Oele
Oele's JournalChavistas Have Their Foreign-Intervention Cake and Eat It Too
Apologists Focus on Millions in US Funding, Ignore Cuba’s Multi-Billion-Dollar Stake
Victoria L. Henderson April 30, 2014 at 9:11 am
How much is foreign intervention worth in Venezuela?
The Venezuelan government and its supporters repeatedly claim that the United States has earmarked millions of dollars to topple Venezuela’s socialist government. But two key points are obscured by this strategically selective argument: first, it ignores the fact that US funding has likewise supported initiatives extending significant legitimacy to the Venezuelan regime; second, it sidelines any discussion of Cuba’s controversial, multi-billion-dollar stake in Venezuela’s political fortunes.
Fleshing out these historical and analytical points adds another dimension to the debate over foreign intervention in Venezuela. It also raises the stakes in what progressive intellectual and Latin America analyst Nikolas Kozloff – much to his credit – recognizes as “an uncomfortable discussion for the left.”
The (Mixed) Message on US Foreign Intervention
In a new article that largely recycles old rhetoric, Eva Golinger argues that regime change in Venezuela is worth millions to the government of the United States.
A US-born, Venezuela-based lawyer and author, Golinger says federal aid agencies in Washington, D.C., sent US$14 million to opposition groups in Venezuela in 2013 and 2014. This follows more than $100 million that Golinger says was channeled to opposition groups in Venezuela from 2000 to 2010 for the purpose of destabilizing the socialist government of Hugo Chávez, predecessor to current Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.
More at: http://panampost.com/victoria-henderson/2014/04/30/chavistas-have-their-foreign-intervention-cake-and-eat-it-too/
Punished for Protesting: Human Rights Watch report on Venezuela
Rights Violations in Venezuela’s Streets, Detention Centers, and Justice System
May 5, 2014
This 103-page report documents 45 cases from Caracas and three states, involving more than 150 victims, in which security forces have abused the rights of protesters and other people in the vicinity of demonstrations. Security forces have also allowed armed pro-government gangs to attack unarmed civilians, and in some cases openly collaborated with the gangs.
http://www.hrw.org/node/125192
María Corina Machado & Claudia Gurisatti (NTN24) at the European Parliament
Original version (mainly spanish):
English translation:
Venezuelan State TV Claims 'SOS Venezuela' Rally Call is Hidden Nazi Conspiracy
CARACAS, VENEZUELA – Venezuelan state television released a report saying ‘SOS Venezuela’, which has become a popular twitter tag and rally call among opposition protesters, really contains a secret Nazi message.
According to the video, the two ‘S’ parallels the runic insignia of the Schutzstaffel (SS), and comes from breaking down a swastika, while the ‘O’ comes from the Celtic cross adapted by some neo-Nazi groups.
“People in the opposition think they’re doing a just claim in showing the SOS symbol, believing they’re calling for help. But what they’re doing in reality is promoting dark intentions and energy from terrorist groups,” the report said.
The report, showing Nazi oppression footage mirroring Venezuelan police brutality, then concluded anti-Chavista students adopted the neo-Nazi symbol for their cause.
Venezuelan officials, including President Nicolás Maduro, constantly refer to the opposition as 'fascists.'
http://www.ntn24.com/videos/venezuelan-state-tv-claims-sos-venezuela-rally-call-hidden-nazi-conspiracy-125267
What happened to the VTV web site?
I have been unable to visit the VTV (Venezuela's public broadcaster) website from outside Venezuela since the protests in Venezuela started. Just like i was unable to visit the CNE site after the elections in april.
The site is working fine from my CANTV VPN connection though. Anyway, they forgot to block the live stream: http://vtv.movipbox.com/ .
Remembering the Revolutionary Tourist
http://daniel-venezuela.blogspot.nl/2014/02/remembering-revolutionary-tourist.htmlThis article reminds me of a few DU'ers.
A few quotes:
While the number of revolutionary tourists has diminished considerably, I'm amazed that even today, with a 56% inflation rate, more deaths per week than almost any country, and severe food shortages, there are still foreigners who blame shadow forces for what is due to the Venezuelan government's own mismanagement and incompetence. Admitting that the government failed would mean that their books and films were wrong, maybe making them question their worldviews. More importantly, they would have to face the fact that they created the international atmosphere that resulted in bloodshed and a monumental brain drain that starved the country of its finest minds.
The number one problem that I want to address--and as some one identifying as libertarian-left, with emphasis on left, this is a big one—is what I am seeing as the Left’s tendency in this case to allow *policy* to excuse lack of *legitimacy.* While I am willing to accept that the policies of Partido Socialista Unido de Venezuela have lessened income inequality and reduced the oligarchic influence the extremely wealthy in Venezuela enjoyed prior to 1999, those policies cannot excuse the fact that the government of Venezuela surrendered its legitimacy when it refused to allow a recount of an election with a result margin of less than 1%. It further destroyed its legitimacy as it destroyed the ballots of that election to ensure a recount would never happen. It completely annihilated any remaining trace of legitimacy by killing demonstrators, who under the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, are entitled to peaceably criticize their government. These are not the actions of a democratic government and the policies of any such government cannot excuse such atrocious actions.
Prosecutors want up to 10 years in prison for Leopoldo López
http://www.eluniversal.com/nacional-y-politica/140220/prosecutors-want-up-to-10-years-in-prison-for-leopoldo-lopezCapriles to take election result case to international bodies
Capriles to take election result case to international bodiesALICIA DE LA ROSA | EL UNIVERSAL
Tuesday August 06, 2013 02:25 PM
During his live web show Venezuela Somos Todos ("Venezuela is all of us"
on Wednesday, opposition leader and Governor Henrique Capriles announced he would not wait for the Supreme Tribunal of Justice (TSJ) to deliver its decision on an action challenging the results of the presidential election held on April 14.
"We will resort to international instances to present the case of April 14 presidential election and seek justice. Justice has been denied in Venezuela and it is clear that institutions do not work," the Venezuelan opposition leader remarked.
Capriles explained that the TSJ's Constitutional Court "failed to comply with all the terms established by law" to render a decision on this case. "There is a lack of justice."
"We will not wait for the courts any more (...) we know the reality; you are the tribunal of the Government. We must continue advancing under the rules of the Constitution. We have completed all requirements and we have the right."
The opposition leader said that around the end of August he would file two complaints, one on his own behalf and one on behalf of opposition alliance Unified Democratic Panel (MUD).
Carter Center Report on Venezuela Election
The Carter Center today released a preliminary report (PDF) on Venezuela's April 14, 2013, special presidential elections recommending electoral reforms to ensure greater campaign equity, increased efforts to improve the electoral climate for voters, and more information about the effectiveness of the biometric identification system and procedures to prevent usurpation of voter identity and multiple voting.
The report finds that the Venezuelan population, and the political parties and candidates in general, have demonstrated confidence in the performance and integrity of the automated touch-screen voting machines in accurately counting the votes cast on April 14.
There is not agreement, however, about the quality of the voting conditions and whether every registered voter is able to vote one time, and only one time. In addition, the report finds a series of inequities in campaign conditions in terms of both access to financial resources and access to the media, which diminish the competitiveness of elections, particularly in a legal framework that permits indefinite reelection of public officials.
More @ http://cartercenter.org/news/pr/venezuela-070313.html
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