U.S. Urges Venezuela to Ease Rhetoric

[Nambe]

Associated Press

WASHINGTON - The State Department's second-ranking official said Friday the future of U.S. relations with Venezuela could hinge on whether that country tones down its anti-American rhetoric. ..

"To that end," he said, "we also urge the Venezuelan government to carefully consider how its actions — and its rhetoric — might affect the future of our bilateral relations."

Armitage did not make direct reference to Chavez in his speech. U.S. relations with Venezuela have been poor for years, partly because of Chavez's close friendship with Cuban President Fidel Castro (news - web sites). But the United States has generally refrained from direct public criticism of Chavez. ..

Armitage made only a brief mention of Venezuela's role as a principal supplier of oil to the United States.
Ride Don’t Drive * * It’s Global Cool

[Vladimir]

1. How about the US leads by example for once... n/t

[AP]

3. Seriously. How about the anti-Chávez rhetoric? Can we ease up on that?

[Vladimir]

4. Pigs are flying outside my window n/t

[DenverDem]

2. Venezuela urges U.S. to ease CIA black ops.

Armitage is a jar head criminal.

[Judi Lynn]

5. Amazing. Bush has done everything in the world to eliminate Chavez

yet sends his new ambassador to scold Venezuela for completely justified resentment.

These people are trash.

It's good news to learn they withdrew that truly nasty little Charles Shapiro as our ambassador, considering he did everything but hump the leg of the coup President for a day, Pedro Carmona during their wild 24 hour victory celebration of kidnapping Chavez by force and taking over the government, after suspending the Constitution and removing the Congress, etc.

Here's the new guy, William Brownfield. Don't know a thing about him, yet. One would pray he's got to be better.



http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/biog/8903.htm

[Vladimir]

7. Well business loves him...

http://www.amchamchile.cl/english/07_publications/business_breakfast.html

on edit: here is another quote of his I found:

“people who hate the United States must be controlled, arrested or eliminated.”

http://www.sceneandheard.ca/archive/V2_04/media_americans.htm

[Vladimir]

9. He has also been involved with Columbia

during his time as deputy assistant secretary of state for western hemispheric affairs

http://eatthestate.org/05-23/PlanColumbiaAndean.htm

William Brownfield, deputy assistant secretary of state for western hemispheric affairs, describes the Andean Initiative's three elements of "democracy, development, and drugs" as "a coherent approach that covers all elements of the problems and threats affecting the Andean region and, indirectly, the United States of America today." High on the State Dept.'s list of the Andean Initiative's elements are "trade issues such as the Andean Trade Preference Act which the president has announced he hopes will be extended at the end of this year, and the Free Trade Agreement of the Americas."

[pescao]

11. hi judiLyn!

funny how chávez' fiercest critics are coming around now:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A35980-2004Aug26.html

The Real Test for Chavez Starts Now

By Marcela Sanchez
Special to washingtonpost.com
Thursday, August 26, 2004; 10:30 PM

WASHINGTON -- Most Venezuelan voters believe that President Hugo Chavez cares about them.

According to U.S. pollsters, this is the simple but powerful sentiment that carried Chavez to victory in the Aug. 15 recall referendum as well as the six other elections he and his political movement have faced in the last six years. For the opposition, the hardest thing about losing is sometimes admitting that the winner was right about something. Sadly, Chavez's antics and destructive rhetoric continue to obscure this kernel of truth.

The real measure of Chavez's presidency now becomes his commitment to Venezuela's poor. His challenge will be to make his misiones, the welfare programs that bring food, health and education to the barrios, sustainable in the long run. Many observers in Washington and in Venezuela who have long been critical of Chavez, are betting he will fail.

To Chavez's credit, no other country in South America has brought primary health care to so many neglected people in as short a time as Venezuela has, according to Renato Gusmao, the Pan-American Health Organization representative in the region. But Chavez has failed to make this a Venezuelan commitment. The backbone of the program is the 13,000 Cuban doctors now working in the country.

...

haven't heard this before, it all sounds quite good-humoured:

http://www.thepilot.com/news/082704Coble.html

Coble Survives Scary Moment in Venezuela

BY MATTHEW MORIARTY: Staff Writer

A mob of Venezuelan voters surrounded the car of several U.S. Congressmen last week and rocked it back and forth and shouted support for President Hugo Chavez.

Congressman Howard Coble, who represents Moore County, was in the car. Coble and a group of congressmen returned from a trip through South America on Sunday.

"We were surrounded by 200 people shouting 'Chavez,'" Coble said in an interview at The Pilot Thursday. "They began rocking the car. It was an uneasy feeling. I don't think anybody was in panic mode, but it was an uneasy feeling."

Coble made several stops in Moore County Thursday. He spoke to the Moore County Republican Men's Club at the Country Club of North Carolina.

...

but this is my fav from tonight's google, i can just imagine all those wall street capitalists hoping "Chávez doesn't get too scary":

http://quote.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=10000086&sid=a_E3IgjIzTwQ&refer=latin_america

Venezuela Says Economy to Move Away From Capitalism

Aug. 27 (Bloomberg) -- Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez said the country's economy must move away from capitalism and eliminate ``large'' land holdings.

Chavez, who won a recall vote against him on Aug. 15, said the country's businessmen should help the government change the world's fifth-largest oil supplier into a ``humanist'' economy from a ``neo-liberal'' one.

``I call on private businessmen to work together with us to build the new economy, transforming the capitalist economic model into a social, humanist and equality economy,'' Chavez said during a televised speech in Caracas. ``The time has come to accelerate the transformation. The revolution has just begun.''

...

[Mika]

6. Once again..

F-ing Castro seared into the American brain, keeping the US frozen in time.

Castro this Castro that Castro this Castro that Castro this Castro that Castro this Castro that Castro this Castro that Castro this Castro that Castro this Castro that Castro this Castro that Castro this Castro that Castro this Castro that Castro this Castro that Castro this Castro that Castro this Castro that Castro this Castro that Castro this Castro that Castro this Castro that Castro this Castro that Castro this Castro that Castro this Castro that Castro this Castro that Castro this Castro that Castro this Castro that Castro this Castro that Castro this Castro that Castro this Castro that Castro this Castro that Castro this Castro that Castro this Castro that Castro this Castro that Castro this Castro that Castro this Castro that Castro this Castro that Castro this Castro that Castro this Castro that Castro this Castro that Castro this Castro that Castro this Castro that Castro this Castro that Castro this Castro that Castro this Castro that Castro this Castro that Castro this Castro that Castro this Castro that Castro this Castro that Castro this Castro that Castro this Castro that Castro this Castro that Castro this Castro that Castro this Castro that Castro this Castro that Castro this Castro that Castro this Castro that Castro this Castro that Castro this Castro that Castro this Castro that Castro this Castro that Castro this Castro that Castro this Castro that Castro this Castro that Castro this Castro that Castro this Castro that Castro this Castro that Castro this Castro that Castro this Castro that Castro this Castro that Castro this Castro that Castro this Castro that Castro this Castro that Castro this Castro that Castro this Castro that Castro this Castro that Castro this Castro that Castro this Castro that Castro this Castro that Castro this Castro that Castro this Castro that Castro this Castro that Castro this Castro that Castro this Castro that Castro this Castro that Castro this Castro that Castro this Castro that Castro this Castro that Castro this Castro that Castro this Castro that Castro this Castro that





Don't ask questions!

[Merrick]

8. WAAAAA! That big meanie Chavez hurt my feewings!

I'm telling my mommie!

[Cha]

10. What the *uck about the bushcabal...

toning down it's "Rhetoric" regarding Venezuela?...a la little george p. booosh in Mexico???????

[Paulie]

12. Bush* better hope Chavez doesn't cut off our oil supply!

He could send it to India instead, they could definately use it to power the factories where we are sending our offshored jobs. sigh....

From: http://www.eia.doe.gov/pub/oil_gas/petroleum/data_publications/company_level_imports/current/import.html

June 2004 Import Highlights:  Released on August 20, 2004

Preliminary monthly data on the origins of U.S. crude oil imports in June 2004 has been released and it shows that five countries each exported 1.1 million barrels per day or more of crude oil to the United States (see table below). The top sources of U.S. crude oil imports in June 2004 were: Canada (1.708 million barrels per day), Mexico (1.668 million barrels per day), Saudi Arabia (1.450 million barrels per day), Venezuela (1.439 million barrels per day), and Nigeria (1.191 million barrels per day). Rounding out the top ten sources, in order, were Iraq (0.636 million barrels per day), Russia (0.321 million barrels per day), the United Kingdom (0.304 million barrels per day), Kuwait (0.224 million barrels per day), and Algeria (0.216 million barrels per day). Imports of crude oil from Canada set an all time record high level, while crude imports from Mexico and Nigeria both set record levels for June. Total crude oil imports averaged 10.505 million barrels per day in June, an increase of 0.181 million barrels per day from May and an increase of 0.467 million barrels per day compared to last June. The top five origins accounted for 71 percent of U.S. crude oil imports in June and the top ten sources accounted for 87 percent of all U.S. crude oil imports.

[lanparty]

16. I don't think it works that way ...

If India bought from Venezuela, we'd simply buy from whoever India sold to before that.

I also seriously doubt that Venezuela would cut back prodcution since prices are so high right now. Hugo Chavez has that whole feeding the porr motif going on and cash kinda helps with that.

BTW, they're once again burying the REAL story. The REAL story is they want Venezuela to capitulate and join the WTO and sponsor FTAA. The corporations have their foot on the gas pedal in Washington. But they COMPLETELY control WTO, NAFTA and hope to do the same with FTAA.

Meanwhile, Castro is sitting back in Havana smoking a stogie saying "Se Dige, Se Dige".

[LauraK]

13. You go Hugo.

[oasis]

14. Why should Chavez be any different from any other world leader who

believes the Bushista regime is bad for the planet?

[Citizen Daryl]

15. Chavez: Or what, you'll try to overthrow me again?