Does It Matter That the Venezuelan Opposition Is Funded by the US?

[Judi Lynn]

Does It Matter That the Venezuelan Opposition Is Funded by the US?

By Ray Downs

In the summer of 2007, the vehemently pro–Hugo Chávez journalist and lawyer Eva Golinger got on Venezuelan state TV and, with the help of a flow chart hand-drawn on flimsy poster board, called out several fellow journalists who had allegedly accepted US funding to help bring down the country's famously left-wing, anti-American president.

“These journalists are destabalising agents,” Golinger said, and explained that that they had participated in programs paid for by the US that were designed to promote a pro-American agenda, the goal of which was to create anti-socialist sentiment in Venezuela.

The accusation didn't cause the kind of uproar Golinger was hoping for. The journalists were briefly investigated by a government committee, but that prompted an immediate public outcry – in fact, many Chavistas rejected such McCarthy-like tactics, claiming they made them look bad.

The incident did cause the US Embassy in Caracas some concern, however. In a cable released by Wikileaks titled “IV Participants and USAID Partners Outed, Again” that describes Golinger's TV appearance and the aftermath, an embassy official wrote that people were becoming wary of getting involved with any enterprise funded by the US. “It is particularly hard to persuade Chávez supporters to participate in a program they perceived as potentially career-ending,” the official wrote. In other words, though Golinger embarrassed herself with her shit-stirring, the US was really trying to bring down Chávez by funneling money to his opponents.

~snip~
Interestingly, it's illegal for a US political party or candidate to accept funding from any “foreign national,” which includes individuals, corporations and governments. Venezuela passed a similar law in 2010, but this is easily circumvented by channeling the money through NGOs.

More:
http://www.vice.com/en_uk/read/does-the-uss-funding-of-the-venezuelan-opposition-matter

[Demeter]

1. Only if one was under the impression that American Exceptionalism meant Exceptionally Good

for the world....not just the 1%.

You know, of the People, for the People, by the People; with malice towards none, etc.

[polly7]

2. Just thought I'd add this for those who can't see the obvious (not you! Judi Lynn).

Manufacturing Opposition Movements

From Egypt, Ukraine, the Turkish-Syrian border, Cuba and Thailand

by Andre Vltchek / February 3rd, 2014

Government buildings are being trashed, ransacked. It is happening in Kiev and Bangkok, and in both cities, the governments appear to be toothless, too scared to intervene.

What is going on? Are popularly elected administrations all over the world becoming irrelevant; as the Western regime creates and then supports thuggish ‘opposition movements’ designed to destabilize any state that stands in the way of its desire to fully control the planet?

Full article: http://dissidentvoice.org/2014/02/manufacturing-opposition-movements/

[Peace Patriot]

3. Well, this article downplays the importance of U.S. funding of the RW opposition in Venezuela,

though, at least the article MENTIONS it--unlike the clearly propagandistic corporate media. This article puts the figure at $50 to $60 million of U.S. taxpayer money to the RW opposition in Venezuela over the last decade,* and admits that it's hard to know what the real total is. But it doesn't say WHY we don't know. That's because there are billions of taxpayer dollars in secret budgets such as those of the CIA (not to mention revenues from drugs/weapons trafficking and other illegal activities of our secret government). $50 to $60 million is the money we KNOW ABOUT. There is a whole lot of money we DON'T KNOW ABOUT, directly out of our own pockets as U.S. taxpayers--or by fraudulent use of U.S. taxpayer-funded projects, such as the corrupt, murderous, failed U.S. "war on drugs" --to the worst elements in Venezuelan politics--the thugs and coupsters who have tried to overthrow Venezuela's democracy.

We need to be wary of articles like this, which seem to raise important questions, but that then give the rightwing opposition a forum in which to portray themselves as moderates and as having concern for the poor just like Chavez.

"...although Voluntad Popular is often said to be the most right-wing and capitalistic of Venezuela's opposition parties, Mejia balks at the description. All they want to do is open up the markets in Venezuela, which will help the poor, (Juan Andrés Mejía) says."

Bullshit! Mejía is one of the leaders of the fascist party, 'Popular Will," which has led the violent protests of the last few weeks.

"...which will help the poor." Ri-i-i-i-ight!

The clue that this article needs some "reading between the lines" may have been the author's (Ray Downs') swipe at Eva Golinger, early on. He ridicules her for exposing journalists who had participated in U.S.-funded programs that were designed to push the U.S. agenda of destabilizing the country and overthrowing its socialist government. Downs then goes on to say, in essence, that she was right. So why does he ridicule her?

There is an agenda here, under the surface. I'm not sure if it's a personal agenda or a CIA agenda, but it is definitely an agenda. This is not a straightforward article. I suspect that it is a "modified limited hangout" (remember that phrase from Watergate days?)--that is, Wikileaks having exposed parts of U.S. interference in Venezuela, and Golinger having done extensive research and publishing on this subject, there are certain things that cannot be denied in an article designed for the thinking public. Downs admits the things that are known (by the thinking public) but veers away from obvious questions (like WHY the U.S. budget for meddling in Venezuela is hard to pin down), snipes at Golinger for reasons unknown, helps legitimize the far, far right--the people smashing up bus systems and government offices--and, furthermore, helps legitimize U.S. interference itself, even U.S. interference in Venezuelan elections.

"So yes, the opposition is made up of political parties that have received extensive US funding and is led by the well-connected López (note: cohort of Mejía). Does that mean the protests aren’t about helping the poor and instead only serve the interests of the US and wealthy Venezuelans?"--asks the AUTHOR (Downs) in this OP!

He lets Mejía go on about how "opening markets" will "help the poor"--a bloody lie, here, there and all over the world--and let's him get away with the following:

“'As long as (U.S. funding of RW parties in Venezuela) is not illegal, if another country wants to help us make elections more transparent and help strengthen a political party, I don't see what's wrong with that,' (Mejía) said. 'Besides, the Chavistas have Cubans and Russians on their side.'”

Clever CIA "analysts" could not have penned a slyer article, that parades as "objective" but, in truth, is not at all objective.


----------------------------
*("This year alone, President Obama earmarked $5 million to “support political competition-building efforts” in Venezuela." --from the OP

[Bacchus4.0]

4. I haven't heard from you recently. What do you think of the Ven gov shooting protesters...

kicking out media sources, throwing people in jail indiscriminately, and engaging in blatant deception?

[Judi Lynn]

5. Thanks for your comments on this article. I was sickened thinking about the fact

this kind of funding has always been considered forbidden here but has routinely been a tool this government uses against other governments it wants to destroy. That has always seemed evil.

It helps so much to read your thoughtful ideas and information here. Thanks for taking the time.