Venezuela's Drug-Trafficking Role Is Growing Fast, U.S. Report Says

[Zorro]

Source: Washington Post

A report for the U.S. Congress on drug smuggling through Venezuela concludes that corruption at high levels of President Hugo Chávez's government and state aid to Colombia's drug-trafficking guerrillas have made Venezuela a major launching pad for cocaine bound for the United States and Europe.

Since 1996, successive U.S. administrations have considered Venezuela a key drug-trafficking hub, the Government Accountability Office report says. But now, it says, the amount of cocaine flowing into Venezuela from Colombia, Venezuela's neighbor and the world's top producer of the drug, has skyrocketed, going from an estimated 60 metric tons in 2004 to 260 metric tons in 2007. That amounted to 17 percent of all the cocaine produced in the Andes in 2007.

The report, which was first reported by Spain's El Pais newspaper Thursday and obtained by The Washington Post on Friday, represents U.S. officials' strongest condemnation yet of Venezuela's alleged role in drug trafficking. It says Venezuela has extended a "lifeline" to Colombia's Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC, which the United States thinks now has a hand in the trafficking of 60 percent of the cocaine produced in Colombia.

Read more: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/07/18/AR2009071801785.html

[No_More_War]

1. Looks like the CIA's got some competition!

This should not make the Bush family happy. South American cocaine is their turf--or so they thought. Ha ha go Hugo!

[bemildred]

2. "Colombian drug war failure causing increased crime problems in Venezuela."

Revised headline.

[ro1942]

3. venezuela

venezuela is bad, what a surprise coming from u.s. press

[bitchkitty]

4. LMAO! Was this on the laptop too, Zorro? n/t

[Jazzgirl]

6. No shit bk.

I am tired of this right wing crap being spewed on this site.

[Zorro]

8. Exactly what is "right-wing" about an impending GAO report?

Are you saying that GAO reports are US propaganda, with no basis in fact?

[Warren Stupidity]

14. The 'problem' first of all is the US market for cocaine.

Secondly, the source of the cocaine is COLOMBIA, but as you know, Colombia is run by right wing fascists friendly to US military and economic interests in the area, so we have to look elsewhere, and have to rely on useful idiots to propagate nonsense like this now at least twice LBN posted 'pending report'.

[bitchkitty]

28. I think she means that you are using them for propaganda purposes,

to spew right wing crap.

[IndianaGreen]

35. A report commisioned by asshole Dick Lugar

Lugar is more useless than Evan Bayh

[Gabi Hayes]

26. is that really you? where have you been?

I called you awhile back, and your mom said you'd moved.....

did she tell you?

PM me, or something

BB

[bitchkitty]

29. It's me, babeeeeee!

Sending you a message now...

[balantz]

5. The media is doing it's job for the corporate-fascists.

Got to paint Venezuela in a bad light. Gotta make those emerging socialist democracies look like dangerous, out of control (need to be controlled) hot spots.

Good thing the CIA doesn't run dope, we might need their good, clean service to control this menace :sarcasm:

[safeinOhio]

7. So, Colombia, U.S. friend

produces all the dope and our drug problem is blamed on Venezuela? Yeah, that's the ticket.

[peacetalksforall]

9. Is it possible to dissect this?

Columbia: Isn't everyone dealing?
Government sponsored and orchestrated drug dealing.
Colombian citizen drug dealing.
U.S. sponsored drug dealing.
U.S. partnership drug dealing.

Accusations against Venezuela by the Washington Post - not new, by the way:
Government sponsored and orchestrated drug dealing?
Venezuelan citizen drug dealing.
Colombian citizen or Colombian government or U.S. government drug dealing - through Venezuela?

WHO in Venezuela? It's very easy to write top government officials.

Does the Washington Post make clear whether they are blaming -

.the Chavez administration with dealing on their own?
.or authorizing drug growing or transfer by Venezuelan citizens
.or transfer through by Colombian citizens or government, or the U.S. citizens or government?

If a newspaper is through, they would have told us who. RIGHT?

I think things are heating up in the Western Hemisphere. My first and only guess is that the Washington Post is being used? For what? Are they trying to take Chavez's focus away from the Hondurian coup?

Well, Washington Post, I don't think it's fair to not tell us the WHOLE story.

Is this 'stir up some blame and action' writing?

[Zorro]

13. At last! An actual post about the article!

Since you asked, here are my thoughts.

I have little doubt of the accuracy of the GAO report. The increase of trafficking through Venezuela is related to the relative success by the Colombian government against FARC, which is forcing FARC to look for other transit points. The Venezuelan government has been less concerned about FARC because 1) it considers it primarily a Colombian problem, 2) they don’t mind the FARC money in their economy so long as FARC doesn’t cause problems (and FARC is sensitive to this), and 3) they consider themselves ideological cousins (after all, there was a statue of FARC’s founding father erected earlier this year in Caracas). This is also a problem in Ecuador, and unless all three countries agree on negotiations to address what is a regional problem, the situation won’t get any better.

Richard Lugar, considered a foreign policy expert and who no doubt has deep reservations about the Chavez government and their expressed antagonism against the US, requested the report. Does this report play into the hands of the anti-Chavez elements in the US? Of course it does, and as the article states, it won’t really help reaching any rapprochement with the Chavez government. It will no doubt trigger Chavez -- who many times is his own worst enemy -- to make more incendiary remarks about the US.

However, I don’t think the timing of the report’s release is directly related to current events in Honduras, or the recovery/release of the FARC video. The GAO does have a reputation for being non-partisan, and it’s a year or so of study, analysis, and report writing is not atypical for these types of reports. And although publication of the WaPo article may not have been discouraged by the administration, not every analysis of Venezuelan-related issues is a major conspiracy to portray the Chavez government negatively. Serious issues do exist that are of concern, and should be highlighted.

What’s really needed is a reform of US drug laws, but I don’t see that happening for anything (other than possibly marijuana) in the next five years. So as long as cocaine remains in high demand, the narcotraffickers will continue to supply it, and the ancillary effects will continue – government corruption, violent murders, etc.

What I also see looming on the horizon is greater problems with narcotraffickers in Bolivia. With Morales encouraging coca production and the removal of the DEA from that country, I can see where the violence related to drug trafficking increasing there over the next 10 years. They could very well end up threatening the stability of that country.

[Flaneur]

43. I don't doubt the increase in trafficking through Venezuela either.

The trade is enormously corrupting, and it's an equal opportunity corruptor. There is just too much money in it.

That said, there is no indication this is official Venezuelan government policy.

I note that the report says Venezuela now accounts for 17% of cocaine exports. That begs the question: Who is responsible for the other 83%?

I would also suggest that export through Venezuela is increasing because the proportion of cocaine exports headed to Europe is increasing, because of both increasing use levels in Europe--it's like the 1980s over there now!--and the falling dollar.

As for Bolivia, it remains the third player in the coca/cocaine trade. Production is up slightly there, but less than in Peru. In both cases, every coca farmer I ever spoke to swore he was producing for legitimate markets. But I was at one place in Peru where there were 40,000 coca farmers, and only 10,000 were registered with ENACO, the national coca monopoly. Hmmm, wonder where all that unregistered coca is headed?

[irislake]

10. Dumb question but

why is drug trafficking in other countries the business of the United States anyway? So the drugs are headed for America. Tough bananas. Protect your borders.

[peacetalksforall]

11. Has anyone noticed how overly redundant the charges become against corporate-Washington enemies?

Hot buttons to win the stupid populace of the U.S. - their best is drugs, drugs, drugs. Rarely arms.

What was really interesting is that the coup group in Honduras used a proposal to look at extending the number of terms for the President as their reason to kick him out - while Michelletti already tried the very same thing in his past?

[lib2DaBone]

12. Venezuela has drugs AND oil.....?

..that's a no-brainer.. INVADE

[EFerrari]

15. LMAO. Venezuela deports top Mafia suspect to Italy

(06-30) 13:47 PDT CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) --

Venezuela deported a convicted European drug trafficker dubbed the "Mafia's foreign minister" to Italy on Tuesday, where he has been wanted on drug smuggling charges since 2001.

Salvatore Miceli, 63, was led in handcuffs to a sport-utility vehicle to be taken to a plane, which departed for Italy.

Miceli was captured in Caracas earlier this month in a joint operation between Venezuelan and Italian police.

Justice Minister Tareck El Aissami said it is unclear when Miceli — who is suspected of smuggling cocaine, heroin and other drugs — first entered Venezuela, as he did not do so through regular channels.

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2009/06/30/international/i134744D81.DTL

[bertman]

16. Future Washington Post headline: Venezuelan operatives force Americans to use cocaine.

This following a GAO report documenting that terror cells of Venezuelans are sneaking into American homes and forcing the occupants to snort and inject record-breaking quantities of cocaine. Undisclosed sources in the State Department have veried that enormous shipments of cocaine are being shipped to America by Venezuelan dictator Hugo Chavez.

[EFerrari]

17. LOL!

:rofl:

[bertman]

47. That one just wrote itself. Glad you enjoyed it, EFerrari.

[struggle4progress]

18. Not LBN. Reuters reported this Thursday

United States says Venezuela undermines drug fight
Thu Jul 16, 2009 7:33pm EDT

CARACAS (Reuters) - Venezuela's lack of cooperation with U.S. drug officials is undermining efforts to stem cocaine trafficking, says a report from Washington that has drawn fire from the government of President Hugo Chavez.

Venezuela, which has thousands of miles of coastline and a rugged and porous border with the world's top cocaine producer Colombia, ended cooperation with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration in 2005 after accusing it of spying.

The report from the U.S. Government Accountability Office and seen by Reuters on Thursday says drug corruption has reached the ministerial level in Venezuela and decries a "permissive" attitude to trafficking groups from Colombia ...

http://www.reuters.com/article/newsMaps/idUSTRE56F7MM20090716

[lib2DaBone]

27. Drug Corruption.. Dont say it is true? Not in the United States..

[question everything]

19. Uh Uh. Venezuela is one of the sacred cows on DU

Nothing negative should be said about it, regardless of the facts. Venezuela and Chavez are gods not to be challenged. So what if he suspends civil rights, declares himself king for life - almost? He insulted Bush and therefore should be praised. Monuments should be built for him at every corner. Virgins should be sacrificed in his name.

:puke:

[EFerrari]

21. Or maybe you know less about Venezuela than the posters laughing at this report.

Much less, from reading your post.

[peacetalksforall]

25. The needs of the poor and what they haven't received for decades is being addressed.

Venezuela is using oil wealth to help the people and he is using it to help other So America countries to get out of the clutches of the World Bank and IMF which is why there are poor. The economic history and involvement by the U.S. and Europe in the affairs of these countries is well known. Rich and very rich was created and the poor resulted so that there could be more rich. Lacking a voice until now, all the rich are coming out of the woodwork to try and prevent any more equality nonsense. Corporations and governments and banking entities have been managing South American for a century. It's over. So what is your problem with change? Like his friend in Iran, Chavez has bravado and an undiplomatic way about him. I for one will place trust in him rather than all the rich Presidents who where there before him helping corporations to rob the country blind. While now living off the wealth of payola in nice estates in Florida and Europe, the entities that they conspired with are still trying. They have their axis of evil in the WH - Morales, Chavez, Castro. All the other leaders in the Central and South America are too 'European' and they would not touch them or assail them the way they can with the more ethnic standouts who try to get some things done for the formerly neglected people.

That's why we are rooting for Chavez. We may be disappointed, but it's better than 'hit man's land'. Or in the case of Cuba - the Mafia and CIA land. No drugs going on there when the Mafia and the CIA ruled? - clean as a whistle, then, huh?

[lexanman]

39. a bit

of hyperbole? suspends civil rights? lie. Declares himself king? lie. He insulted Bush because Bush was an appointed Fascist loving war monger. Chavez was democratically elected by his country's people.:puke: indeed

[struggle4progress]

20. I can't find such a report at the GAO website

http://www.gao.gov/docsearch/locate?advanced=1

[Zorro]

22. To be officially released Monday

That's what it says in the linked article.

[struggle4progress]

30. Thanks. Sometimes I skim too carelessly. I'm sure many of us will look at the report Monday

[lexanman]

38. You should google

Richard Lugar and DEA or drug trafficking. This dick has his hands very dirty in supporting the narc trade in Colombia and the US DEA. He's not a Senator. He's a cover for illegal activities carried out by both the CIA and the DEA, as well as the Colombian military. If the FARC were responsible for most of the drug trafficking, which a complete lie, wouldn't they be caught all the time here in the US. Plenty of drug interdictions happen here. I don't see headlines about FARC members being caught smuggling drugs into the US.

[timeforpeace]

23. How dare you? Chavez is above reproach.

[EFerrari]

24. Not really, But most of us don't eat this cr@p with a spoon.

More for you!

[IndianaGreen]

31. Curious that all the progressive governments in Latin America are now labeled as narco states

The new version of so-and-so has WMDs.

This propaganda onslaught is part of capitalist efforts to reestablish American hegemony in Latin America

[Odin2005]

32. *Grabs Popcon*

[Boddingham]

33. Woah. Woah. Woah.

You mean we cannot stop the production of drugs all over the world? And this is the USA's strongest condemnation of Venezuela's role in drug trafficking? What, since 1996? Oh, wow, that is so heavy and scary.

Meanwhile, we stopped torching the opium and marijuana fields in Afghanistan because it pushed the farmers toward the Taliban.

There is so much money to be made off of this shit that the corruption goes up to the highest levels of ever country on the planet. Yea, that includes YOUR COUNTRY.

[L. Coyote]

34. US role to be ignored, as usual. In America, they don't use cocaine, you know!

And they don't have any drug lords, or any political corruption, or corrupt police and border agents.
In USA, they have no problems at all. All the problems are in South America, you know! LOL. :rofl:

[IndianaGreen]

36. WaPo says GOP will use report to support the coup in Honduras

and oppose the return of President Zelaya to office. Clearly the intentions of the report are to advance a rightwing agenda, while ignoring that the cocaine in question is produced in Colombia, a country whose rightwing President Uribe supports America's corporate policies.

[corpseratemedia]

42. Ding!

cia bullshit from a murdoch-rag






The US corporate hands are so filthy in Latin America, no problem with murdering democratically elected leaders and producing
death squads that murder indigenous people, college students, political opponents etc.

Chaos, poverty, bribery, drug wars and death squad/terror funding from multi-national corps. through our secret govt. and our training school is better than slightly greater parity and quality of life.

This stuff doesn't fly with anyone who knows history. But WaPo still has hope for those dearly holding on to the propaganda of the past.

[lexanman]

37. This is a report

commissioned by Lugar, the top ranking republican of the Senate FR committee. Lugar was one of the people that tried to give legitimacy to the coup of Chavez previously. The cocaine is produced in Columbia and then smuggled in difficult and rugged terrain in Venezuela. Its a huge lie that FARC is responsible for most of this trafficking. The trafficking is done largely by Colombian military and Columbian contractors who provided cover for the US DEA.

The DEA has had their hands in the drug trade in Latin America for a long time and the letters DEA are a large irony for that organization, given what they have been responsible for.

[zeemike]

40. I was told by someone I trust that cocaine is used as a medium

of exchange by the CIA.
And during the contra war in Nicaragua they flew plain loads of guns down south and brought back cocaine to dump on the inner cities.
They used it as payoff to criminal organizations like the Hells Angels in exchange for work in the domestic realm. the law forbids them from whacking anyone in the US so they use organized crime to do the job.

And for them it is a win win situation because it makes so many black people eligible for time in the corporate run prisons which need a steady flow of prisoners to feed there profits. And best of all there is no way to follow the money and find out about what they are doing.

[lexanman]

41. Cocaine is a drug

the medium is money. Colombia, Honduras, Nicaragua, Paraguay, and several other countries in Latin America were used as staging grounds for trafficking by the US Drug Enforcement Agency and the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency. The drug and armament went not only to US cities, but also Europe, South Africa, The Balkans, and several other countries with a DEA/CIA presence. There are for profit prisons run in this country, but it was not just about supplying them with fresh meat. Not being able to follow the money trail within the DEA and CIA in particular, is what they specialize in. They have excellent cleaning skills.

[Joanne98]

44. The GAO saz? I guess the dirty wars are back in full force!

[IndianaGreen]

45. And we can count on Zorro to give us NED's talking points

Zorro even likes SOA!

[Lydia Leftcoast]

46. When I saw the headline, I knew it had to be from one of two posters

:evilgrin: