Ombudsman:US-sponsored anti-Venezuela front prepares political retaliation

[Up2Late]

Caracas, Friday February 24 , 2006

Ombudsman: US-sponsored anti-Venezuela front prepares political retaliation

(el Univeral.com)

Ombudsman Germán Mundaraín Friday offered a news conference to declare that there is an "anti-Venezuela front" that is "trying to mob Venezuela by making the world believe that we are a nation that disrespects human rights."

"They are preparing an aggression intended as a political retaliation because we have refused to follow the orders of US President (George W. Bush.)"

He reminded the US administration that Venezuela does not follow the orders of foreign powers and the President Hugo Chávez' government wants to have friendly relations with all the peoples in the world.

Mundaraín argued that President Bush is trying to take the Venezuelan issue to international organizations. He mentioned recent statements by US deputies and senators questioning government moves to impose media bans and curtail freedom of speech. Mundaraín's claims came before the publication next week in Washington of the Inter-American Human Rights Commission report on human rights.

(more at link below)

<http://english.eluniversal.com/2006/02/24/en_pol_art_24... >

[AlamoDemoc]

1. Look here !

We are now involved in with a cold war with Venuzuela...because a decent government like Venezuela had offered a low heating oil to our most poor populated areas. I think we should re-consider buying petrol from rest of other petrol providers.

[NI4NI]

4. go to Citgo

Delaware Citgo stations have cars backed up outside along main highways lined up for $1.98 a gallon gas....I wonder how many drivers ever heard of Ceasar Chavez? Or care? We'll all be better off just as soon as more Americans start watching the American capital instead of American Idol.

[stillcool]

2. when, how, where will it all end?....

http://www.aliveness.com/kangaroo/CIAtimeline.html
Steve Kangas

The following timeline describes just a few of the hundreds of atrocities and crimes committed by the CIA. (1)

CIA operations follow the same recurring script. First, American business interests abroad are threatened by a popular or democratically elected leader. The people support their leader because he intends to conduct land reform, strengthen unions, redistribute wealth, nationalize foreign-owned industry, and regulate business to protect workers, consumers and the environment. So, on behalf of American business, and often with their help, the CIA mobilizes the opposition. First it identifies right-wing groups within the country (usually the military), and offers them a deal: "We'll put you in power if you maintain a favorable business climate for us." The Agency then hires, trains and works with them to overthrow the existing government (usually a democracy). It uses every trick in the book: propaganda, stuffed ballot boxes, purchased elections, extortion, blackmail, sexual intrigue, false stories about opponents in the local media, infiltration and disruption of opposing political parties, kidnapping, beating, torture, intimidation, economic sabotage, death squads and even assassination. These efforts culminate in a military coup, which installs a right-wing dictator. The CIA trains the dictator’s security apparatus to crack down on the traditional enemies of big business, using interrogation, torture and murder. The victims are said to be "communists," but almost always they are just peasants, liberals, moderates, labor union leaders, political opponents and advocates of free speech and democracy. Widespread human rights abuses follow.

This scenario has been repeated so many times that the CIA actually teaches it in a special school, the notorious "School of the Americas." (It opened in Panama but later moved to Fort Benning, Georgia.) Critics have nicknamed it the "School of the Dictators" and "School of the Assassins." Here, the CIA trains Latin American military officers how to conduct coups, including the use of interrogation, torture and murder.

The Association for Responsible Dissent estimates that by 1987, 6 million people had died as a result of CIA covert operations. (2) Former State Department official William Blum correctly calls this an "American Holocaust."

In early February 1999, Steve Kangas died and his body was found in a restroom near Richard Mellon Scaife's office. This death was not reported in mainstream media until nearly a month later. In the meantime, Scaife proceeded to send his investigator, Rex Armistead (who did so much work in the Scaife-funded get-Clinton snipe-hunt), to investigate Kangas. To no ones surprise, Armistead returned with very non-flattering information about Mr. Kangas...information that is contradictory to information known about Kangas.

http://www.politicalamazon.com/kangas.html

[LynnTheDem]

3. same ol' shit; US finances "fronts" who commit terrorism. Everyone knows

(except Americans, of course) that the fronts are financed by America. Then the US stabs the terrorists in the back...and then another 911 happens.

And Americans will wonder "Why why WHY do they hate us?!"

Same ol shit.

[Peace Patriot]

5. El Universal is the Fox News of South America--but I will check it out

and return. Charges of media censorship in Venezuela are ridiculous. The opposite is true. There is 24/7 slandering of Chavez, all channels, all the time. Think if ALL news here--all channels, all TV, all radio--were run by Fox News, or by Rush Limbaugh. I mean, bad as our war profiteering corporate news monopolies are, that would be worse, right? Well, that's the situation in Venezuela--ALL media are owned and controlled by the rich oil elite, and spew out constant lies, disinformation, and deception about Chavez and his government.

----

Well, the article doesn't say much. As for this "report" that is supposedly going to be released, imagine what John Bolton and Condoleeza Rice would have to say about Venezuela. Sounds like that's what is coming. The Venezuelan minister also mentions Rice's request of Congress for big bucks to pour into Venezuela for more disinformation and disruption. See the third article below for the mischief already perpetrated there by Congressional funds (our money!).

-----

www.venezuelanalyis.com is much more informative on this and all other issues:

Some media issues:

There is an on-going trial of the terrorist murderers (car bomb) of a man who was investigating business, political and news media perpetrators of the 2002 kidnapping of Chavez and attempted coup. A judge just clamped down on the hostile media's attempts to destroy the reputation of a witness. (--a court action that would be considered routine in England, which does not allow the U.S. practice of free-wheeling reportage of on-going investigations/trials; in any case, people are talking freely about the judge's action).

------

http://www.venezuelanalysis.com/news.php?newsno=1876

Danilo Anderson was murdered in 2004 while investigating the involvement of members of Venezuela’s business and political elite in the failed April 2002 coup that removed the Venezuelan president from power for two days and dissolved the National Assembly and the constitution. On November 18, a fatal car bomb went off in Mr. Anderson’s SUV about five minutes after he left a university graduate course in Los Chaguaramos, Caracas, according to Venezuela’s forensic police (CICPC). 

Last month, three men were convicted of carrying out the murder, while three others, accused of being the masterminds behind the crime, were released from jail for health reasons pending trial. A fourth suspect, opposition journalist Patricia Poleo, is currently in hiding, and was recently seen in Peru.

--------------

And here is another interesting article. The opposition (well-heeled with your taxpayer dollars, compliments of the Bush junta) brought unfounded charges against Chavez in the World Court for "crimes against humanity" which the World Court just dismissed as vague and baseless. (Keep in mind--Chavez was the injured party in the coup attempt, was imprisoned for two days, and, in any case, had a right to defend himself and his lawful government from violent attack and usurpation. The Bush junta supported the coup, as did all the corporate-owned media in Venezuela. The coupsters, upon taking power, dismissed the elected parliament and invalidated the Venezuelan constitution. Chavez had done absolutely nothing to deserve this, except get elected president with huge support from Venezuela's poor.)

http://www.venezuelanalysis.com/news.php?newsno=1900

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Venezuela is prosecuting a U.S. funded political opposition group (Sumate) for using funds provided by Bush's Congress supposedly intended for voter education to fund the recall election against Chavez in 2004 (an election that Chavez won easily--and that was heavily monitored by international election groups). The charges are conspiracy/treason (penalty, up to 23 years). The use of foreign funds by a political party is forbidden in Venezuela and in the U.S. (John Kerry got into trouble for a mere $2000 check from a South Korean in 2004, and promptly disavowed it and sent it back. Sumate took $31,000 of our money appropriated by Bush's lapdogs in Congress).

Sumate claims not to be a political party, but that is B.S. They wrote, gathered signatures, filed and promoted the recall election against Chavez--and conducted a phony exit poll on election day. The prosecutors accuse Sumate operatives of trying to assume a quasi-government role, replacing their election commission, which they have formulated as a treasonable offense. In the context of people like George Bush, Condoleeza Rice, John Bolton, and Tom Delay, trying to interfere in Venezuela, and purchase a recall of Chavez--as the Bush Cartel succeeded in doing in California--this situation must appear very threatening to the Venezuelans, with much justification. At first I thought, treason is a bit much for dirty political funds. But then I thought again. What if we found, say, Saudi money in Bush's campaign coffers? Would I not consider that treason? And the Venezuelans are even more vulnerable--the Bush junta had just backed a violent coup against their government, only two years before.

Here's an excellent article about it:

http://narcosphere.narconews.com/story/2005/7/9/113427/...

And a more barebones article:

http://www.venezuelanalysis.com/news.php?newsno=1892

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Note: Human Rights Watch is not to be trusted on Venezuelan issues. Nor is the National Endowment for Democracy. Both are Bush junta tools.

-------------

The irony of all this is that they have a very decent democracy in Venezuela, and we don't have one here. We have stolen elections, and torture, and executions, and mass murder of tens of thousands of innocent civilians in Iraq, and murderous neglect of the poor during disasters, and government by presidential fiat, and grand theft by the rich, and...I could go on. And these criminals dare critcize the Venezuelans, who are going out of their way to create a real government of, by and for the people, and are so bursting with pride in their new constitution that they all carry tiny pocket versions of it around and hand it out to visitors.

What a singular tragedy it is that we have this shitty government that cannot appreciate the magnificent democratic revolution that is occurring not only in Venezeula, but throughout Latin America--in Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Uruguay, Bolivia, and very likely soon in Peru, and also Mexico. The empowerment of the vast poor population, at last, and of women, and of the heretofore shunted aside indigenous tribes--via TRANSPARENT elections. It is a miracle, after all these countries have been through. Chile just elected its first woman president, Michele Batchelet, who had been tortured by Pinochet. Bolivia just elected its first indigenous president. These are wonderful events. Don't let the Bush junta and our mean-spirited, lying corporate press spoil them for you. Enjoy democracy vicariously! It is really and truly occurring throughout Latin America, and is a profoundly important, and unstoppable, and peaceful revolution.

[Up2Late]

6. The report that the article is talking about is reported here...

...but since the News Agency is in Cuba, I figured I better get another source that folks here wouldn't dismiss as quickly, but it does sound like it's going to be a bunch of Neo-Con BS:

US Human Rights Report More Lies: Venez

Caracas, Feb 24 (Prensa Latina) Venezuelan Ombudsman German Mundarain called the latest annual US human rights report a political maneuver filled with lies disguised as human rights. The official warned that the US State Department Country Report on Human Rights Practices is a political vendetta because of Venezuela's refusal to bow to its dictates.

Mundarain learned in Europe that the report rests on views from NGOs and human rights experts and he considers it disrespectful, unfriendly and interference in Venezuelan politics.

He noted that such actions hurt the excellent relations of coexistence and respect Venezuela wishes to have with the US people, as with the world, as an independent and sovereign country.

The official in charge of human rights called on the US to stop being the world's top arms producer, cease invading other countries, end torture in its prisons, and sign the international environment conventions.

hr/ccs/emw/nda

I think it's great that these Spanish language Newspapers are now offering an English language translations for those of us who are mono-lingual. Unfortunately, most of don't know the history or agenda's of the papers, except for what we read.

All I know is that most of the info we've been feed here in the U.S., about the Governments in Latin America, have been 1/2 truths at best, in most cases, just flat out lies.

[ronnie624]

8. Exactly right.

"Charges of media censorship in Venezuela are ridiculous. The opposite is true. There is 24/7 slandering of Chavez, all channels, all the time. Think if ALL news here--all channels, all TV, all radio--were run by Fox News, or by Rush Limbaugh."

Anyone who makes the idiotic claim of censorship by the government of Venezuela automatically loses ALL credibility in my eyes. Such accusations show a complete disregard for the truth.

[MasonJar]

7. Find a Citgo and buy all your gas there, even if it's a few cents

more. Pass the word. Make a bumper sticker asking other patriots to do the same.