was pardoned himself too

what's the big deal??

[classysassy]

56. Bush

is in a class all alone.

[Judi Lynn]

11. Venezuela's Chavez grants amnesty in coup

Venezuela's Chavez grants amnesty in coup
Tue Jan 1, 2008 5:57am IST

CARACAS (Reuters) - Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez said on Monday he will pardon opponents accused of participating in a coup that ousted him briefly five years ago, a conciliatory move after a stinging electoral defeat this month.

Chavez said he would publish the law in a day or so to show the government did not persecute its political rivals.
(snip)

It was not immediately clear how may people would benefit from the amnesty, which also wipes the legal slate for people involved in a shutdown of the South American nation's vital oil industry and smaller attacks on the government.

The left-wing Chavez has long faced fierce opposition from middle-class and wealthy sectors of society who have been sidelined by his policies, which are focused on the poor who make up the bulk of his supporters.

More:
http://in.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idINIndia-31191820080101

[Joanne98]

12. Generous. Something unheard of in these dark days. He'll probably get attacked

for being "soft on crime".

[Mika]

13. Obviously, Chavez has gone soft. Or, THEY got to him.

:sarcasm:

[boricua79]

14. mighty benevolent of him

Would Bush do that to someone who had attempted to overthrow the U.S. government?

Furthermore, I think he may rue the day he pardon them. Those snakes will be at it again as soon as they can. I sure hope he doesn't rue the day like Batista did when he freed Fidel.

[NashVegas]

22. Don't Be Silly - Of Course Bush Would Pardon Himself

Actually, he'd never let himself even get investigated, sowhatamisayin'?

[marmar]

16. Doesn't Hugo know? You're only supposed to pardon those who outed covert intelligence agents.

What is he running down there, a democracy or something?

[ima_sinnic]

18. while it is maganimous and perhaps the only right thing to do, it will

probably come back to bite him in the butt.
Didn't Ortega's pardon of contras in Nicaragua later work against him? (I have only a vague memory of something about pardoned saboteurs playing a large part in his defeat in US-forced "elections" in about 1991).
Here in the States we are the constant victims of repeat criminals going back to the assassinations of JFK, RFK and Martin Luther King Jr, Watergate, October Surprise hostage release, Iran-Contra, and 9/11 who should have been hanged long ago for the unpunished traitors and plunderers they continue to be.

[fascisthunter]

24. Good for Venezuela... Those involved in that coup are lucky

fascist piss ants that they are.

[TankLV]

25. Dictator!

Damn democracy...

[Clanfear]

26. Did anyone pardon Chavez after his coup attempt?

Oh yes, by that fascist pig, Caldera.

[killbotfactory]

29. Probably because the person he tried to overthrow, Carlos Perez

was corrupt to the core, responsible for brutal repression in the Caracazo riots (in which the state ended up killing nearly 3000 people), and ultimately imprisoned for his corruption. As you might imagine, governments which are responsible for brutal repression against their own citizens aren't exactly popular with said citizens.

[Clanfear]

31. In all fairness

It isn't like the Chavez regime hasn't been accused of much the same.

[ret5hd]

34. Accusations and reality are sometimes very different.

[killbotfactory]

35. He hasn't cracked down violently on political dissent

the worst he has done is bump a television station off the public airwaves and onto cable and satellite. Corruption is a problem with every government on earth, and isn't unique to Venezuela.

There have been violent confrontation between both sides of the political debate, and that is regrettable, but hopefully this measure and the defeat of the referendum calms people down.

Hell, even despite Chavez, wealthy landowners have been murdering peasant leaders who are trying to claim unused land to farm, and the overall homicide rate is too high. I've seen people try to blame Chavez for this, but, honestly, he's not a dictator and doesn't have control over every aspect of Venezuelan society, and most of the serious problem predate him and are a result of the deliberate impoverishment of the Venezuelan people under various "free-market" reforms. When he was elected, the poverty rate was somewhere around 50-60%, and that's just insane for a country with the natural resources Venezuela has.

[Clanfear]

51. Violently. How about economically?

There have been numerous reports verified by outside sources of people who signed the recall petition that have lost their jobs or had their incomes lowered because of their signing the petition.

[Flanker]

54. Verified as in anecdotal? how quaint

nm

[Mika]

55. Well, some people say.

:eyes:

[Warren Stupidity]

44. Yeah except the other guy actually did this shit.

sheesh. "In all fairness" - prelude to the unfair.

[boricua79]

47. accused, but often not proven

accusations of abuse or corruption in the Chavez regime have often been very weak in the evidence side.

Call Chavez what you want, but he's nothing like the previous leaders who ruled Venezuela. Stating as much shows a lot of ignorance of Venezuelan history.

[Clanfear]

52. I think Chavez is much better

Than previous regimes there. But to suggest that his government is not rife with corruption and does not punish dissent is also an exhibition of ignorance.

[Honeycombe8]

28. Why do we care what Venezuela does re their prisoners? nt

[killbotfactory]

30. He's the next Castro!

:rofl:

[Mika]

32. Well, Castro did release the captured Bay of Pigs invaders.

:thumbsup:

[killbotfactory]

36. That I didn't know

And with the wonderful job our media does in reporting the situation in Cuba (and Latin America in general), I'm very surprised I didn't know that.



:sarcasm: :sarcasm: :sarcasm: :sarcasm:

[boricua79]

48. and they later became the Orlando Boschs and Felix Rodriguez

who would continue to harrass the regime.

[Mika]

50. Sad but true that once again the Cuban gov took the high road, while the US gov took the low road.

The Orlando Boschs, Felix Rodriguez', and Luis Posadas all were trained by the US gov (CIA) to carry out their heinous terrorist activities. If not them, it would have been others. There always seems to be bloodthirsty goons, like them, for hire, to do the bidding of the CIA.

It was the US gov providing the impetus for Batista's blood soaked regime.
It was the US gov providing the impetus for the Bay of Pigs invasion.
It is the US gov providing the impetus for virtually all of the anti Cuba activities from '59 until today.
No other country. The US gov.




-

[mogster]

33. K&R n/t

[AlphaCentauri]

37. Are there going to be heading for Florida?

That could be their natural habitat.

:sarcasm:

[Judi Lynn]

40. There's already a bunch of very wealthy Venezuelans living in South Florida already.

They've bonded with the right-wing fascist "exiles" with whom they have so much in common.

Several years ago, when the rest of the world was demonstrating in the streets against _Bush's imminent war on Iraq, in Miami the right-winger idiot "exiles" threw a parade featuring two of the coup plotting P.O.S.'s from Venezuela as their guests of honor.

South Florida Sun-Sentinel
March 28, 2004
Venezuelans, Cubans demand democracy in their homelands at Miami march



Former opposition leaders Carlos Fernandez, at center with raised
thumb, and Carlos Ortega, in a white Venezuela T-shirt, move to
the front of the protest march as it heads east on Calle Ocho, Miami.
The two men helped lead a national strike in their homeland.



Marchers in Little Havana demanded international help and denounced
the governments in Venezuela and Cuba as “serious threats” to Latin
America.
http://www.latinamericanstudies.org/venezuela/march.htm

[treestar]

38. That dictator! He's at it again.

:sarcasm:

[David__77]

39. I don't agree with that.

I think they should have had televised trials and strung them up in the town square. Everyone who signed that book endorsing the coup should have been prosecuted and barred from civic life.

[Judi Lynn]

41. Instead of being strung up, they've been flown to Washington, D.C. and treated like dignitaries

by _{George W. Bush.} Figures, doesn't it?





Maria Corina Machado, of U.S. taxpayer supported opposition group Sumate.
Yeah, he couldn't have oozed more unctuous good-ol'-boy, back-slapping chuminess than he did in bringing chunks of excrement like Maria Corina Machado into the White House of the United States on the taxpayers' dime.

[Clanfear]

53. She's a chunk of excrement

Just because she dared try to remove ole dear Chavez from power, much like he did Perez. I guess by that thinking our hero Chavez is just as big a chunk of excement. Huh?

[Mika]

58. She is a chunk of excrement.

Not just because she dared try to remove Chavez from power, but also because she is a right wing Bush supporting turd. :hurts:




-

[Selatius]

59. Nope. Perez and Maria were never supported by the people.

If the size of a hunk of shit is a determining factor in how bad a person is, Maria and Perez are several magnitudes worse. There's no parity at all, given that they were never supported by a majority of the people.

[boricua79]

49. I wouldn't go so far as stringing them up

but I'd certainly tar and feather their political life by showing, conclusively and fairly, that they had been willing to subvert constitutional rule to pursue their goals. That should be enough to invalidate them in the eyes of the majority of their nation.

[Warren Stupidity]

42. See! See! HE HAD PRISONERS! DICTATOR!

BAD CHAVEZ

[Matilda]

43. I hope he doesn't live to reget it.

n/t

[Judi Lynn]

45. Venezuela president grants amnesty to accused coup supporters

Tuesday, January 01, 2008

Venezuela president grants amnesty to accused coup supporters
Mike Rosen-Molina at 11:35 AM ET

{JURIST} Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez has signed a decree granting amnesty to anyone involved in an aborted 2002 coup against him, as well as other attempts to assassinate him or overthrow the government, Chavez said in a Monday phone call to state television. The law would grant amnesty to anyone who signed a declaration in support of interim President Pedro Carmona during the coup. Chavez described the amnesty as a way of "turning the page."

In 2004, Venezuelan prosecutor Danilo Anderson was killed by a car bomb; Chavez said that Venezuelan exiles in the US were behind the assassination . The killing was supposedly aimed at halting the prosecution of those who supported the 2002 coup against Chavez, which was followed by a two-month national strike and Chavez's triumphant return to power. Anderson was preparing a case against nearly 400 people who had signed a declaration supporting Carmona.

http://jurist.law.pitt.edu/paperchase/2008/01/venezuela-president-grants-amnesty-to.php

[Anarcho-Socialist]

57. Those calling Chavez a dictator have been proved wrong

I hope he continues down a progressive path.