Venezuela's Economy Up by 30% in First Quarter of 2004

[bemildred]

Caracas, Venezuela. May 19 (Venezuelanalysis.com).-
According to preliminary numbers issued by the Central
Bank, the Venezuelan economy grew by 29.8% during the
first quarter of 2004 when compared to the same period last
year.

In the first quarter of 2003, the world fifth biggest oil
exporter suffered the devastating effects of a lock-out, strike
and sabotage of the national oil industry, organized by
opponents of President Hugo Chavez in an unsuccessful
effort to oust him. The opposition's actions caused a historic
GDP drop of 27.8%. Oil-related economic activity dropped
47% during that period.

According to the Central Bank report, in the first quarter of
2004, oil-related economic activity grew by 72.5%, while
non-oil activity increased by 18.9% compared to the same
period last year when it dropped 19.2%. The oil sector
benefited from increased demand of oil and refined products,
as well as the increase in production by private companies
that operate in the country in joint ventures with
Venezuela's state oil company.

The non-oil sector also experienced significant growth.
Manufacturing grew by 48%, construction by 19.5%,
commerce by 27.9% and transportation and warehousing by
25.3%.

VenezuelaAnalysis.com

[burythehatchet]

1. What's Chavez done to promote a better economy?

[htuttle]

2. He's been doing pretty much what FDR did during the depression

Investing government funds low in the economy, instead of giving it to the top.

[Shakespeare]

3. Well, let's see...

Nationalized the oil fields, invested in the country's infrastructure, told the World Bank to go fuck itself....basically did what every other struggling country needs to do. Read Palast's work on the IMF/World Bank sometime, especially the details about how what Venezuela is doing has the corporatists so incredibly pissed.

[seemslikeadream]

25. Venezuela evicts US military

Last Update: Thursday, May 13, 2004. 7:54am (AEST)
Venezuela evicts US military
Venezuela has asked the US military mission to leave liaison offices at armed forces bases in the country, US Ambassador Charles Shapiro said on Wednesday.

The request appeared to signal a further downgrading of military links between the two countries, whose relations have become strained under the government of left-wing President Hugo Chavez.

It was sent to the US Embassy on Friday by Defence Minister General Jorge Garcia.

Asked why the request to vacate the offices was made, Gen Garcia told Reuters, "Because they are still there."

In August 2001, Venezuela's government asked the US military mission to leave the Fuerte Tiuna site it had occupied for more than 50 years.

more
http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/s1107158.htm

[catzies]

4. Well, if higher gas prices let him give Bush a one-fingered salute,

I'm all for it, even if it means I'm paying the higher prices for it.

How many coup attempts were there, three? And Poppy's Carlyle Group was behind two of them.

[seemslikeadream]

20. Some outside forces causing problems

Chavez Identifies Leaders of Colombian Paramilitary Group in Venezuela



President Chavez presents evidence of paramilitary activity in Venezuela to the foreign press corps
Credit: Gregory Wilpert - Venezuelanalysis.com
Caracas, May 15, 2004—During a press conference with Venezuela’s foreign press corps on Friday, President Chavez presented the pictures and names of the leaders of the paramilitary group that was captured last week in a farm on the outskirts of the country’s capital.

The main leader of the group is Jose Ernesto Ayala Amado, known as “Comandante Lucas” and is, according to Chavez, also one of the leaders of the Colombian paramilitary group known as the AUC (United Colombian Self-Defense, in its Spanish acronym), in the Colombian state of Norte de Santander.

Two other captured leaders also come from the same state, Rafael Antonio Omaña Trujillo, know as “Comandante Richard”, and Yeferson Gutierrez Guzman, know as “Comandante Yeferson”. Two more AUC leaders who were part of the Venezuelan group are still at large, Comandantes “Diego” and “Costeño.” President Chavez said, “It’s not like we are inventing things, as the media have irresponsibly begun to claim. Rather, there was a Colombian paramilitary operation of infiltration into Venezuelan territory, some with several years’ worth of experience and some newly recruited.”


Yeferson Gutierrez Guzman, know as Comandante Yeferson, linked to the AUC paramilitary group operating in Norte de Santander, Colombia.
Credit: Miraflores Press
According to Chavez, the group captured last week consisted of three blocks. The first of AUC leaders from Norte de Santander, the second of Colombian paramilitary fighters with experience, and a third block of individuals who were tricked into coming, some of whom are minors.


Jose Ernesto Ayala Amado, know as Comandante Lucas, leader of the AUC paramilitary group operating in Norte de Santander, Colombia.
Credit: Miraflores Press



Yeferson Gutierrez Guzman, know as Comandante Yeferson, linked to the AUC paramilitary group operating in Norte de Santander, Colombia.
Credit: Miraflores Press



Rafael Antonio Omaña Trujillo, know as Comandante Richard, linked to the AUC paramilitary group operating in Norte de Santander, Colombia.
Credit: Miraflores Press



A man was killed and buried in farm near Caracas where the paramilitary group was training.
Credit: Miraflores Press

www.venezuelanalysis.com/new.php?newsno=1272



Terrorist Plot Foiled!

But Democracy must be vigilant, for there are still more Terrorist plots to come!


by Justin Podur


He also made an important reference to the treatment of the Colombian prisoners by the Venezuelan armed forces. "There will be no torture or hooding, no sadomasochism, because our soldiers and police are not sadistic."

The United States, whose armed forces have engaged in considerable amounts of torture, hooding, and sadism, rejected any idea that this plot could have come from the US, without providing any detail. Richard Boucher, the State Department's spokesperson, said: "I know there are some accusations that all this is part of some US conspiracy to overthrow the Chavez government. We categorically reject these declarations and shameful accusations."

The Colombian government has announced that it is prepared to cooperate with Venezuela in investigating the incident. Given that it is well-documented that the Colombian paramilitaries are little more than a segment of the Colombian military (2), and that the Colombian senate recently passed a resolution condemning the Venezuelan government, it is unlikely that this 'cooperation' will be of much help to Venezuela.

In a clever twist, Colombia's Vice-President reacted to the arrest of his paramilitaries, who were plotting a terrorist action against Venezuela, by saying that Venezuela must take a strong stand against terrorism!

The story is still incomplete. But if William Blum's 'Watergate law of politics' ("Don't believe anything until it has been officially denied") is on the books, this is just a continuation of "some US conspiracy to overthrow the Chavez government". Because the Venezuelan elite seems incapable of doing the job, the Colombian military and paramilitaries are being used. That plan has been in the works for years, and there have been paramilitary raids into Venezuela for well over a year (3). In Colombia itself, a major offensive, called 'Plan Patriota', is being planned, supposedly to attack the guerrillas in southern Colombia (but perhaps to attack Venezuela?) US Southern Command is asking that Congressional restrictions on numbers of US troops in Colombia be relaxed. Even as US troops smash their way through Najaf and Fallujah, even as photos of US troops engaged in sadistic torture traverse the world, these troops are being presented as the 'solution' to some kind of problem that Colombia and Venezuela have.

more
http://www.zmag.org/content/showarticle.cfm?SectionID=45&ItemID=5499


Mr Chávez also claimed the plot was backed by Venezuela's mostly pro-opposition news media and said that the raids had "eliminated the seed of a terrorist group".

"Now they are importing terrorists," Mr Chávez said of his opponents, adding that the farm - in the municipality of El Hatillo - was owned by Roberto Alonso, a Cuban exile with links to Venezuelan and Cuban exiles.

"There are people in the United States who keep thinking how to start a war in Venezuela so that they can justify an invasion," he said.

Mr Chávez has frequently claimed that Venezuela's opposition - including a number of military officers who briefly ousted him from power in a short-lived coup attempt in April 2002 - has conspired to overthrow his government with US backing. Washington denies any involvement.

more
http://www.guardian.co.uk/venezuela/story/0,12716,1213445,00.html

Chavez Identifies Leaders of Colombian Paramilitary Group in Venezuela


Caracas, May 15, 2004—During a press conference with Venezuela’s foreign press corps on Friday, President Chavez presented the pictures and names of the leaders of the paramilitary group that was captured last week in a farm on the outskirts of the country’s capital.

The main leader of the group is Jose Ernesto Ayala Amado, known as “Comandante Lucas” and is, according to Chavez, also one of the leaders of the Colombian paramilitary group known as the AUC (United Colombian Self-Defense, in its Spanish acronym), in the Colombian state of Norte de Santander.

Two other captured leaders also come from the same state, Rafael Antonio Omaña Trujillo, know as “Comandante Richard”, and Yeferson Gutierrez Guzman, know as “Comandante Yeferson”. Two more AUC leaders who were part of the Venezuelan group are still at large, Comandantes “Diego” and “Costeño.” President Chavez said, “It’s not like we are inventing things, as the media have irresponsibly begun to claim. Rather, there was a Colombian paramilitary operation of infiltration into Venezuelan territory, some with several years’ worth of experience and some newly recruited.”


Yeferson Gutierrez Guzman, know as Comandante Yeferson, linked to the AUC paramilitary group operating in Norte de Santander, Colombia.
Credit: Miraflores Press
According to Chavez, the group captured last week consisted of three blocks. The first of AUC leaders from Norte de Santander, the second of Colombian paramilitary fighters with experience, and a third block of individuals who were tricked into coming, some of whom are minors.

Colombian government does not have any connection with paramilitaries in Venezuela

President Chavez stated that in relation with the captured paramilitary group, “I am absolutely certain that the government of President Alvaro Uribe has nothing to do with this. I believe it and I know it. Chavez added that in recent conversations with the Colombian president, shortly before the discovery of the paramilitary group, they concluded that Colombian-Venezuelan relations were quite good and that trade between the two countries had increased by 100% since last year’s oil industry shut-down.


Rafael Antonio Omaña Trujillo, know as Comandante Richard, linked to the AUC paramilitary group operating in Norte de Santander, Colombia.
Credit: Miraflores Press
Nonetheless, there are, according Chavez, elements of Colombia’s extreme right that are involved in attempting to overthrow his government.

Venezuelan opposition is for the most part also not involved

When asked exactly who among Venezuela’s opposition leaders are involved in the paramilitary plot, President Chavez clarified that he was certain that “definitely these plans were not supported by an important part of the opposition.” The planning was too sloppy and the resources too limited to indicate that major sectors of Venezuela’s opposition might have been involved. “If a large part of opposition leaders had been involved in the presence of the paramilitary group in our country, then these men would have counted on vehicles, weapons,” said Chavez.


fair use
http://www.venezuelanalysis.com/news.php?newsno=1272

Venezuela's Chávez: Relations with Colombia at risk

Edited on Mon May-17-04 08:11 AM by seemslikeadream
We are defending the sovereignty of our territory against the presence of armed groups of any nature, either guerrilla or counter-guerrilla, either a regular army or a paramilitary group, either terrorists or whatever it is, and we have demonstrated it in several occasions," he added.

However, the most serious comment of the president was that the strongest attacks against his administration come from sectors that favor "an invasion to Venezuela." Despite the international connotations that he assigned to the case, Chávez has instructed State's intelligence forces "to pay a special attention to local accomplices."

"We cannot believe the hypothesis that a radical mad man brought (the paramilitaries), and left them here and went to Miami and that's it. There have to be complicity in the political and military worlds, which have continued to threaten the peace of the country," he underlined.

Directly accusing the dissident military officers who in October 2002 disowned the government, Chávez said that "this group of military traitors" has been recognized by some of the "detained terrorists."

more
http://www.vcrisis.com/index.php?content=letters/200405170747

[seemslikeadream]

21. 'people's militia' Give everybody a gun!

Chavez to set up 'people's militia' as opponents push for recall









President Hugo Chavez addresses supporters at a weekend rally

Time is GMT + 8 hours
Posted: 17 May 2004 1339 hrs

Chavez to set up 'people's militia' as opponents push for recall


CARACAS : 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.


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.


Vice President Jose Vicente Rangel claimed the United States and Colombians were involved in the conspiracy.

http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/afp_world/view/85288/1/.html

[Just Me]

5. HEY!!! NO FAIR!!!

Capitalism is suppose to "rule"!!!

Stop messing with the capitalistic model.

It's,...embarassing *blush*.

AND,...don't even publish stats about quality of life or people receiving needed medical care. THAT makes "US" look "bad"!!!

Please,...stop dumping on "US".

[bemildred]

6. Actually, I have not seen any sign that Hugo is less Capitalist

than, say Switzerland or Canada. He doesn't seem interested
in economic theology from what I can tell, he's an old style
populist-nationalist, and as far as I can tell he doesn't intend
to nationalize anything that wasn't already public property.
He is pursuing agrarian reform, which is considered worse than
being a Commie in much of Latin America, but which is most likely
also good for the economy as it will likely raise agrarian
production.

[Just Me]

11. *grin* he is a merit-based kind of "capitalist",...that's different,...

,...from the form of "capitalism" that has possessed US.

Yes?

[bemildred]

12. Yes, the US likes monopoly capitalism, a corrupt form.

If things keep going they way they are now the US will be
a banana republic and South America will be a SuperPower(tm).

[seemslikeadream]

24. "quagmire" where have I heard that before?

United States out of the "quagmire" of Colombia's internal conflict




Venezuela's Public Defender German Mundarain denounces US interference in paramilitary case

VENPRES reports: Public Defender German Mundarain has stated categorically that there is well-founded historical evidence to suspect that the US State Department participated in the paramilitary operation frustrated last Sunday by state security agencies.


The maximum defender of human rights said that he’s convinced that “there are (local) groups who are conniving with traditional terrorist and criminal groups.” He added that he is fed up with knowing how paramilitary groups operate in the world, principally in Colombia, almost always with funding from drug trafficking; they are permanently dedicated to developing terrorist acts.

He added that “The US State Department needs to explain its complicity with this modus operandi of attacking governments in order to change the peoples of the Third World. Up to now, we’ve been able to show evidence that that has been the State Department’s repeated behavior, and it leads us to believe that they will continue acting the same way.”

Mundarain commented that the paramilitary incident is extremely grave, and he noted several occurrences within and outside the hemisphere that demonstrate the classic behavior of US intelligence towards governments that disagree with US foreign policy objectives, interests and purposes.


more
http://www.vheadline.com/readnews.asp?id=21128



May 13, 2004
Bush Administration Seeks to Expand US Military Personnel in Colombia

by Elanor Starmer
Last month the Bush administration announced plans to deepen U.S. involvement in Colombia by doubling the number of U.S. troops and private military contractors stationed there. The move came in the midst of an energetic public-relations campaign by the U.S. State Department and the Colombian government. Both administrations attempted to paint U.S. policy in Colombia as an assured success. However, statistics show a stable presence of cocaine on the U.S. market, and there's evidence of continued ties between members of the Colombian military and brutal right-wing paramilitary groups.

Four years ago the U.S. Congress voted overwhelmingly to pass a $1.3 billion aid package known as Plan Colombia. The support of moderate Democrats and Republicans hinged on a number of safeguards included in the legislation, which they hoped would keep the United States out of the "quagmire" of Colombia's internal conflict. Congress has restricted the number of U.S. troops and private military contractors allowed on the ground to 800 total and limited their mission to anti-drug efforts, legislating that no intelligence, training, or equipment be used to assist Colombia in its war against left-wing insurgents. Congressional supporters also promised that the U.S. commitment in Colombia would last no more than five years.

Human rights groups, drug reformers, and some members of Congress warned repeatedly that military aid would pour fuel on the flames of the long and brutal conflict involving the Colombian government forces, right-wing paramilitary allies, and left-wing insurgents. Many critics, including current House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, also argued that attacking drug production at the lowest level of the supply chain – the poor farmers who grow drug crops in Colombia's rural areas – was an inhumane approach that would ultimately prove futile.

Despite these grave concerns, Plan Colombia was signed into law. The Republican congressional leadership touted it as a reasonable policy that was limited in scope but which would help bring an end to America's drug problem. Following September 11th, however, the policy began to transform. The Bush administration and congressional allies broke promise after promise made in 2000, and skepticism of the policy grew in Congress.

more
http://www.antiwar.com/orig/starmer.php?articleid=2565


Venezuela Is Evicting U.S. Attachés From Bases
By REUTERS

Published: May 13, 2004


ARACAS, Venezuela, May 13 - Venezuela has asked the United States military mission to leave liaison offices at armed forces bases in the country, the American ambassador, Charles Shapiro, said Wednesday.

The request appeared to signal a further downgrading of military links between the countries, whose relations have become strained under the government of President Hugo Chávez. It was sent to the American Embassy on Friday by the defense minister, Gen. Jorge García.

American attaché staff members were asked to leave offices at Fuerte Tiuna armed forces headquarters in Caracas and at other military installations, Mr. Shapiro said. That would mean they would have to work from the embassy or other rented premises.

Mr. Shapiro declined to say how the move would affect military cooperation with Venezuela, which has decreased since Mr. Chávez took office in early 1999.

more
http://www.nytimes.com/2004/05/13/international/americas/13vene.html



Venezuelan president says U.S. military knew about plot as 14 more arrested

CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) - Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez accused a senior U.S. military commander Wednesday of knowing about a purported conspiracy to send Colombian paramilitary fighters to overthrow his government.

Although he acknowledged he didn't "have proof at this moment," Chavez said he is "completely sure" U.S. army Gen. James Hill, the commander of U.S. military operations in Latin America, "knew about the plan that was being prepared against Venezuela." Chavez stopped short of accusing Hill of involvement.

Chavez said his government thwarted a sophisticated international conspiracy with the arrest this week of more than 80 suspected members of Colombia's right-wing paramilitary groups, most of them at a farm outside the Venezuelan capital Caracas.

Authorities detained 14 more alleged paramilitaries near Caracas on Wednesday, Chavez announced.


more
http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/World/2004/05/12/457157-ap.html


Venezuela Asks U.S. Military to Leave Base Offices
Wed May 12, 2004 04:02 PM ET

CARACAS, Venezuela (Reuters) - Venezuela has asked the U.S. military mission to leave liaison offices at armed forces bases in the country, U.S. Ambassador Charles Shapiro said on Wednesday.
The request appeared to signal a further downgrading of military links between the two countries, whose relations have become strained under the government of left-wing President Hugo Chavez. It was sent to the U.S. Embassy on Friday by Defense Minister Gen. Jorge Garcia.

U.S. defense attache staff members were asked to leave offices at Fuerte Tiuna armed forces headquarters in Caracas and at other military installations, Shapiro said. That would mean they would have to work from the embassy or other rented premises.

Shapiro declined to say how the move would affect U.S. military cooperation with Venezuela, which has decreased since Chavez took office in early 1999.


more
http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=worldNews&storyID=512314 ...

[seemslikeadream]

23. "Get up, Stand up"

"Get up, Stand up"
Get Up, Stand Up, stand up for your right
Get Up, Stand Up, don't give up the fight

Preacher man don't tell me heaven is under the earth
I know you don't know what life is really worth
Is not all that glitters in gold and
Half the story has never been told
So now you see the light, aay
Stand up for your right. Come on

Get Up, Stand Up, stand up for your right
Get Up, Stand Up, don't give up the fight
(Repeat)

Most people think great God will come from the sky
Take away ev'rything, and make ev'rybody feel high
But if you know what life is worth
You would look for yours on earth
And now you see the light
You stand up for your right, yeah!

Get Up, Stand Up, stand up for your right
Get Up, Stand Up, don't give up the fight
Get Up, Stand Up. Life is your right
So we can't give up the fight
Stand up for your right, Lord, Lord
Get Up, Stand Up. Keep on struggling on
Don't give up the fight
We're sick and tired of your ism and skism game
Die and go to heaven in Jesus' name, Lord
We know when we understand
Almighty God is a living man
You can fool some people sometimes
But you can't fool all the people all the time
So now we see the light
We gonna stand up for our right

So you'd better get up, stand up, stand up for your right
Get Up, Stand Up, don't give up the fight
Get Up, Stand Up, stand up for your right
Get Up, Stand Up, don't give up the fight.

[whistle]

7. Unless there are price control's in place....

...this kind of growth can not be sustained even over two quarters without over-heating the economy and bringing on hyper-inflation. Those will be the next headlines we'll see for Venezuela.

[AP]

10. It's growth compared to a quarter when the fascists were sabotaging the

economy, so it's going to be unusually high. Subsequent quarters will be relative to the growth that immediately followed the end of the RW strike and so they won't seem so high.

Nonetheless, there has been inflation in Venezuela. However, Chavez has fixed prices on most of the things the poor need, so they don't feel it as bad as the wealthy.

And that, actually, is a good way to readjust the economy from its extreme inequities.

Chavez is giving, say, 50% more wealth to the poor. there's, say, 20% inflation, but it doesn't touch the poor, since the prices of most commodities (fuel, food) are fixed. So the rich are feeling a little poorer, but that's OK because the rich were feeling reallly rich for a long time and was the consequence of some unfair shit that is now getting levelled out.

[bemildred]

13. The "unperturbed" numbers are somewhere between 2% and 9%,

from what I can tell, but all such numbers are mumbo-jumbo
to some degree.

[leesa]

15. Doubtful. This is what healthy growth looks like. We wouldn't know

anything about that here with our corrupted capitalism.

[seemslikeadream]

19. connection that exists between that political sector and US authorities

USA morally unqualified to make pronouncements on Venezuelan human rights
By Philip Stinard
May 19, 2004, 09:43


FIRST, because the accusation is totally and utterly false, without any basis whatsoever in the reality of our country. Venezuela doesn’t have human rights violations because there isn’t a repressive government. On the contrary, there is the most absolute respect for human dignity, as has never existed before, a respect based on the Bolivarian Constitution and on the political and human trajectory of those who currently run the Venezuelan State. Only as an expression of irresponsible accusations and the interests of an opposition without flags, is it possible to brazenly accuse President Chavez’s government of ignoring fundamental rights. Unfortunately, the sources that inspired the State Department report have a close relationship with the Venezuelan opposition, which confirms once again the connection that exists between that political sector and US authorities.

SECOND, the US government lacks the moral authority to question conduct with respect to human rights in the world, and even less in Venezuela. There is no point of comparison between the respect that our country has for human rights, and the disrespect that characterizes the current conduct of President Bush’s government. If any government is universally questioned in the world today, it is none other than the Bush-Cheney-Rumsfeld government, accused of genocide, massacres, the open bombing of cities, ignoring the norms of international law, complete disrespect for the United Nations, and horrendous tortures in Afghanistan, Iraq, and Guantanamo. For the US, there is no limit of any kind to the violation of human rights, and therefore, evil makes a judge of humanity he who is burdened with responsibilities.

SUMMARY: The government of president Bush lacks the credibility to criticize the human rights situation in Venezuela. The State Department report that was just released is invalid, not only because of the rude falsehoods about our reality, but also because the one making the report is morally unqualified.

more
http://www.axisoflogic.com/artman/publish/article_7842.shtml

[leftyandproud]

8. THATS IT!!!

I'm moving to VENEZUELA!!!!

[Aidoneus]

9. Yep, they'll be collapsing any day now..

To pound the point home about how fragile Chavez obviously is, the opposition should literally hold their breath until he falls..

[goforit]

14. I'm pretty proud of Chavez.....against all odds, he stands pretty tall!!!

Oh well!!!!

[jpgray]

16. Hey, but, uh, give the tax cuts time..... (nt)

[seemslikeadream]

17. Isn't lovely the former ambassador to Chile William R. Brownfield

will be climbing aboard to lend a hand.


Ambassador-in-waiting menaces: Foreign participation in Venezuela is imperative

Published: Wednesday, May 19, 2004
Bylined to: Philip Stinard

This participation will be “more visible” in the next few weeks, when the recall referendum process reaches a critical point, and the Organization of American States (OAS) elects a new secretary general, Brownfield said.

Brownfield made his comments at a confirmation hearing before the Subcommittee for Western Hemisphere Affairs of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. The hearing was schedule after President Hugo Chavez opposed the designation of Brownfield, who has 25 years of experience in diplomatic service, and who has been US Ambassador to Chile since March of 2002.

Senator Norm Coleman, president of the subcommittee, called “optimistic” Brownfield’s comments that “from the beginning” of his appointment, he would work in favor of “the fundamental values” of democracy and respect for the constitution that Venezuela and the United States share.

Brownfield said that “from those two concepts flows the rest: Respect for human rights, respect for the law, freedom of expression, freedom of religion, and cooperation with the world campaign against terrorism, drugs, and corruption.”

Venezuela is the only country in the OAS that has formally announced that it will not recognize the Haitian government after the February resignation of President Jean Bertrand Aristide. Aristide said that he was forced to resign by the United States.

more
http://www.vheadline.com/readnews.asp?id=21234

[electroluxs]

18. Got any good stock tips?

Should we buy some stock in their growth?

[bemildred]

26. I wouldn't be in equities anywhere right now.

Latin American stuff (in general) is quite volatile,
and likely to stay that way for a while. Times are tough,
investment-wise.

[seemslikeadream]

22. Victims file charges in US courts, and in the World Court in the Hague

Nice bedtime story





International court cases to be brought against US Ambassador to Venezuela


VHeadline.com correspondent Philip Stinard writes: On April 11, in Caracas, the Venezuelan group ASOVIC (Association of Victims of the April 11, 2002 coup against Hugo Chavez) announced that they would file charges in US courts, and in the World Court in the Hague, against US Ambassador to Venezuela, Charles Shapiro, for his involvement in sniper shootings at the Llaguno Bridge during the coup at the Miraflores Palace that left several people dead, including a journalist.

According to a statement released by Merly Morales, a spokeswoman for the lawyers representing ASOVIC, there are “elements for conviction, which in our judgment, serve as evidence to ask for the opening of an inquiry before US courts and the appropriate international tribunals” against Ambassador Shapiro. Such evidence ranges from “special courses in assault given by US authorities to members of the Caracas Metropolitan Police Phoenix Group and Chacao and Baruta municipal police in the months of October 2001 and with greater frequency in March and the first days of April 2002, to conversations recorded in the Center of Operations of the Metropolitan Police on April 11 of that year (2002) between Commissioner Forero and Ambassador Shapiro during the hours of greatest intensity of shots fired by members of the aforementioned police institution (Caracas Metropolitan Police) against people concentrated in the areas immediately surrounding the Miraflores Palace.”
In addition, there is also evidence “presented by the (Chavez) administration relating to the presence in Venezuelan territory of US ships on April 11, as well as (US) military personnel in the military installations at Fort Tiuna that would lead one to believe that there was an act of State committed against the constitutional government of Venezuela that directly affected members of our association that were injured and killed.”

"It is important that these be made known, and I come here to make this (tape) public because I don’t want to be involved in the cover-up of criminal activities. On the tape, it is clearly evident how the Metropolitan Police participated in the crucial moment of the 11th of April, and several things that they have tried to cover up will be revealed.”

more
http://www.vheadline.com/readnews.asp?id=17335

Thanks to JudiLyn for this

Bush's ambassador, Charles Shapiro could not be a larger insult


if he tried. He's right on target, doing Bush's nasty will, mocking the democratically elected Venezuelan President even as he works to destabilize his government. He's profoundly dishonest.

Maybe people remember that the moment it appeared they had bumped off Hugo Chavez, and the new "boss" staggered forth, our ambassador Charles Shapiro was witnessed rushing out to throw his arms around the little new sham official, who proceeded to dismantle the national assembly, the supreme court, and pitched the constitution, I believe:

According to Duncan Campbell, writing in the April 29 Guardian, Venezuelan national assembly member Roger Rondon accused US ambassador to Venezuela Charles Shapiro, and two US embassy military attaches, of involvement in the coup. Rondon claims that the attaches — James Rogers and Ronald MacCammon — had been at the Fuerte Tiuna military headquarters with the coup leaders during the nights of April 11-12. “We saw leaving Miraflores palace, all smiles and embraces, with the dictator Pedro Carmona ... satisfaction was obvious. Shapiro's participation in the coup d'etat in Venezuela is evident”, Rondon told the Guardian.
http://www.greenleft.org.au/back/2002/497/497p20.htm





Coup "president" Pedro Carmona



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


Loathesome, disprespectful apology from "Ambassador" Charles Shapiro concerning his triumph of tastlessness and gracelessness at one of his laughable soirees:
U.S. Ambassador in Venezuela Apologizes for Chavez Puppet Act
Caracas, May 16 (Bloomberg) -- U.S. Ambassador to Venezuela Charles Shapiro apologized to the government for hosting a press conference that featured a female impersonator and a puppet of President Hugo Chavez.

Venezuelan Vice President Jose Vicente Rangel yesterday called Shapiro ``irresponsible'' for having a press conference that ended with a performance in which the impersonator played a female Venezuelan television reporter talking to the puppet and mimicking Chavez's voice.

``I apologize to those who were offended by that show,'' Shapiro said on Union radio. ``It was an act with very partisan political content.''

http://adam.antville.org/stories/394927 /

(As an aside, can you IMAGINE what George Bush would do if he learned the ambassador from another country here had entertained his American guests with an event MOCKING the very President of the country where he was a guest?)