(Reuters) Stockpile in case of Venezuela vote chaos, U.S. says

[Roland99]

http://today.reuters.com/news/articlenews.aspx?type=politicsNews&storyid=2006-11-28T155232Z_01_N28226158_RTRUKOC_0_US-VENEZUELA-ELECTION-USA.xml&src=rss

CARACAS, Venezuela (Reuters) - The United States warned people to stockpile food, water and medicine in Venezuela in case a vote on Sunday sparks public disorder as anti-U.S. President Hugo Chavez seeks reelection.

In a warning to Americans living in Venezuela, which provides about 12 percent of U.S. oil imports, the U.S. Embassy said on Tuesday it had no information Venezuela would slip into lawlessness.

But it warned on its Web site (http://caracas.usembassy.gov/wwwh2848.html) that the measures would be a sensible precaution in a polarized nation where politics often stokes violent street protests and strikes.

...

The embassy advice, which noted the government's anti-American sentiment, came as many Venezuelans followed their own time-honored safeguard of buying candles, canned food and bottled water in case of any post-vote emergency.

:eyes:


Way to go, Bushco! Rile up people in Venezuela via inflammatory propaganda.

[sinkingfeeling]

1. Fear! Terror! Fear those on the left! Terror! Surprised the GOP didn't issue the same

warnings here prior to Nov. 7!

[Missy M]

2. What a bunch of nonsense.....

my daughter lived in Venezuela for many years and nothing like that happened. Bush and his propaganda is getting to be more and more destructive.

[Ragin1]

3. Hmmmmmm......

I don't see any mention of duct tape. I don't think they should take this seriously.

[marmar]

4. Anything to try and shed Chavez in a negative light...

They failed in their attempt to oust him, they couldn't assasinate him, so now they've got to engage in this propaganda war. Pathetic. The United States shouldn't be lecturing anybody on election chaos, quite frankly.

[Tempest]

5. What really upsets the Bushies

Is that Chavez's disapproval rating is almost the same as Bush's approval rating.

[Joanne98]

6. It sounds like Bushco is planning to stir up some trouble down there.

Chavez is very popular with the majority of the people. He is hated by the wealthy "criminal" elite and their Uncle Tom middle class butt lickers. There should be no problem for him in getting re-elected UNLESS Bushco CIA "rogues" start a bunch of shit. But I'm sure Hugo expects this from the BFEE and he will be ready.....

[mom cat]

11. That was my guess too. Time for another color coded "revolution"?

We haven't instigated a baby shit yellow revolution yet. :sarcasm:

[angstlessk]

7. Is this a prediction of a STOLEN ELECTION? If Chavez does not win

though he is ahead in the polls by over 30 points...and he loses...THEN THEY WILL NEED WATER AND FOOD! Sounds a little scary to me!

[Robbien]

8. BushCo already is using the media in Venezuela to push for an "orange

revolution" rioting in the streets if Chavez wins.

Our tax dollars at work.

[Judi Lynn]

9. Oh, yeah? Bush is counting on Americans' ignorance here.

It was the _Bush-supported opposition which has conducted violent demonstrations. They are the ones who want to overthrow the popular President. Like these clowns:



It was the US-supported President Carlos Andres Perez who commanded his forces to fire into a crowd of protesting poor Venezuelans whose transportation costs had been raised 200%, slaughtering over 2,000 of them, in the even known as "El Caracazo."

Someone handling _Bush's propaganda is trying to pull the wool over EVERYONE'S eyes by suggesting the masses of Venezuela are going to riot when their own beloved President is re-elected! Sheesh!

_Bush's administration has to be the most asinine assortment we've ever seen. They have absolutely no respect for the American people.

[Roland99]

12. Perhaps the riots will be.....incited?

[Judi Lynn]

15. That reminds me of their evil scheme, having snipers on the roof who shot at citizens,

then had the media blaming thc Chavistas for it as they published cropped photos which didn't reveal the shots were fired UPON THE CHAVISTAS THEMSELVES, killing some.

Didn't take people long to figure that one out, after all.

I wouldn't even dream of putting an incited riot beyond the opposition and their out-of-country right-wing spiritual leader/financial sponsor!

[EFerrari]

13. Can you imagine being in Caracas and reading this bs?

They must think we're all stark raving mad.

[Judi Lynn]

16. No doubt about it! They can remember Bush's coup attempt on Chavez, too.

Unimpressed Venezuelans chasing Ambassador William
Brownfield's car with eggs, fruits, and vegetables to drive
him away from the children's little league baseball game.

[ronnie624]

23. LOL.

I well remember the hand wringing of certain DU members over that episode.

Few would be more deserving of a rotten tomato in the face, than that vile criminal from the past.

[0rganism]

10. Ah, an embassy warning for US citizens in Venezuela

"The United States warned people to stockpile food, water and medicine in Venezuela"
vs.
"This warden message is being issued to alert American citizens traveling to and residing in Venezuela of potential campaign-related disruptions"

I must say, the actual embassy page is a lot more specific about these things than the article lets on.

[1932]

20. It would be more appropriate to issue that warning in the event of Chavez losing

except the waring would be to poor Venezuelans to stockpile food, water and medicine, because if Chavez loses, the government will be closing the free health clinics and the mercados for the poor, and they'll be privatizing your water so you won't be able to afford any.

[IndianaGreen]

14. I smell another Pinochet-style coup in the making

At times like this I am ashamed to be an American!

[malaise]

17. What are they planning?

Didn't Bushco just have his fear tactics blow up in their faces in the US election.

[Judi Lynn]

18. Could be anything! I think Bush won't rest until he,like Nixon,Reagan,and #41 has spilled

citizens blood in Latin America. He already did destroy Aristide and all those lives, and I'm SURE he means to be able to count mainland South America kills as his right as a perverse, power-mad, bloodthirsty right-wing scum just like the others. It would impugn his "manhood" if he can't slaughter a bunch of innocent citizens, too. (But MA, all the other Republican Presidents got to do it.)

[1932]

19. They practically said the same thing about a Kerry victory in '04 and about

Democratic control of congress last month.

[kuratowa]

21. Embassy Advisory

Has anyone here actually gone to the Embassy site to read the advisory that Reuters is reporting on?

It isn't an advisory to the Venezuelan population - it is specifically written to U.S, citizens living in Venezuela. Given the tensions between our two countries, there cautions of stockpiling food and avoiding large crowds around the election day are simple common sense. Large crowds have a tendency anywhere in the world to shift moods rather suddenly, and eve celebratory throngs have known to give in to riots when emotions run high.

Frankly, I'd suspect that every foreign embassy in the U.S. would issue such a warning on the eve of any major sports championship (lord knows we can't get the people that worked up over an election).

[1932]

22. I'm making a joke.

Maybe it was too obtuse?

[EFerrari]

25. Just wait. Baker is about to tell Bush that Democrats

ran us out of Iraq.

Venezuela may be Pelosi's next target.

[EFerrari]

24. Simple common sense would be to advise American citizens

in Caracas to avoid being hit by US sponsored snipers if they can possibly manage it.

[Judi Lynn]

26. Kirchner wishes Chávez good luck in election

Caracas, Wednesday November 29 , 2006
Kirchner wishes Chávez good luck in election

Argentina's President Néstor Kirchner wished Wednesday his Venezuelan counterpart Hugo Chávez good luck in the election of Sunday, December 3rd, as part of a new good intention statement by hemispheric leaders.

Chávez, Kirchner and recently re-elected Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, usually show unity even though the controversial behavior of the Venezuelan ruler has dampened relations with Argentina, Reuters noted.

"Over the last few days, we have been happy to see the victory of Lula in Brazil, Rafael Correa in Ecuador. We expect that our friend Hugo Chávez will have the best luck in Venezuela, because this is the confirmation that Latin America is making progress," Kirchner said in a public event.
(snip/)

http://english.eluniversal.com/2006/11/29/en_pol_art_29A809637.shtml

(Opposition paper. It must have killed them to publish this.)

[Judi Lynn]

27. Some laughable bogus poll work revealed.

Mixed messages
Manuel Rosales faces almost certain defeat in Venezuela's elections but he has told his supporters: 'It is true, we are winning.'
Calvin Tucker

About Webfeeds November 30, 2006 08:00 PM
With only days to go before Venezuela's presidential elections, President Hugo Chávez has a massive lead over his US backed rival, Manuel Rosales. The six most recent polls conducted by recognised firms put the gap between the two candidates as follows: Zogby - University of Miami: 29%, Associated Press - IPSOS: 32%, Datanalysis: 27%, Datos: 27%, Consultores 21: 17%, Evans McDonough: 22%.

Faced with almost certain defeat, one might have expected Rosales to rally his supporters with typical politician's bluster about how victory was still possible. Instead, he issued a very curious statement: "Every single important pollster has reported we have an apparent lead over the other candidate. It is true, we are winning."

One such "important pollster" is Alfredo Keller of Keller and Associates. On November 2, Keller released a poll which purported to show that the candidates were neck and neck. Later, it emerged that the interviewees had never actually been asked how they would vote. Keller simply took a guess based on their answers to other questions. Keller is an opposition supporter.

Another "important pollster" is Survey Fast Venezuela. They published a poll on November 21 that predicted a statistical dead heat. I had never heard of this so-called pollster, so I decided to type their name into the Google search engine. They attracted a mere 35 references (all of which related to their November 21 poll) and did not appear to have either a website or an identifiable track record or methodology. In other words, Survey Fast is a bogus firm and a front for the Rosales campaign. By contrast, when I googled the unimportant pollsters, i.e. the major firms that all show Chávez way out in front, I was rewarded with tens or hundreds of thousands of references.

And then there are the really, really important pollsters. Pollsters like Víctor Manuel García, director of Ceca, who released a poll showing that Rosales was a full 10 points ahead. Garcia, like his presidential hopeful Rosales, was a key participant in the failed 2002 coup that briefly overthrew Chávez and abolished parliament.
(snip/...)

http://commentisfree.guardian.co.uk/calvin_tucker/2006/11/post_723.html

[Tatiana]

28. The proponents of neoliberalism never give up.

We should have learned that lesson by now.

I hope Chavez has a good security detail because they will keep attempting coups against him until he is gone.

It's sad to think that America, once a shining beacon of democracy, seeks (through its government, corporate and even UNION entities) to deny democracy to citizens of other sovereign nations.

[BeHereNow]

29. OUR Tax $$$ at work: WE pay to finance a created opposition crowd...

Sounds to me like we are paying for the theatrical
appearance of an opposition crowd, should the election
results not turn out the way the KKKabal would like.

When are Americans going to wake from the collective coma state
and get angry about the fact that they are being manipulated and
ripped off by these corporate puppet masters?

Viva Chavez!

BHN