Venezuela Watch

georgeob1 wrote:

Blaming the United States is merely the narcotic too often used to hide their own responsibility.

I very strongly disagree, but I'm not going through that again.

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http://washingtontimes.com/op-ed/20060520-101946-1649r.htm

Venezuela and terrorists
TODAY'S EDITORIAL
May 21, 2006

"Cuban intelligence has effectively cloned itself inside Venezuelan intelligence," Thomas A. Shannon, assistant secretary of state for Western Hemisphere affairs, told editors and reporters at the Washington Times. Mr. Shannon was also concerned about the nature of the intelligence relationship that Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez wants with Iran. If this were not disconcerting enough, Venezuela is also providing shelter for organizations with ties to unspecified "terrorist organizations in the Middle East." Reports suggest that Hezbollah is one of those unspecified organizations.

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nimh wrote:

[

Moreover, to try to portray HRW as some kind of pro-American pro-imperialist stooge is a laugh.

.

(Human Rights Watch the backdoor for Bush and Deputy Defense Secretary Paul D. Wolfowitz the new head of The World Bank. -Amigo)

http://www.hrw.org/reports/2004/venezuela0604/6.htm#_Toc75153615

*HRW report recomending loans from World Bank taken from the HRW report. -Amigo

To international lending agencies:

The World Bank and the Inter-American Development Bank can play a significant role in strengthening Venezuela's justice system, as is clear from their involvement in the country to date. The Inter-American Development Bank provided a loan for $75 million in 2001 for projects in the Attorney General's Office and Ministry of the Interior and Justice aimed at improving the efficiency, professionalism and equity of the criminal justice system.

The World Bank has supported the Venezuelan judiciary in recent years with a $30 million loan for a project (authorized in 1993 and completed after multiple delays in 2003) that aimed to modernize the infrastructure of the judiciary, as well as a $4.7 million loan for a project (authorized in 1997 and completed in 2000) that aimed to improve the functioning of the Supreme Court. The Venezuelan judiciary has since developed a proposal for a third loan from the Bank.

____________________________________________________

http://www.ngo-monitor.org/editions/v3n11/AnalysisofHRWFailureToInvestigateWrongdoing.htm

Evidence of the Political Agenda

Many aspects of this report illustrate the centrality of HRW's political agenda, including the title, which, instead of demonstrating a detached presentation of the issue, uses the condemnatory language of an ideological campaign. Furthermore, in the area of "military wrongdoing", HRW has singled out two democracies involved in defending against terror campaigns -- Israel and the US - for reports on this very complex topic.

HRW's Credibility Gap

HRW's previous reports on Israel have been consistently flawed by a lack of credibility, and this is also the case here. Most of the evidence presented by HRW comes from Palestinian "eyewitnesses", politicized NGOs such as the Public Committee against Torture in Israel (PCATI), the Palestinian Red Crescent, B'tselem, etc. For example, in footnote 8, HRW bases various claims of civilian Palestinian casualties on the highly problematic and politically motivated assertions by these groups, ignoring the obstacles to accurate assessments. As was clearly illustrated in the false tales of the 2002 Jenin "massacre", Palestinians frequently inflate such claims, deliberately blur the distinction between terrorists and civilians, and refuse to cooperate in professional investigations, while not allowing autopsies. Many of the casualties cited in this report are likely to have been involved in terrorism, or were the result of Palestinian fire. Similarly, the moral responsibility of the Palestinian Authority in allowing civilians to be used as cover by terrorists is again ignored by HRW.

Political Rhetoric instead of Dispassionate Analysis

The manipulative language consistently employed by HRW is designed to make an objectively weak case subjectively and emotionally compelling. For example, the report criticizes IDF investigations as "characterized by inaction and cover-up" (p 4) and claims that "the [IDF legal] system does not provide justice or truth. (p 7) In one of the cases discussed in this report, HRW failed to note the use of a polygraph test when an officer was suspected of lying. While the use of such devices is highly problematic, a judicial system that uses polygraph tests in cases of questionable behavior can hardly be "characterized by inaction and cover-up" (p.4)

Political Rhetoric instead of Dispassionate Analysis

The manipulative language consistently employed by HRW is designed to make an objectively weak case subjectively and emotionally compelling. For example, the report criticizes IDF investigations as "characterized by inaction and cover-up" (p 4) and claims that "the [IDF legal] system does not provide justice or truth. (p 7) In one of the cases discussed in this report, HRW failed to note the use of a polygraph test when an officer was suspected of lying. While the use of such devices is highly problematic, a judicial system that uses polygraph tests in cases of questionable behavior can hardly be "characterized by inaction and cover-up" (p.4)

_________________________________________

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A39858-2005Mar16.html

Wolfowitz Picked for World Bank
Bush Nominee for Chief Faces Opposition Overseas

By Paul Blustein and Peter Baker
Washington Post Staff Writers
Thursday, March 17, 2005; Page A01

President Bush said yesterday that he has chosen Deputy Defense Secretary Paul D. Wolfowitz, a key architect of the Iraq war, as the U.S. nominee to head the World Bank.

The nomination shocked many among the bank's 10,000-member staff and in many capitals abroad, especially in Europe. When Wolfowitz's name surfaced a couple of weeks ago as a possible nominee, many diplomats and bank insiders dismissed his prospects as remote.

When should we start laghing Nimh?

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Humala victor in Peru presidential debate - polls
Mon May 22, 2006 11:39 AM ET
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LIMA, Peru, May 22 (Reuters) - Retired army commander Ollanta Humala, who is trailing ex-President Alan Garcia in voter opinion polls, won a weekend presidential debate for which he was late and delayed its start, polls said on Monday.

A smiling but nervous-looking Humala pledged to drop Peru's current free-market economic model, which has helped Peru's gross domestic product grow 7 percent last year, and take control of Peru's natural resources to return more wealth to the poor.
Link

Peru presidential election is on June 4, 2006

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Yet another example of the political and economic backwardness of South American countries. They (with the exception of Chile) will continue to fall further behind the rest of the developing and developed world.

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Chavez: Imprison 'genocidal' Bush

Tuesday, May 16, 2006 Posted: 1405 GMT (2205 HKT)

England (CNN) -- Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez has accused George W. Bush of committing genocide and said the U.S. president should be imprisoned by an international criminal court.

The leftist leader made his remarks on Monday at a joint news conference with London Mayor Ken Livingstone after a reporter for the BBC likened some comments of his to Bush's phrase, first delivered shortly after the September 11 terrorist attacks, "You are either with us or against us in the fight against terror."

At that, Chavez erupted in anger about being "compared to the biggest genocide person alive, in the history of humanity, the president of the United States -- killer, genocidal, immoral -- who should be taken to prison by an international court. I don't know to what you are referring when you compare me to President Bush."

He added: "Have I invaded any country? Have Venezuelans invaded anything? Have we bombarded a city? Have we had a coup d'etat? Have we used the CIA to kill a president? Have we protected terrorists in Venezuela? That's Bush!"

The reporter then cited Chavez's critique of a previous question as "silly" for having motivated her question.

That original question, from CNN's Robin Oakley, asked whose decision it had been for Chavez not to include a visit with Prime Minister Tony Blair on his itinerary. During Chavez's first visit as head of state, five years ago, he was warmly received by Downing Street and Buckingham Palace.

Chavez derided the question as "silly" because, he said, the current visit is a private one, not a state visit.

He said he included people with whom he disagrees among his friends, and cited Colombian President Alvaro Uribe, a conservative, as one of them.

Continue here for Chavez's warning on invasion of Iran.

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I doubt that anyone (except perhaps for red Ken Livingston) either cares much about Chavez' opinion or takes him very seriously. He is a sad and comic figure who will bring misery and disappointment to the Venezuelan people. His intemperate reaction to a question that referred to the rather obvious absence of any invitation by the British Government is a fairly clear indication of the authoritarian disposition that lurks behind the populist rhetoric and all the farcical Bush bashing.

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George, Weather you want to admit it or not, and from what i've seen you wouldn't, Chavez is getting attention. He might pull thing thing off, whatever it is.

What I wonder about is why people want to see Venezuela fail just because they are socialist. It seem to me that it's a kind reactionary response.

If good old American ingenuity and healthy free market competition were what they should be the American electric car and the combustion engine would be running neck and neck right now but instead monopolies have crippled the free market. Wheres the American electric car?

"Who give a f**k lets load up some guns and go get more oil!"

Thats why we have our eyes on Venezuela. So we can keep going down the same old f**ed up road that will serve the old rich people just dandy but leave the aftermath for their children with a spent and overly aggressive world.

"If you can rape it. then rape it." Seems to be the new credo of freedom. There are groups of men that could consume the whole planet and still die miserable.

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I thiink you are a bit confused. The U.S. free market is doing reasonably well - we have the highest GDP per capita among the major nations of the world.

I have no ill-feeling towards the people of Venezuela, nor do I wish them harm. Instead I regret their long-term failure to develop reliable political and economic institutions, and the attendant unnecessary perpetuation of poverty snd ignorance among their people. Chavez is not the first authoritarian dictator in that unfortunate, misgoverned country and I fear he will likely not be the last.

My only basis for antipathy for Chavez is the conviction, based on numerous historical examples, that he will lead Venezuela to even worse internal social conflict, dependence on government , and waste of natural resources and the opportunity they provide to develop the politicql institutions and spirit of economic enterprise needed to improve the lives of Venezuelans.

As for the ravings about ellectric cars and internal combustion engines -- I don't know what they may have to do with the subject. You have some kind of emotional bias against this country. OK by me. Perhaps you would enjoy life in Caracas.

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Amigo wrote:

nimh wrote:
Moreover, to try to portray HRW as some kind of pro-American pro-imperialist stooge is a laugh.

(Human Rights Watch the backdoor for Bush and Deputy Defense Secretary Paul D. Wolfowitz the new head of The World Bank. -Amigo)

(My emphasis)

Do you even read the things you paste into this thread, Amigo?

You claim that HRW is "the backdoor for Bush", right?

Right after, by ways of proposed evidence - twice - you quote a report that claims Human Rights Watch is in fact unfairly slanted AGAINST the US as well as Israel:

Quote:

Furthermore, in the area of "military wrongdoing", HRW has singled out two democracies involved in defending against terror campaigns -- Israel and the US - for reports on this very complex topic.

HRW's Credibility Gap

HRW's previous reports on Israel have been consistently flawed by a lack of credibility, and this is also the case here. Most of the evidence presented by HRW comes from Palestinian "eyewitnesses", politicized NGOs such as the Public Committee against Torture in Israel (PCATI), the Palestinian Red Crescent, B'tselem, etc.

(Again, my emphasis)

You assert that HRW is "the backdoor for Bush", and by ways of evidence, you quote a report that says HRW is slanted against America and in the pocket of the Palestinians.

How's that even make any sense?

On we go;

Quote:

http://www.hrw.org/reports/2004/venezuela0604/6.htm#_Toc75153615

*HRW report recomending loans from World Bank taken from the HRW report. -Amigo

Yes - I already addressed this point, in this post.

As a human rights organisation, HRW will recommend what action can be taken to pressure and/or help an offending government. It will therefore present their take on what the EU should do, or the OSCE, or the World Bank, or the OAS, or the African Union, or whatever other international organisation is at hand in the region. No dirty secrets there.

Quote:

Evidence of the Political Agenda

Many aspects of this report illustrate the centrality of HRW's political agenda, including the title, which, instead of demonstrating a detached presentation of the issue, uses the condemnatory language of an ideological campaign.

Yes, HRW is a human rights organisation; their task is to highlight and condemn human rights abuses. Much like with Amnesty International or other human rights organisations. So yes, human rights defenders are political; theirs is a political task.

What we disagree on is whether HRW's politics amount to being in the pocket of Bush and the US. The sources you yourself bring here say the opposite.

To wit, I've also already brought extensive links in which HRW severely criticizes the Bush administration as well - making it rather unlikely that it is in fact "the back door of Bush". But you've ignored those.

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Amigo wrote:

George, Weather you want to admit it or not, and from what i've seen you wouldn't, Chavez is getting attention.

So do plain crashes -- and for the same reasons.

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Quoting a Truthout editorial, Amigo wrote:

Ironically, the U.S. government, Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International's accusations stress Chavez' sins regarding press censorship and undermining the Constitution - that Chavez is anti-democratic. In light of the US coup planning and destabilization efforts, such charges seem misplaced - at best.

The US government is "misplaced" to protest "Chavez' sins regarding press censorship" because it itself planned a coup, which is arguably worse -- OK, fair enough.

But how do HRW and Amnesty magically get wrapped up into this sentence? Did they have anything to do with the "coup planning"?

No, of course they didnt.

So why would they be "misplaced" to complain about Chavez' press censorship, exactly?

Still quoting a Truthout editorial, Amigo wrote:

He has not shut down, censored or interfered with the media or the property that belong to his enemies. You figure it out!"

This is provably untrue, and I already provided the links that show it.

Still quoting a Truthout editorial, Amigo wrote:

Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, along with the U.S. Government, have contributed not only to political confusion about Venezuela. By misusing the words, democracy and human rights, they have created a semantic nightmare. They seem to accept US coups and destabilization campaigns as compatible with democracy,

Whoa, wait, back up the truck -- Amnesty and HRW do not "accept US coups". They criticize those, too.

Factcheck:

Human Rights Watch, back in 2002: "Restore Rule of Law, Protect Rights in Venezuela"

Quote:

The situation created by the ouster of Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez Frías threatens human rights and the rule of law, Human Rights Watch said today.

"We call upon the transitional authorities in Venezuela to restore the country's democratic institutions as soon as possible [..]," said José Miguel Vivanco, executive director of the Americas Division of Human Rights Watch. "Human Rights Watch is deeply concerned that President Chávez may not have left office voluntarily, but rather that he may have been forced to leave by military commanders, outside of a democratic, participatory process," he added.

Human Rights Watch has condemned the coup against Chavez - and the human rights violations by Chavez.

What does that say to you?

The thing is - their job is to protest human rights violations no matter which side makes them.

Amigo wrote:

I am refereing to "you guys" (anybody it applys to) of demonizing Chavez while turning a blind eye to a massive relevance of his accusers motives and their history in Latin America.

Several of us have already explicitly said that things were f*cked up before Chavez too. So yes, when the accuser in question is the Venezuelan domestic opposition, or the US government, for example, some healthy scepticism is in place. Not that they should be automatically disbelieved, but you'd want to get independent confirmation of the complaints. Thats obvious, and most of us have confirmed that.

Now that raises the question - where to get this independent confirmation from?

Generally, you'd look at human rights organisations, international organisations, media freedom watchdogs, researchers, etc.

But, after 31 pages of this thread, we are left with the question: is there actually anyone whose word you would respect, if he expresses criticism of Chavez?

I mean, so far, you have discarded all criticism that we've presented as baseless and partisan.

The International Federation of Journalists? You say they can't be trusted, they're in the pocket of the opposition.

Human Rights Watch? You say they cant be trusted, they're in the pocket of the US.

Amnesty International? Same thing.

Freedom House? Reporters without Borders?

Basically - is there any criticism of Chavez imagiable that you wouldn't immediately brush aside or discount? Who'd have to utter it?

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A bit old - the report covers the events of 2004 - but this is what Freedom House had to say about Venezuela in its Freedom of the Press 2005 survey.

Amigo: note that Venezuela is one of only two countries in Latin-America defined "Not Free", and that the other country is neighbouring Colombia, ruled by a right-wing government that is butressed with ample financial support by the US.

So before you label Freedom House another organisation thats merely in the pocket of the US, IMF, World Bank etc, ask yourself - why would they then equally criticize the staunchest US ally in the region?

Quote:

Venezuela (2005)
Legal Environment: 24
Political Influences: 30
Economic Pressures: 18
Total Score: 72

Status: Not Free

A hostile political atmosphere has pitted the largely pro-opposition private media against the government of President Hugo Chavez and the state-controlled media. One result has been a steady decline in press freedom over the past several years - a trend that continued in 2004 - reflected in the government's enactment of legislation prohibiting the broadcast of certain material, its intimidation of and denial of access to private media, and the continued harassment of journalists, directed primarily at those employed by private media outlets.

The most worrying development occurred on December 7, when the Law of Social Responsibility in Radio and Television was ratified, mandating large fines and possible closure if prohibited content is aired. Content not to be broadcast includes a series of vague prescriptions against "incitements to war," "disruptions of the public order," "disrespect toward legitimate institutions and authorities," or "threats to national security," which could have the effect of producing self-censorship. The law also [..] requires source disclosure. An 11-person Directorate of Social Responsibility, 7 of whose members are appointed by the government, is responsible for enforcing the law.

The penal code was also amended in December to include a broader category of government officials covered by desacato (disrespect) provisions and to increase dramatically the criminal penalties for slander and libel, charges often employed by government officials to intimidate private media journalists. The government allegedly abuses its power to regulate media, with community radio stations reporting politically motivated irregularities in the allotment of broadcast frequencies.

Freedom of expression is also restricted by a law requiring journalists to have a journalism degree and formal membership in the National College of Journalists; violations are punishable by a three-to-six-month jail term. This law was upheld by the Supreme Court in July (these requirements are waived for foreign journalists and columnists).

[..] Direct assaults against media declined compared with 2003, but journalists still decried authorities' efforts to prevent free reporting, including threats and attacks by government supporters. Journalists from private media outlets complained that a lack of access impeded their reporting, including being denied entrance to the presidential palace and other official events, rights granted to journalists from state-controlled media. Journalists reported more than 30 complaints of harassment; the majority were committed by government supporters against private media, but some cases involved attacks by opposition leaders against state-owned media. Several cases involved the harassment of journalists by the National Guard and other officials.

In June, government supporters attacked two Caracas media outlets, including a television station (Radio Caracas Television) and a daily newspaper (El Nacional). In both cases, attackers threw stones and other objects, set fires, and damaged buildings. Pro-government assailants shot and injured four reporters with rubber bullets and tear gas during protests. [..]

The government controls two national television stations, a national radio network, and a wire service; the president maintains a weekly radio show and exercises his power to preempt programming to ensure extensive broadcasting of governmental announcements in private media.

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Yes Nimh, I read everything I post as I've read all you post. I have posted criticisms of Chavez myself. Did you read the article on post 2047553 on page 30.

Reporters without boarders and freedom house sounds good.

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Chavez says Russia to help Venezuela make rifles
Tue May 30, 2006 10:19pm ET

CARACAS, Venezuela (Reuters) - Russia will help Venezuela build plants to make Kalashnikov rifles and ammunition after the United States restricted arms sales to the South American nation, President Hugo Chavez said on Tuesday.

Chavez also told a press conference in Quito, Ecuador, that a delivery of 30,000 Kalashnikov automatic rifles was due to arrive from Russia in early June.

"The Russians are going to install a Kalashnikov rifle plant and a munitions factory. So we can defend every street, every hill, every corner," he said in remarks broadcast in Venezuela.

Washington banned all weapons sales to Chavez's leftist government this month because of U.S. concern about his ties with Cuba and Iran and what it called his inaction against guerrillas in neighboring Colombia.

The sanctions led to a diplomatic freeze with Venezuela, a major U.S. energy supplier and the world's No. 5 oil exporter.

Link

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Meanwhile, Cuba-Venezuela relations are becoming very close, each relying on its comparative advantage. Venezuela is providing low-cost oil while in return Cuba organises literacy and health programs, sending thousands of highly skilled professionals, teachers, and doctors, who work in the poorest and most neglected areas, as they do elsewhere in the Third World. Cuba-Venezuela projects are extending to the Caribbean countries, where Cuban doctors are providing healthcare to thousands of people with Venezuelan funding. Operation Miracle, as it is called, is described by Jamaica's ambassador to Cuba as "an example of integration and south-south cooperation", and is generating great enthusiasm among the poor majority. Cuban medical assistance is also being welcomed elsewhere.

At a meeting to mark Venezuela's entry into Mercosur, Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez said, "We cannot allow this to be purely an economic project, one for the elites and for the transnational companies," a not very oblique reference to the US-sponsored "Free Trade Agreement for the Americas", which has aroused strong public opposition. Venezuela also supplied Argentina with fuel oil to help stave off an energy crisis, and bought almost a third of Argentine debt issued in 2005, one element of a region-wide effort to free the countries from the control of the US-dominated IMF after two decades of disastrous effects of conformity to its rules. The IMF has "acted towards our country as a promoter and a vehicle of policies that caused poverty and pain among the Argentine people", President Kirchner said in announcing his decision to pay almost $1 trillion to rid itself of the IMF forever. Radically violating IMF rules, Argentina enjoyed a substantial recovery from the disaster left by IMF policies.

http://news.independent.co.uk/world/americas/article621899.ece

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The author of the piece yopu quoted was Noam Chomsky -- in case you were laboring under the illusion that it constituted an informed, objective analysis of the situation.

Now that it has been "liberated" from the "clutches" of the IMF, it will be interesting to see if Argentina manages to end its chronic lack of investment, underemployment, and excessive dependence on the state for economic activity. So far the indicators are not good. Chavez has merely given them some time by lending them money they will almost certainly never repay.

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Chavez opens Venezuela studios to counter Hollywood
Sat Jun 3, 2006 3:56pm ET

By Patrick Markey

CARACAS, Venezuela (Reuters) - Lights, camera and ... revolution.

Signaling from a director's chair, Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez inaugurated a film studio complex on Saturday on the outskirts of Caracas to counter the cultural "dictatorship" of Hollywood movie giants.

"For Venezuela, action," Chavez called out as the cameras rolled and a harp and guitar band strummed traditional folk music on the set of a film in production.

Link

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From the Russian News and Information Agency - RIA Novosti

Quote:

Venezuela's Chavez hints Russian fighters may fly at parade
05/06/2006 09:13

LIMA, June 5 (RIA Novosti) - Venezuela's president has dropped the heaviest hint yet that his country may be buy Russian-made fighters by saying warplanes could take to the skies during a July 5 military parade to celebrate Independence Day.

Venezuela has already signed a $54-million contract for 100,000 Kalashnikov assault rifles, the batch of which was shown off on television Sunday night, and put pen to paper in the middle of last year on a contract for 15 military helicopters.

And Hugo Chavez, the outspoken left-wing leader of the South American country and vehement critic of U.S. foreign policy, told the nation in a television broadcast that Su-30 Flanker fighters could appear above the capital on July 5.

Chavez said earlier this year his country could purchase Sukhoi aircraft from Russia to replace its contingent of U.S. F-16 multi-role fighters following an embargo on arms sales to the country slapped on by Washington.

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Quote:

Peru snubs Chavez in presidential poll

ISN SECURITY WATCH (Tuesday, 6 June 2006: 9.00 CET) -
Former leader Alan Garcia has made a political comeback in Peru's presidential elections in a victory he described as a defeat of Venezuela's Hugo Chavez.

Peruvian voters on Sunday elected Garcia, who served as president 16 years ago and saw his government collapse in the face of economic ruin and rebel violence, beat populist rival Ollanta Humala, a former army commander with 55 per cent in the run-off vote.

Garcia described the victory as a vote against Chavez's plan to include Peru in its military expansion of South America.

"We are tired of bullies and militarism. Here, in Peru, it's the people who decide and direct [..]," he said in his victory statement.

Humala, a 43-year-old former military commander who led a failed coup against former president Alberto Fujimori in 2000, had won the first round less than two months ago.

Garcia had vowed to lead an alliance against Chavez and to stand up to the Venezuelan president's "petrodollars and imperialism". At one point during the campaign, he referred to Chavez as a "midget dictator with a big wallet".

The president-elect also is hoping to create a center-left bloc against Venezuela with Brazil, Chile, and other Latin American nations.

That hoped-for bloc, however, is not likely to include Bolivia, whose newly elected President Evo Morales has taken to Chavez's populism and following closely on his heels.

Chavez had backed Humala in the Peruvian polls.

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