Venezuela 101 - Understanding Recent Events - BUSH vs. Venezuela

[L. Coyote]

WHO was one of the first world leaders to speak against the US invasions in the Middle East.
Hugo Chavez, the democratically elected President of Venezuela.
How did Bush react? He overthrew Venezuelan democracy, in a failed coup d'état that collapsed after one day.

I was very impressed by this series of YouTubes, an excellent primer on US-Venezuelan relations and recent history.

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Venezuela 101 - Eva Golinger - Part 1
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=385x134751

Eva Golinger is a Venezuelan-US attorney specializing in human rights, immigration, and entertainment law. She is also a writer and investigator whose two books, The Chávez Code: Cracking US Intervention in Venezuela (2005) and Bush vs. Chávez: Washington's War on Venezuela, which has just been released in English translation, document US government efforts to oust democratically elected Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez. She is a native New Yorker currently residing in Caracas.

Venezuela 101 - Eva Golinger 2
http://youtube.com/watch?v=wPssM1OakpQ

Venezuela 101 - Eva Golinger 3
http://youtube.com/watch?v=IaKG7zm1HPk

Venezuela 101 - Eva Golinger 4
http://youtube.com/watch?v=shqujZR6NlI

Venezuela 101 - Judge Fernando Vegas
http://youtube.com/watch?v=DnIZlqmaRJ0

Justice Vegas, an expert in commercial relations, is a published novelist who writes regular columns for newspapers and journals. He was appointed to the Supreme Tribunal of Justice (TSJ) in August 2004, and assumed office in January 2005, where he sits in the Electoral Chamber of the TSJ. Justice Vegas has helped to negotiate various international trade agreements with companies doing business in Venezuela. He earned his law degree at the Central University of Venezuela and a master's degree in the Laws of Economic Integration in 1977.

Venezuela 101 - Gregory Wilpert
http://youtube.com/watch?v=CZuwqFDMfa4

Gregory Wilpert is a freelance journalist and sociologist, who has spent the past seven year living in Venezuela. He is the author of Changing Venezuela by Taking Power (Verso Books, 2007) and the editor of Venezuelanalysis.com which is trusted by many as the most important English language source of unbiased news and analysis from Venezuela.

Venezuela 101 - Olivia Burlengame-Goumbri
http://youtube.com/watch?v=AS-qMIOG-cE

Olivia Goumbri is the Director of the Venezuela Information Office in Washington D.C. She was previously Executive Director of EPICA, the Ecumenical Program on Central America and the Caribbean, a faith based organization that largely focuses on bettering U.S. foreign policy toward Latin America. She has authored various articles and books including a human rights report on Haiti as well as The Venezuela Reader: The Building of a People's Democracy. Besides her undergraduate degree in cultural and historical studies from the New School for Social Research Mrs. Goumbri holds a masters degree in Public Administration from American University. She has also received a graduate certificate in Public Management and was awarded a certificate of achievement from the Public Affairs and Advocacy Institute at American University. Most recently Mrs. Goumbri has appeared as an expert on Venezuela for NPR's To The Point and various BBC radio programs.

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Judi Lynn - May-18-08 - http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=405x4365#4390
Chávez blames Bush, not U.S = CARACAS, Venezuela - President Hugo Chávez says Venezuela's beef with the United States is all about George Bush, and the government will reach out quickly to the new American president .... Chávez said he had been able to talk with President Clinton about many topics, "but after that everything broke to pieces."

CHAVEZ: "everything broke to pieces." YEAH, an unsuccessful coup attempt by BUSH
no doubt. What a complete failure the Bush Junta is, and a good thing that, when they try to overthrow a Democracy!!

Most of the posters have seen this numerous times, but perhaps some readers have not.

THE REVOLUTION WILL NOT BE TELEVISED - 74 min - Apr 23, 2006
MUST SEE FILM: http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=5832390545689805144
KIM BARTLEY AND DONNACHA O'BRIAIN - www.chavezthefilm.com/index_ex.htm

IN SPANISH WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES HUGO CHAVEZ ELECTED PRESIDENT OF VENEZUELA IN 1998, IS A COLORFUL, UNPREDICTABLE FOLK HERO, beloved by his nation's working class and a tough-as-nails, quixotic opponent to the power structure that would see him deposed. Two independent filmmakers were inside the presidential palace on April 11, 2002, when he was forcibly removed from office. They were also present 48 hours later when, remarkably, he returned to power amid cheering aides. Their film records what was probably history's shortest-lived coup d'état. It's a unique document about political muscle and an extraordinary portrait of the man The Wall Street Journal credits with making Venezuela "Washington‚s biggest Latin American headache after the old standby, Cuba."

[Steepler0t]

1. The Revolution Will Not Be Televised

Is a must see for all, it is very hard to even discuss Venz politics or Chavez with people who have not seen this, as all they have to go on is the corporate media.
Which we all know are useless at sharing different viewpoints.

[L. Coyote]

2. The film illustrates how media controls the masses with LIES, and the whole herd turns

with the lies and manipulations. In effect, a T-V station enabled the coup.

We must understand that this is happening every day in the USA!
The whole herd is brainwashed daily by corporate outlets of propaganda.

[dazzlerazzle]

3. Bush admin vs Chavez

There is always an argument when one government is a democracy and the other leaning towards socialism. However, it could be that some countries may be more suited to socialism. There is nothing wrong with encouraging democracy, but to actively interfere with another countries government or encourage overthrow does little for the credibility of the United States. Also, with the problems with shortages of oil, why antagonize a country that has oil?

[L. Coyote]

4. Venezuela is a democracy, except for that day it was overthrown by Bush.

Democracy enables socialism. One of the functions of a democracy has to be social services.
We have social security in the USA. That is socialism.

[Saboburns]

5. er,um

Democracy and Socialism can exist together, friend.

One a political the other an economic system.

They are not either/or.

[L. Coyote]

6. You have to admit, propaganda is working.

Right wing talking points from the 50s just never die!!!

[Steepler0t]

7. Democracy does not = capitalism

Democracy and Socialism are not mutually exclusive, actually Socialism (well real socialism) is about more community involvement in the system thus more Democracy.

[L. Coyote]

8. A democracy elected Salvador Allende in Chile. And the USA helped KILL him.

Democracy can also be an EVIL political force, in the hands of evil people.

George Bush Sr. May Face Charges: Conspiring to Kidnap and Murder Political Activists
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x2459135

[Greyhound]

11. The US has not had a Democracy for over 170 years.

We have been under the rule of the oligarchy, with two brief respites, since the early-mid 19th century.

[L. Coyote]

9. visibility kick

[L. Coyote]

10. "

[L. Coyote]

12. "