Stop spying, we're watching, Chavez tells US envoy

[cal04]

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez warned the U.S. ambassador against spying on Monday and said his agents had infiltrated the U.S. embassy, which he has accused of links to espionage. Venezuela last week accused U.S. embassy officials of contacting military officers to get access to state secrets for the Pentagon, the latest test of relations between Washington and Chavez, a fierce U.S. critic who wants to bring socialist revolution to the world's fifth-largest oil exporter.

"I recommend to the U.S. embassy that they stop spying, we have you infiltrated, ambassador. Don't move around too much because we are watching you," Chavez said at a business event. "The U.S. military officials in the embassy are spying and we've got them infiltrated. We even know where they eat their 'arepas reina pepeada' that those gringos love," Chavez said referring to a traditional Venezuelan fried cornmeal cake.

U.S. embassy representatives say they have not been contacted on the issue and have no details on any charges.
Washington has repeatedly denied Chavez's accusations that it is working with his opponents to orchestrate his ouster. But they say the former soldier, whose closest ally is Cuban President Fidel Castro, has become an authoritarian menace to Venezuelan democracy and a threat to regional stability.

Military authorities have so far not confirmed any arrests in the alleged passing of secrets, or said how many military officers are involved in the case. Chavez on Friday threatened to arrest U.S. Embassy staff caught spying.

http://www.swissinfo.org/sen/swissinfo.html?siteSect=143&sid=6426167&cKey=1138681217000

http://today.reuters.com/news/newsArticle.aspx?type=worldNews&storyID=2006-01-31T040338Z_01_N30338507_RTRUKOC_0_US-VENEZUELA-USA.xml

[zann725]

1. Boy, that Chavez does NOT 'mince' words. Always with an eye on his back

...and country.

[htuttle]

3. He used to be a paratrooper

...as opposed to a lawyer or corporate exec or something.

Paratroopers (from any country) aren't generally known for beating around the bush.

[Solo_in_MD]

4. But is anyone taking him seriously in the internationl arena?

It appears many of his statements are for local consumption, which is reasonable. However they sound a little over the top when out of that context.

[oblivious]

5. Yes, he seems to be becoming an international star.

Look at the news today re his very popular showing at the World Social Forum and his comments on US spying: It makes the newspapers in China, Taiwan, Australia, Canada, Turkey, India, Ireland, Cuba, Spain, Israel, the UK, and who knows how many other countries in other languages.

http://news.google.com/news?hl=en&ned=us&ie=UTF-8&ncl=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/4664502.stm

The crowd went wild as Chavez stepped on stage, and they kept cheering when he hugged US peace activist Cindy Sheehan before launching into a fierce attack on US President George W. Bush's government.
http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/world/archives/2006/01/29/2003291059

[br7598]

6. People are definately taking him seriously

Its kind of fascinating because his message is resonating well beyond his borders and causing a "domino effect" revolution throughout south and central america. I even heard people talking about Mexico replacing the conservative Vicente Fox and voting in some kind of socialist, labor party, or liberal candidate. I dont really follow mexican politics so I cant say for sure. But man wouldnt that spice things up if Mexico turned blue. As far as I know they have always been red for the last 100 years or so.

Thats what worries Bush. Its not one country, but the whole south and central american that is turning against him in a union kind of way.

[manic expression]

12. True

but Chavez is just one part of the change in Latin America. Evo Morales of Bolivia, Michelle Bachelet of Chile and others (like Mexico and Peru) are also part of this amazing turn for progress in the region. Although he is a strong voice for this type of change, he's never been the leader of it or anything.

The most interesting thing is that this is happening without any real organization, but simply many countries making a similar stance at the same time.

Welcome to DU!

[manic expression]

13. Double post n/t

[oasis]

2. Chavez had better audition a double or two. (eom)

[Vogon_Glory]

7. It's Time For The Airport Tattletales To Come Home, Too

It's also time for the little Freeper and Cuban-exile tattletales hanging around the Caracas airport trying to spy out Americans wishing to visit Cuba to come home, too. I suspect that they've not only long ago worn out their welcome, but also that they're at risk for more serious espionage charges.

[Judi Lynn]

9. This is the first I've heard of it.Unbelievable!What filthy nerve.

Did this start around the time we started hearing of famous Americans like Danny Glover, Harry Belafonte, and otherss making the trek to Venezuela to get a look at the new government projects?

I've long heard and read that there are FBI agents in airports all over the place in Canada taking passenger manifests and running down Americans coming and going to Cuba from Canada, but I had NO IDEA that actual civilians had organized vigilante-like acts spying on Americans in Venezuela.

That really chaps. You can be so sure most people would feel like pounding anyone trying to spy on them without official authorization. Sheesh.

They're damned lucky they haven't been arrested. Maybe they have been hoping to create an international incident.

[Vogon_Glory]

10. Sorry, Nasty Joke On My Part, Not Necessarily True

My speculation that there might be tattletales and snitches hanging around the Caracas airport trying to spy out Americans wishing to visit Cuba has no basis in documented fact, although considering the other actions of Team Shrub and other Banana Republicans, I wouldn't put it past the current administration to do just that. I made a a nasty joke and it wasn't meant to trip up other DU posters who'd take it as literal fact.

Nevertheless, I strongly suspect that there might really be tattle-tales and snitches hanging around airports in such places as Freeport, Nassau, Cancun, Merida, and Mexico City, perhaps ostensibly there to wage the "War on Drugs" but actually there to keep US citizens and permanent US residents from visiting "Forbidden Island." Some, if they indeed do exist, might be private individuals working for various exile groups. G*d knows that there'd be political support not only within the Dubya Bush administration, but also among a lot of the Miami exile leadership and also among the the so-called "born-again" Xians still waging their Cold War against the godless Commies.

I suspect that such actions would probably add up to some favorable equations in the Dubya Bush political calculus. In the meantime, I suspect that such attention on American citizens takes eyes, ears, and attention away from far more threatening figures like the drug- and gun-running Mara Salvatruchas and the Hamas and Islamic Jihad figures flitting in and out of the Caribbean using stolen or forged passports.

I doubt that Dubya or most of the rest of Team Shrub would ever repent of such folly. The rest of us might rue it when, just as when the Republican-controlled Congress sent Louis Freeh's FBI chasing after interns' dress stains, al Qaeda might slip through to pull off some other atrocity.

[Judi Lynn]

11. Oh, yeah? Well, I won't forget this.

http://benthamm.com/media/1/[e-mail]

[DinahMoeHum]

8. It's no mean trick to infiltrate a US embassy, even in these days.

Not when our government insists on hiring local nationals to work in them. Child's play.

:evilfrown: