Venezuela: Opposition campaigns with slander, violence

[Joanne98]

The international and domestic campaign against the Venezuelan government of President Hugo Chavez has dramatically escalated in the lead up to the February 15 referendum to remove the restriction on elected official standing for office if they have already served two terms.

Slanderous accusations of “anti-Semitism”, violence and even a coup plot have marked the desperate opposition’s campaign to foil an almost certain victory in the referendum, allowing Chavez to stand again for the presidency in 2012.

Numerous violent opposition protests have occurred over the last month. On January 14, opposition students went as far as setting fire to the Waraira Repano National Park on the northern edge of the city of Caracas, destroying more than 3 hectares of forest.

A further indication of the violent intentions of the opposition were revealed on February 11, when Chavez announced that a number of active soldiers had been arrested as part of foiling a possible coup attempt orchestrated by “a soldier on the run in the United States”.

The security forces also discovered rocket launchers, rocket-propelled grenades and C4 explosives during raids in states currently controlled by opposition governors, Carabobo, Tachira, Zulia and Nueva Esparta.

Meanwhile, the media has unleashed a virulent slander campaign accusing the Venezuelan government of anti-Semitism following the January 31 attack on a Jewish synagogue in Caracas. The attack came in the wake of Chavez’s decision to expel the Israeli ambassador to Venezuela and break off diplomatic ties with Israel over its massacre in Gaza.

AP reported on February 2 that 16 US congresspeople sent a letter to Chavez condemning the attack and requesting that he put an “end to intimidation and harassment of the Jewish community”, despite having no evidence that the government, which strongly condemned the attack, was involved.

Chavez should “lower the hostile tone of his rhetoric against the State of Israel”, they added.

The truth behind the attack was revealed on February 8, when the government announced that seven police officers, including one who during the last four years worked as a personal security guard for the synagogue’s rabbi, and four civilians had been arrested for their involvement in the attack.

One of the security guards at the synagogue was also arrested for his role in cutting off the alarm system from inside the building, facilitating access for the attackers.

http://www.greenleft.org.au/2009/783/40351

And we KNOW that those police officers were working for the opposition and it WILL be proved true.

[bemildred]

1. Hey, it's all they have to work with. nt