Venezuela Cites Security in Chavez Summit No Show

[magbana]

Source: Reuters

Venezuela cites security in Chavez summit no show
Fri Aug 1, 2008 7:42pm BST

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CARTAGENA, Colombia, Aug 1 (Reuters) - Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez failed to show up for a narcotics summit of Latin American leaders on Friday and his government said he did not attend because of security concerns.

Chavez, a fierce foe of the United States who often blasts U.S. counter-narcotics efforts in the region, had said on Thursday he would attend the summit led by Colombia, Mexico and other Latin American and Caribbean nations to debate cooperation against trafficking and drug-related violence.

"Security reasons have prompted us to decide that President Hugo Chavez should not participate directly and he has sent a delegation instead," Venezuelan Foreign Minister Nicolas Maduro told reporters on arriving in the Caribbean city of Cartagena.

Chavez, a self-styled revolutionary, has called the U.S. war against drugs a failure and an "imperialist" attempt to gain a foothold in Latin America.

Edited to 4 paragraphs to conform to DU's guidelines concerning fair use of copyrighted material. (3-4 paragraphs + link)
Lithos
DU Moderator

http://uk.reuters.com/article/latestCrisis/idUKN0149985020080801

http://snipurl.com/392cf

Read more: http://uk.reuters.com/article/latestCrisis/idUKN0149985020080801

[maddezmom]

1. magbana

Please be aware that DU copyright rules require that excerpts of copyrighted material be limited to four paragraphs. :hi:

[roody]

2. I'm glad he is taking care of himself.

What is a "self-styled revolutionary"? Can I be one?

[davidinalameda]

3. he sent his people but didn't go himself?

so he's hiding in his bunker while he puts his people in harm's (allegedly) way

sounds like our glorious president

[Tempest]

5. His people wouldn't be in harm's way

No one would try to take out Dana Perino if Bush was the target, for example.

You'd wait for another opportunity.

[davidinalameda]

6. so killing his people wouldn't send some sort of message?

[Tempest]

8. I don't believe so

Not in Chavez's case.

Especially when you consider the coup attempt. They went right for Chavez and ignored his people.

[Peace Patriot]

21. Actually that's not true. They were hunting down members of his cabinet,

and the VP and others went into hiding. The U.S./Bush-backed rightwing fuckwads not only kidnapped Chavez and took him away, they suspended the Constitution, the National Assembly, the courts and all civil rights, they were trying to round up the members of Chavez's government, and their next move would have been to start torturing and executing them, a la Pinochet. When tens of thousands of Venezuelans went into the streets and surrounded Miraflores Palace, demanding restoration of their Constitution and the return of their elected president, and the loyal members of the military then came forward and took back the Palace (the seat of government), the VP and other cabinet members came out of hiding, and restored the legitimate government, with the VP as president, until they could find out what had happened to Chavez.

RCTV (fuckwad rightwing corporate 'news' station) broadcast the lie, on behalf of the coupsters, that Chavez had resigned. He had not resigned--but that was part of the coup scenario (that they would force him to sign a resignation--which he refused to do). They had also hosted coup meetings, and coup broadcasts, and had doctored video footage to make it look like Chavez supporters were shooting people. (See "The Revolution Will Not Be Televised"--the Irish filmmakers' documentary; they were on the spot when it happened.) This is why the Chavez government later denied RCTV a license renewal for use of the public airwaves--the only such denial they have ever issued. Is there any worse misuse of the public airwaves than to support a fascist coup against the legitimate government?

However, you are certainly correct that Chavez is a particular target of the Bush Junta and its death squad cronies in Colombia. One assassination plot against Chavez, hatched within the Colombian military, was exposed. (President Uribe was obliged to apologize for it, in a four hour meeting with Chavez). Caches of arms have been discovered in Venezuela, and hired soldiers--origin, Colombia--that were likely part of an assassination/coup plot. I read one AP report (a journalist who actually traveled with Chavez--a report that other corporate 'news' monopolies never picked up), in which Chavez describes how his private life has been severely curtailed by necessary security. (He said something like, "I don't have a private life.")

The Colombian military and its death squads must be particularly agitated against Chavez these days, because their plot to hand Chavez a diplomatic disaster, with dead hostages, failed. Last year, Uribe asked Chavez to negotiate with the FARC guerrillas for hostage releases. When Chavez was successful in that negotiation, and the first two of six hostages were about to be released (12/1/07), the Colombian military (or possibly the U.S. military--or both), bombed the location of the first two hostages, as they were in route to their freedom, driving them back on a 20 mile hike into the jungle. Chavez got them out later, by a different route--along with four more--at which point (3/1/08) the Colombian military (using ten U.S. "smart bombs" and high tech U.S. military surveillance--and possibly U.S. aircraft and personnel--likely orchestrated from the "war room" in the U.S. Embassy in Bogota) bombed the camp of the chief FARC hostage negotiator, Raul Reyes, just inside Ecuador's border, murdering him and 24 other people in their sleep, and nearly starting a war with Ecuador. Reyes was about to release high profile hostage, Ingrid Betancourt--this was back on March 1--when the U.S./Colombia took him out. Thus ended Chavez's successful hostage negotiations--which had been lauded by the president of France and other world leaders, human rights groups and the hostages' families. All talk of a peaceful end to Colombia's 40+ year civil war also was killed, with Reyes. (The civil war and the cocaine trade are the Colombian military's gravy train--$6 BILLION in Bushite/U.S. taxpayer military aid.)

Their plot to embarrass and sully Chavez had failed. They then came up with the "miracle laptop" (later, laptopS), which they claimed they had retrieved from Reyes' bombed out camp, and Uribe began making wild charges against Chavez and leaking "evidence" from the laptopS, for instance, that Chavez was helping the FARC obtain a "dirty bomb" (--Chavez, who has harmed no one). Greg Palast exposed one item. They claimed that the number "300" combined with the word "dossier" meant that Chavez gave $300,000 to the FARC. I figure Donald Rumsfeld's* "Office of Special Plans" is alive and well and now applying itself to stealing Venezuela's oil reserves.

Recently, I heard a Q&A on C-span, with Colombian Defense Minister Santos in DC. Someone asked him about a recent meeting between Uribe and Chavez, in which they "buried the hatchet" and announced some positive Colombian/Venezuelan projects (a railroad, for instance). Santos had publicly criticized this meeting, undermining his own president (for which he was rebuked). Santos replied, and I quote: "I promised on this trip never to mention the C word."

It's obvious from all this that Chavez is particularly hated by the Bushites and the Colombian military (and death squads--the most extreme fascists and mercenaries). He has successfully survived their every treacherous scheme. But I think it should be stressed that, while Chavez is an important leader of the peaceful, democratic revolution that has occurred in South America, the Bushwhacks are faced with a "Sorcerer's Apprentice" situation, with strong leftists getting elected all over the continent--most recently in Paraguay (of all places!)--and with ordinary citizens and voters, grass roots community leaders, union leaders, social justice groups and others--the vast majority of the people--in determined rebellion against U.S./corporate domination. It might make Freepers everywhere cheerful for a day--if an assassination plot against Chavez succeeded--but it would not change this political landscape, except to solidify the new leftist leadership and their countries even more.

"The times they are a-changin'."

-----------

"The Smart Way to Beat Tyrants Like Chávez," by Donald Rumsfeld, 12/1/07
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/11/30/AR2007113001800.html

[Name removed]

7. Deleted message

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

[davidinalameda]

17. I am calling Chavez a coward

Chavez is only fighting a good fight for himself and his cronies

[Peace Patriot]

20. You sound disappointed, Dwickham--either because they didn't get him, or

because Chavez was such a dashing caudillo hero to you, that you expected him to brave the Blackwater marksmen, or Defense Minister Santos' death squad pals, and go in with blazing Zorro sword to slay the dragon of the goddamn "war on drugs."

Which is it? You want him dead? Or he's your hero? I can't think of any other reason for anyone to call the president of a country a "coward" because the security in Colombia (where 39 union leaders have been murdered by the Colombian military or their death squads this year alone) sucks.

[AlphaCentauri]

9. well you know in Colombia bombs fall from the sky

there are plenty of volunteer who would do the job for 20 millions

[Judi Lynn]

10. People would respect your comments if they believed you speak from an informed position.

Most DU'ers who participate in these threads on Latin America are more than familiar with movement against Chavez by right-wingers from the very first. Do yourself a favor and get some background on subjects you attempt to discuss:

The Venezuelan elite imports soldiers
by Marta Harnecker
May 23, 2004

~snip~
A week earlier, on the 9th of May, on the outskirts of Caracas, a paramilitary force was discovered, dressed in field uniforms. Later, more were found, raising the total to 130, leaving open the possibility that there are still more in the country. The three Colombian paramilitary leaders of the group are members of the Autonomous Self-Defense Forces (AUC) in Northern Santander state in Colombia.

Some of the captured Colombian fighters have a long history as members of paramilitary forces. Others are reservists of the Colombian army and yet others were specifically recruited for the task in Venezuela and were surely tricked. Among these there are several who are minors.

~snip~
The government denounced the existence of an international plot in which the governments of the United States and of Colombian would be involved. U.S. Ambassador Shapiro denied that his country had any participation in the incident. And the Colombian president, for his part, solidarized himself with the Venezuelan government, affirming that he supports its actions against the members of the irregular Colombian military group, which then caused Chavez to publicly announce that he was convinced that President Alvaro Uribe did not have anything to do with the plot, even though he insisted on leveling charges against a Colombian general by the name of Carreño.

Even though the oppositional media conducted a big campaign to minimize the issue, trying to accuse the government of having organized a montage, so as to have a pretext for taking forceful measures that would impede a confrontation at the voting booth, every day more evidence surfaces that confirm the official version.

The Colombian attorney general's office has evidence that proves that paramilitary fighters were recruited and then transported to Venezuela and that extreme right-wing groups infiltrated intelligence services in the border town of Cúcuta. The proof was shown on the news program 'The Independent Network.' The program broadcast some intercepted recordings of paramilitary soldiers in Cúcuta, in which the operations they carried out in Venezuelan territory are reviewed.
(snip)

http://www.zmag.org/content/showarticle.cfm?ItemID=5579

By the way, the recently removed head of Uribe's national security department has ADMITTED recently he knew of this. It was discussed fully here, over and over.



Colombian paramilitaries captured at a ranch owned by Cuban right-wing “exile” Roberto Alonso

January 25, 2005

The Granda Kidnapping Explodes
The US / Colombia Plot Against Venezuela
By JAMES PETRAS

A major diplomatic and political conflict has exploded between Colombia and Venezuela after the revelation of a Colombian government covert operation in Venezuela, involving the recruitment of Venezuelan military and security officers in the kidnapping of a Colombian leftist leader. Following an investigation by the Venezuelan Ministry of Interior and reports and testimony from journalists and other knowledgeable political observers it was determined that the highest echelons of the Colombian government, including President Uribe, planned and executed this onslaught on Venezuelan sovereignty.

Once direct Colombian involvement was established, the Venezuelan government demanded a public apology from the Colombian government while seeking a diplomatic solution by blaming Colombian Presidential advisers. The Colombian regime took the offensive, launching an aggressive defense of its involvement in the violation of Venezuelan sovereignty and, beyond that, seeking to establish in advance, under the rationale of "national security" the legitimacy of future acts of aggression. As a result President Chavez has recalled the Venezuelan Ambassador from Bogota, suspended all state-to-state commercial and political agreements pending an official state apology. In response the US Government gave unconditional support to Colombian violation of Venezuelan sovereignty and urged the Uribe regime to push the conflict further. What began as a diplomatic conflict over a specific incident has turned into a major, defining crises in US and Latin American political relations with potentially explosive military, economic and political consequences for the entire region.

In justifying the kidnapping of Rodrigo Granda, the Colombian leftist leader, the Uribe regime has promulgated a new foreign policy doctrine which echoes that of the Bush Administration: the right of unilateral intervention in any country in which the Colombian government perceives or claims is harboring or providing refuge to political adversaries (which the regime labels as "terrorists") which might threaten the security of the state. The Uribe doctrine of unilateral intervention echoes the preventive war speech, enunciated in late 2001 by President Bush. Clearly Uribe's action and pronouncement is profoundly influenced by the dominance that Washington exercises over the Uribe regime's policies through its extended $3 billion dollar military aid program and deep penetration of the entire political-defense apparatus.

Uribe's offensive military doctrine involves several major policy propositions:

1.) The right to violate any country's sovereignty, including the use of force and violence, directly or in cooperation with local mercenaries.

2.) The right to recruit and subvert military and security officials to serve the interests of the Colombian state.

3.) The right to allocate funds to bounty hunters or "third parties" to engage in illegal violent acts within a target country.

4.) The assertion of the supremacy of Colombian laws, decrees and policies over and against the sovereign laws of the intervened country
(snip)

http://www.counterpunch.org/petras01252005.html

More captured Colombian paramilitaries

Published on Monday, May 17,
by the Agence France Presse
Thousands Protest Colombian Paramilitary Presence in Venezuela
Chavez to Set up 'People's Militia'

President Hugo Chavez announced his government would establish "people's militias" to counter what he called foreign interference after an alleged coup plot by Colombian paramilitaries Caracas claims was financed by Washington.

Chavez also said he would boost the strength of Venezuela's armed forces as part of a new "anti-imperialist" phase for his government.

"Each and every Venezuelan man and woman must consider themselves a soldier," said Chavez.

"Let the organization of a popular and military orientation begin from today."

The president's announcement came a week after authorities arrested 88 people described as Colombian paramilitaries holed up on property belonging to a key opposition figure.
(snip/...)

http://www.commondreams.org/headlines04/0517-04.htm

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

12.30pm update

Colombian paramilitaries arrested in Venezuela

Jeremy Lennard and agencies
Monday May 10, 2004

Venezuelan police have arrested more than 70 Colombian paramilitary fighters who were allegedly plotting to strike against the government in Caracas, according to the country's president, Hugo Chávez.
Opposition leaders, however, were quick to dismiss the president's claim, calling the raids on a farm less than 10 miles from the capital a ruse to divert attention from their efforts to oust Mr Chávez in a recall vote.

During his weekly radio and TV broadcast, Hello Mr President, Mr Chávez said that 53 paramilitary fighters were arrested at the farm early on Sunday and another 24 were picked up after fleeing into the countryside.
The country's security forces were uncovering additional clues and searching for more suspects, he said, adding that the arrests were proof of a conspiracy against his government involving Cuban and Venezuelan exiles in Florida and neighbouring Colombia.
(snip/...)

http://www.guardian.co.uk/venezuela/story/0,,1213445,00.html



Temporary quarters on
Daktari ranch, owned by
Roberto Alonso, opposition



More captured Colombian paramilitaries

Three Venezuelan Officers and 27 Colombians Sentenced for Assassination Plot
A Venezuelan military court sentenced three Venezuelan military officers and 27 Colombians to two to nine years of prison for plotting an assault on Venezuela’s presidential palace and the assassination of President Hugo Chavez.Another 73 Colombians and 3 Venezuelan officers, who had also been suspected of participating in the plot, were freed after spending 17 months in prison.

118 Colombians were captured in May 2004 on a ranch just outside of Caracas, wearing Venezuelan military fatigues. Many of them appeared to be Colombian paramilitary fighters who had been recruited for a mission in Venezuela to attack the Chavez government and to kill the president. Six Venezuelan officers were also arrested in the course of the investigation.
Some of the Colombians were peasants who had been lured to come to Venezuela with the promise of jobs. Upon arriving, though, they were forced to engage in paramilitary training exercises and were forbidden to leave the ranch. 18 of the Colombians were released immediately after the capture and returned to Colombia because they were minors between 15 and 17 years. The ranch belongs to Roberto Alonso, a prominent Cuban-Venezuelan opposition activist. The highest level officer to be sentenced was General Ovidio Poggioli, who had been charged with military rebellion and was sentenced to 2 years and ten months of prison. The other two Venezuelan officers are Colonel Jesús Farias Rodríguez and Captain Rafael Farias Villasmil, who were each sentenced to nine years of prison. The 27 Colombians were each sentenced to six years prison.
When the group of Colombians were first arrested, many opposition leaders argued that the government had staged the arrests, in order to make the opposition look bad. They pointed out that no weapons were found with the paramilitary fighters and that the whole operation looked far too amateurish to have any chance of success. Also, it was argued that it is practically impossible to transport 120 Colombian paramilitary fighters undetected all the way from Colombia to Caracas, considering that there are numerous military control points along the way.
(snip)

http://www.voltairenet.org/article130297.html

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

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://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x2974812


One of the paramilitaries gave details of the opposition's
plans, but asked that his face not be seen fearing
retaliations against his family in Colombia Credit:Venpres

~snip~
About 100 of the irregulars are members of the Colombian military reserve, according the authorities' analysis of Colombian documents found in the farm, and according to testimony by some of the men captured.

According to the detainee, on Saturday afternoon, some "generals and colonels", organizers of the operation brought Venezuelan army uniforms, boots, and food. "We could not see them because we they only allowed us to see them from afar."

"When we knew about the plan, some of us tried to escape. One of the Colombians rebelled and managed to escape, but he was caught 100 meters away. They tied him and told him that next time he tried to escape, he would be killed. They then took away our ID cards and documents," said the detainee.

According to the witness, they held regular target practices, but access to weapons was limited, perhaps due to the fact that some have tried to escape. Part of the training consisted of a drill in which they entered into a house and killed some people.
(snip)

Media questioned

In contrast with other events, the local media, which openly opposes the government, has given little coverage to the capture of the paramilitaries. Among the media trying to downplay the events is Venevision, Venezuela’s largest commercial TV network, which is owned by billionaire Gustavo Cisneros. Only the local news network Globovision covered the news to some extend using TV footage from the state TV station.

President Chavez lamented the media’s attitude and said that "they have set this important event aside, denying society its right to be informed.” Only the state media has properly informed about the raids.

The Minister of Communication and Information Jesee Chacon condenmed the media's attitude towards an event "without precedent in recent history in Venezuela".

Lawmaker Saab also criticized the local commercial media for not covering the event and just giving TV space to opposition leaders who dismissed the raid as "a show created by the government".
(snip/...)

http://www.venezuelanalysis.com/news.php?newsno=1267

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

Uribe admits anti-Chavez plot planned in Colombia


AFP, SANTA MARTA, COLOMBIA
Monday, Dec 19, 2005, Page 7
Venezuelan former soldiers plotted against President Hugo Chavez's government at a Colombian military building, Colombian President Alvaro Uribe said.

Uribe made the stunning disclosure on Saturday at the Caribbean resort town of Santa Marta where he is meeting with Chavez, and after analyzing documents furnished by Chavez.

"The Venezuelan soldiers who are in Bogota went to a building to meet with members of the Colombian military. President Chavez gave us these documents ... we analyzed them and this morning I said to President Chavez: `I must tell you the truth: this is a building of Colombia's public forces,'" he said.

Uribe said that intelligence efforts against the Venezuelan government are conducted in the building, and took full responsibility for the affair.

The two presidents met for six hours amid a climate of unusual goodwill on Saturday to discuss the purported Bogota-based conspiracy against the Venezuelan president, which Chavez first disclosed to his Colombian counterpart during a meeting in Venezuela on Nov. 24.More:
http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/world/archives/2005/12/19/2003285082

Information supplied D.U.ers who opt to inform themselves by D.U.'er "Oblivious:"

Uribe reprimands DAS chief on plot against Chávez
Colombian President Álvaro Uribe publicly admonished Andrés Peñate, chief of Colombian secret police DAS, because he rebutted Uribe's claims that former Venezuelan military planned a plot in Bogotá against President Hugo Chávez.

...On Sunday, Chávez ensured that a US military officer also attended such a meeting.

http://english.eluniversal.com/2005/12/19/en_pol_art_19A645877.shtml

. . . .

Chavez thanks Colombia for revealing coup plot
CARACAS, Dec. 18 (Xinhuanet) -- Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez praised his Colombian counterpart for telling him of a Colombia-based plot against the Venezuelan government which involved an official from the United States.

...In his Sunday broadcast, Chavez insisted that the meeting had taken place in a military building in Bogota, with an active Colombian colonel and a official in attendance.

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2005-12/19/content_3939918.htm

. . .

Uribe confirms anti-Chávez meeting
BOGOTA, Colombia -- Members of the Colombian armed forces met with Venezuelan ex-military officers opposed to the Chávez government in a Colombian government building, President Uribe admitted on Saturday.

..“An official of the United States participated,” Chavez asserted. “I am sure that Uribe will not tolerate any conspiracy, just as we will not tolerate any against him.”

http://www.thedailyjournalonline.com/article.asp?CategoryId=12393&ArticleId=209183

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x1993999#1997373

~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A different situation had _Bush's ambassador informing Venezuela's Vice President Rangel of a plot he knew to kill Chavez:

Statements Indicate Chávez May Indeed Be in Somebody's Crosshairs

IPS
March 09, 2005
Analysis by Humberto Márquez

CARACAS, Mar 9 (IPS) - Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez has repeatedly claimed that the U.S. government has plans to assassinate him and thus trigger chaos that would allow it to intervene militarily and take control of the South American country's huge oil reserves.
Now, recent statements by the top U.S. official in Venezuela appear to back up his fears of a plot against his life.

In an interview last weekend with the Peruvian newspaper El Comercio, Venezuelan Vice President José Vicente Rangel reported that former U.S. Ambassador Charles Shapiro had warned him of the possibility of an attempt on Chávez's life.

More:
http://www.globalexchange.org/countries/americas/venezuela/2897.html

ETC.

Abbreviated to save space. Obviously there's more.

[davidinalameda]

18. I love the smell of apologists in the morning

kisses

[High Plains]

22. Apologize for what? Crawl back in your cave, coward.

[Codeine]

27. "Apologist" and "apologize" are not the same thing. Just sayin'. nt

[ronnie624]

19. lol

The funny part is, that ridiculous individual - like all of the other dissemblers - is well aware of the basic information in your linked items.

The reasoning behind the pretense is rather elusive.

[Tempest]

4. WTF???

Mexico is battling cartels as they feud over control of drug routes to the U.S. border and is hoping to learn lessons from Colombia on fighting the trade

Columbia is the #1 producer of cocaine.

What is Mexico trying to learn, how to get billions from the U.S. without having to show anything for it?

[Judi Lynn]

11. Also, as we recall, Chavez just SAW this little scumcicle this month:

Chavez calls Colombian defense minister "obstacle" to bilateral ties
www.chinaview.cn 2008-07-14 14:18:11



Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez (L) welcomes his Colombian counterpart
Alvaro Uribe at Paraguana refinery complex near Punto Fijo in the Venezuelan
northern state of Falcon, July 11, 2008.(Xinhua/Reuters Photo)

CARACAS, July 13 (Xinhua) -- Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez on Sunday described Colombia's defense minister as an "obstacle" to bilateral relations, asking the military chief to be put "in his place."

Colombian Defense Minister Juan Manuel Santos said earlier that Chavez "is more dangerous" for Colombia than the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), the largest rebel group in the country.

Chavez reacted sharply to Santos' remarks, saying: "If he were my minister, he would be dismissed by now."

"I ask my friend Alvaro Uribe to put his defense minister in his place," Chavez said during the 5th PetroCaribe summit held in Maracaibo, about500 km west of the capital city. More:
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2008-07/14/content_8543217.htm



Juan Manuel Santos
Defense Minister



Vice President Francisco Santos, cousin of Santos, Uribe, Juan Miguel Santos

Uribe's Defense Minister Santos just returned from his trip to the U.S. last week.

Colombian Defense Minister Speaks at CAP
July 24, 2008

http://www.americanprogress.org/issues/2008/07/santos_event.html

[robcon]

13. Those two deserve each other...

Santos: Chavez "is more dangerous" for Colombia than the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), the largest rebel group in the country."

Chavez: Santos, "Colombia's defense minister... an "obstacle" to bilateral relations, asking the military chief to be put "in his place."

[Judi Lynn]

16. Would you explain how Chavez, the elected President of Venezuela would deserve Uribe's Defense

Minister? It's not quite clear from here.

I believe Venezuela already has a Defense Minister, and it's so doubtful Santos would want to leave his sweet thing in Colombia, where his family owns the country's largest paper, his cousin is the Vice President, and he has aspirations to run for the Presidency, himself.

[Peace Patriot]

26. Well, let's examine your brief on Santos and Chavez just a bit.

"Santos: Chavez 'is more dangerous' for Colombia than the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), the largest rebel group in the country."

39 union leaders have been murdered in Colombia so far this year. AI attributes 92% of the murders of union leaders to the Colombian military and closely tied rightwing paramilitary death squads. In Venezuela, no union leaders have been murdered--nor any rightwingers either. So it seems to me that a Chavez-type government in Colombia would be far less of a danger to Colombians than is the Uribe government and the Colombian military. Santos makes the same mistake that Bush does, of equating his own interests and those of his corporate and criminal pas with the entire country.

"Chavez: Santos, 'Colombia's defense minister... an obstacle' to bilateral relations, asking the military chief to be put 'in his place.'"

Santos openly tried to sabotage a meeting between Chavez and Uribe--at which they "buried the hatchet" and announced joint development projects. Santos is below Uribe (theoretically anyway) in the hierarchy of the Colombian government. Uribe is the president, voted on by at least some of the people (those not dead or intimidated). Santos is an appointee. It is most assuredly "not his place" to be sabotaging his own president. Chavez, on the other hand--the legitimate head of a democratic government--had every right to object to Santos' insults. Santos went on the make contemptuous, Rumsfeldian-type, smart ass remarks about Chavez in Santos' visit to Washington, after he had apparently promised Uribe that he would not. ("I promised not to use the C word on this trip."--Santos) Santos is a loose canon, and very likely should be fired. Heads of government generally won't tolerate this kind of behavior in a Defense Minister or other appointed officer. In 2006, when Chile's ambassador to Venezuela openly criticized President Batchelet's decision to succumb to Bushite pressure on Venezuela's Security Council seat (Chile abstained), Batchelet recalled the ambassador. I agreed with the ambassador on that one--it was a cowardly act by Chile (no doubt connected to "free trade" goodies)--but I understood why she had to recall him. Members of a government do not do this. If you disagree with a policy, and you lose the argument, internally--and it is important enough to you--you resign. You don't go around speaking contemptuously of that policy in public while you are a representative of that government.

Talk about cowards. Santos is a coward--smugly spitting on Chavez, knowing all of Washington spits with him--in his run up to his masters to protect his $6 BILLION in military aid. ('Cut one penny of it, and Colombia will fall into chaos! I assure you of that. Har-har. And the labor unions and other commies, and the person-whose-name-I-cannot-mention-but-it-begins-with-a-C WILL CUT INTO YOUR 'WAR ON DRUGS'' LOBBYISTS' PROFITS!' Thus Santos pimped his country to the Bushites and their colluders in Congress.)

Santos poses the threat of an outright military dictatorship in Colombia. Chavez has therefore tried to befriend the actual president of the country, Uribe, to pull Colombia away from that precipice, and into cooperation with the rest of the continent, in their newly forming "Common Market" (UNASUR) and (proposed by Brazil) common defense. Chavez doesn't "deserve" Santos. ("Those two deserve each other.") No one deserves Santos and his death squads. Everyone deserves a chance at life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, as we once did. That is what the Bolivarian Revolution is all about. Santos is the tool of the worst fascists, mass murderers, torturers and corporate predators on earth--the Bush Junta & cabal--who want to rob the people of South America of their wealth and their hope and all their hard work on democratic institutions. Chavez supports those hopes and dreams, and is a product of their work on democracy. To equate him with Santos is ridiculous--but psyops often is. (Psyops--the art of convincing people that 2 + 2 = 5, or at least convincing them that they dare not say otherwise, or they might find themselves 'disappeared').

[ohio2007]

12. Hugo is busy planning to nationalize Spanish banks

http://www.marxist.com/nationalisation-banco-de-venezuela.htm


http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601086&sid=a4C9n3kQr.5Q&refer=news




http://www.diariolasamericas.com/news.php?nid=58330



National Executive enacts 26 executive orders at the end of enabling law

Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez enacted 26 directives in full force and effect just before the expiration of the enabling law.

The 26 decrees were released in an edition of the Official Gazette published on Friday; therefore, they will enter into force right away. The content of the regulations is not known, because the titles only are listed in the journal.

On February 1st, 2007, the legislature vested in President Chávez special rulemaking powers for 18 months.

snip

http://english.eluniversal.com/2008/08/01/en_eco_art_national-executive-e_01A1866123.shtml

[Judi Lynn]

14. Apparently you didn't take time to read the thread already in LBN on the subject:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=102&topic_id=3418336

[Judi Lynn]

15. Where do you get "banks?" This is the bank Venezuela owned until 1996.

A sober person would recognize it as "re-nationalization."

[Pavulon]

23. Fancy word for theft

or taking some shit you do not own. He is just screwing his country men. His family is already set up, mom, brothers are all juiced in.

So he can go live in geneva or the dirt when the time comes. Either way this act will cut off foreign investment and lead to punitive actions.

This is typical 3rd world behavior and has been done before.

It would be interesting to take a look through the list of generals on staff.

We could take bets on which one will overthrow him..

[Peace Patriot]

25. "Taking some shit you do not own." Like...Iraq?

"He is just screwing his country men."

Women live there, too. A lot of them vote for Chavez--especially the poor ones.

"His family is already set up, mom, brothers are all juiced in."

Documentation, please--and justification of the phrase "all juiced in." Could be they're doing well, with economic growth in Venezuela at nearly 10% over the last five years, with the most growth in the private sector (not including oil). One of the purposes of the Chavez government is to improve the economy for everyone, even members of the Chavez family.

"So he can go live in geneva or the dirt when the time comes."

Ah! You are apparently one of those who would relish his blood in the dirt, and who ignore the truly outrageous corruption of rightwing regimes like Bush's and Uribe's (and every rightwing regime that ever was), and then project the behavior of truly criminal politicians--absconding with the peoples' money--onto one of the best and most honest leaders in South America's history. Blind as a bat, you are. It is the likes of Bush, Cheney, Rumsfeld, Uribe, Santos and Garcia (Peru) who "abscond"--rightwing fuckwads, not leftists.

"Either way this act will cut off foreign investment and lead to punitive actions."

Don't you wish. That has been predicted, time and again, each time Chavez has asserted Venezuelan sovereignty over against the non-existent 'rights' of multinational corporations. Venezuela just keeps prospering and moving forward. Exxon Mobil tried to seize $12 billion of Venezuela's assets as a "punitive action" for Venezeula's insistence on a 60/40 split of oil profits to benefit social proprams. E-M lost that one, in a London court. What are the lords of the earth going to try next? Do tell us.

"This is typical 3rd world behavior and has been done before."

Arrogant snottery, this.

"It would be interesting to take a look through the list of generals on staff. We could take bets on which one will overthrow him."

Why don't you do that, and come back and tell us who's on Rumsfeld's payroll.

[Peace Patriot]

24. The distractors are obviously...distracting. Chavez is a "coward." Chavez is...

nationalizing a bank (um, RE-nationalizing; bank was nationalized before Chavez). (Thank you, Judi!)

Hm. I wonder why they don't want us and others to think about fascist assassination plots against Chavez in Colombia.