February 2005

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez was warmly received at the World Social Forum in Porto Alegre, Brazil, where he said that a radical transformation of society can be made democratically.
By: Cleto A. Sojo - Venezuelanalysis.com
Published: 31/01/05

Caracas, Jan 30, 2005 (Venezuelanalysis.com).- Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez was warmly received at the 2005 edition of the World Social Forum in Porto Alegre, Brazil, where he held several meetings with local leaders, intellectuals and activists, and gave the closing speech at the Gigantinho Stadium. Chavez generated great interest among Forum participants, many of whom see Chavez and his project of political transformations being implemented in Venezuela, as an inspiration in the struggles for a more better world.

The Venezuelan President visited the Lagoa do Junco agrarian settlement in Tapes set up by Brazil's Landless Movement (MST), and later held a press conference with more than 120 media organizations, where he criticized the U.S. government for claiming to lead a fight against terrorism while undermining Democracy in Venezuela.

Chavez highlighted the recent creation of Latin American satellite TV network TVSur, "which will allow us to tell our people’s reality in our own words." He added that TVSur will be at the disposal of the people, not of governments.

The leader added that his country's military forces are undergoing a period of modernization of its weapon systems and resources, but asserted that it is aimed at defending the country's sovereignty. "Venezuela will not attack anybody, but don’t attack Venezuela, because you will find us ready to defend our sovereignty, and the project we are carrying forward," he added.

"The FTAA is death"

During the closing speech at the Gigantinho Stadium, the president added that the 2005 arrived and the Free Trade Agreement of the Americas (FTAA) was not implemented. "The FTAA is death, what they go was mini-FTAA’s because the U.S. imperialism did not have the strength to impose the neocolonial model of the FTAA."

The President highlighted the Bolivarian Alternative for the Americas (ALBA), a proposal made by Venezuela in opposition to the Free Trade Agreement of the Americas (FTAA), and which emphasizes social and cultural exchanges above profit-based economic deals. "We can’t wait for a sustained economic growth of 10 years in order to start reducing poverty through the trickledown effect, as the neoliberal economic theories propose."

He praised the cooperation with Cuba, which along with several Central American countries, receives Venezuelan oil at below market prices, in exchange for assistance in healthcare, education, agriculture and other areas. He highlighted that about 20.000 Cuban doctors work in Venezuela at free medical clinics in poor neighborhoods, and that Venezuela has used a Cuban literacy method approved by UNESCO that has allowed more than 1.3 million Venezuelans learn how to read and write. He said Venezuela is using Cuban vaccines, which now allow poor children to be vaccinated against diseases such as hepatitis.

The President criticized alleged media distortions with regard to plans by Fidel Castro and him to spread Communism in the Americas, overthrow governments and set up guerrillas, "after 10 years it seems like we haven’t been very successful."

"Cuba has its own profile and Venezuela has its own, but we have respect for each other, but we celebrate accords and advance together for the interest of our peoples." He said that any aggression against either country will have to confront the other, "because we are united in spirit from Mexico down to the Patagonia."

Chavez said U.S.-Venezuela political relations are unhealthy because of “permanent aggressions from there”. He criticized U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice who recently asserted that Chavez was “a negative force in the region.” He said those relations will stay unhealthy as long as the U.S. continues their policies of aggression. "The most negative force in the world today is the government of the United States," he said. 

The President criticized the U.S. government for asking other countries to pressure Venezuela in the crisis with Colombia over the kidnapping of a Colombian guerrilla activist in Caracas last December. “Nobody answered their call… they are more lonely everyday.” He praised the cooperation of other Latin American countries in the resolution of the crisis, and mentioned that Cuban President Fidel Castro held talks with Colombian President Jorge Uribe to try to help in the resolution of the crisis. Chavez agreed to meet Uribe early in February to settle the dispute.

"Imperialism not invincible"

Chavez added that U.S. imperialism is not invincible. "Look at Vietnam, look at Iraq and Cuba resisting, and now look at Venezuela." In reference to the recommendations of some of his close advisors, he said that "some people say that we cannot say nor do anything that can irritate those in Washington." He repeated the words of Argentine independence hero José de San Martin "let’s be free without caring about anyone else says."

"When imperialism feels weak, it resorts to brute force. The attacks on Venezuela are a sign of weakness, ideological weakness. Nowadays almost nobody defends neoliberalism. Up until three years ago, just Fidel [Castro] and I raised those criticisms at Presidential meetings. We felt lonely, as if we were infiltrated at those meetings."

He added that those ideological and economic weaknesses will continue to increase. "Just look at the internal repression inside the United States, the Patriot Act, which is a repressive law against the U.S. citizens. They have put in jail a group of journalists for not revealing their sources. They won't allow them to take pictures of the bodies of the dead soldiers, many of them Latinos, coming from Iraq. Those are signs of Goliath's weaknesses."

"The south also exists"

He said there were old and new actors in the geopolitical map who are coming into the scene and have an influence in the weaknesses and strengths of the U.S. hegemony. "Today's Russia is not Yeltsin's... there is new Russian nationalism, and I have seen it in the streets of Moscow... there is a good president, Mr. Putin, at the wheel." He also praised China's fast economic growth, and highlighted the new Spanish socialist government, "which no longer beds its knees in front of U.S. imperialism."

"The south also exists... the future of the north depends on the south. If we don't make that better world possible, if we fail, and through the rifles of the U.S. Marines, and through Mr. Bush murderous bombs, if the is no coincidence and organization necessary in the south to resist the offensive of neo-imperialism, and the Bush doctrine is imposed upon the world, the world will go into destruction," he said.

Chavez warned of drastic weather changes that would bring catastrophic events if no action is taken soon, in reference to uncontrolled or little regulated industrial activity. Chavez added that perhaps before those drastic changes take place, there will be rebellions everywhere "because the peoples are not going to accept in peace impositions such as neoliberalism or such as colonialism."

"The U.S. people are our brothers"

He added that all empires come to an end. "One day the decay inside U.S. imperialism will end up toppling it, and the great people of Martin Luther King will be set free. The great people of the United States are our brothers, my salute to them."

"We must start talking again about equality. The U.S. government talks about freedom and liberty, but never about equality. "They are not interested in equality. This is a distorted concept of liberty. The U.S. people, with whom we share dreams and ideals, must free themselves… A country of heroes, dreamers, and fighters, the people of Martin Luther King, and Cesar Chavez."

Christ "revolutionary"

Chavez thanked Spanish intellectual and director of Lemonde Diplomatique Ignacio Ramonet for saying that Chavez was a new type of leader. He said he is inspired by old types of leaders such as Christ, whom he described as "one of the greatest anti-imperialist fighters, the redeemers of the poor, and own of the greatest revolutionaries of the history of the world." The President mentioned Venezuela’s independent hero Simon Bolivar, Brazil's José Ignacio Abreu Elima, Che Guevara "that Argentine doctor that traveled through the continent in a motorcycle and who was a witness of the U.S. invasion of Guatemala in 1955, one of the many invasion of the U.S. empire in this continent," and Cuban President Fidel Castro.

“Capitalism must be transcended”

"Everyday I become more convinced, there is no doubt in my mind, and as many intellectuals have said, that it is necessary to transcend capitalism. But capitalism can’t be transcended from within capitalism itself, but through socialism, true socialism, with equality and justice. But I’m also convinced that it is possible to do it under democracy, but not in the type of democracy being imposed from Washington," he said.

Chavez said that Venezuela is trying to implement a social economy. "It is impossible, within the framework of the capitalist system to solve the grave problems of poverty of the majority of the world’s population. We must transcend capitalism. But we cannot resort to state capitalism, which would be the same perversion of the Soviet Union. We must reclaim socialism as a thesis, a project and a path, but a new type of socialism, a humanist one which puts humans, and not machines or the state ahead of everything. That’s the debate we must promote around the world, and the WSF is a good place to do it."

He added that in spite of his admiration for Argentine revolutionary Che Guevara, he said Che´s methods are not applicable. "That thesis of one, two, or three Vietnams, did not work, especially in Venezuela."

The President cited Russian revolutionary Leon Trotsky by saying that "each revolution needs the whip of the counterrevolution to advance." He listed actions by the opposition and the U.S. government to drive him out of power. "But we resisted, and now have gone into the offensive. For instance, we recovered our oil industry... In 2004, from the oil industry budget we utilized $4 billion in social investments, education, health, micro-credits, scholarships, and housing, aimed at the poorest of the poor, what neoliberals call waste of money. But that is not a waste of money because it is aimed at empowering the poor so that they can defeat poverty. He added that "that money before stayed out of Venezuela or just benefited the rich."

He criticized privatizations by saying that "privatization is a neoliberal and imperialist plan. Health can’t be privatized because it is a fundamental human right, nor can education, water, electricity and other public services. They can’t be surrendered to private capital that denies the people from their rights."

Defends Lula

Chavez defended Brazilian President Luis "Lula" Da Silva, who has been sharply criticized by the Latin American left, and who was booed during his speech at the World Social Forum.

"I say this from the bottom of my heart. In Venezuela at the beginning of my presidency, many of my supporters criticized me and asked me to go at a faster pace [to implement changes], and be more radical, but I considered that it was not the right moment because each process has several phases and different rhythms that not only have to do with internal situations in each country, but with the international situation at the time. So, I risking that you make some strange noise, want to say that I like Lula, I appreciate him, and he is a good man, of a great heart. He is a brother, a comrade and I send him a hug, my love and affection. I'm sure that with Lula and the people of Brazil, with Nestor Kirchner and the Argentine people, with Tabaré Vasquez and the Uruguayan people, we will be opening the path to realizing the dream of a united Latin America."

The initial phase of "Operation Condoleezza" is in full swing,
byRaul Bosque

http://www.vheadline.com/readnews.asp?id=24600

* A most dangerous strategy is being activated against the government of Hugo Chavez, being this time its management completely assumed by the US State Department.

* A vast number of fellow-citizens already involved and still to be committed exist.

* The blow is rooted in Plan Colombia of which president Uribe is nothing else but an instrument.

* The kidnapping of Rodrigo Granda is only the beginning of an offensive that shall sustain itself upon a matrix of opinion that links the mandatories Chavez and Castro with the heads of narcotraffic.

* Ante-room of a military intervention.

Venezuelan journalist Raul Bosque writes: Since the middle of last year,  the US State Department has been working on what they term 'the Venezuelan Case.' In the map of the discussion about the hemisphere, our country appears with a red sign that has changed from 'intermitted' to 'permanent' since President Hugo Chavez' recent visit of to La Habana.

Diverse Venezuelan personalities (politicians and businessmen) have been taken aboard by Washington to intensify a phase that can be defined as preliminary to a military intervention.

• United States Intelligence analysts have once again revised what has passed and are preparing themselves not to commit the same mistakes of what they call a 'timid revolt' on April 11, 2002.

The qualification arises from the way in which Southcom in Panama had behaved ... and out of precarious military support provided to the insurgents of that time. Apparently, there was no central coordination unit which would have permitted coherency to the military uprising.

One of the complaints is that the opposition was totally divided ... very much apart from showing a unitarian face in the course of events preceding the day of the ousting of Hugo Chavez.   Inclusively, not even a clear government alternative was at hand ... and the effort to crush Venezuelan democracy using the Haitian formula to conserve a facade by means of a civilian command junta failed.

The US State Department accepted the civilian command junta's proposal ... that at the beginning it should be presided by businessman Gustavo Cisneros ... to avoid a bloodbath which an exclusively military regime with an inclination to the extreme right would have implied.

One must not forget that a "surgical“ operation had been programmed, close to the model chosen by the Indonesian military when they toppled President Sukarno. At that time, in Jakarta, they executed 300,000 communists in one day. It had happened in 1965 when the CIA ousted Dr. Ahmed Sukarno, the elected President of this highly-populated archipelago. Sukarno had initiated the nationalization of all Dutch firms and goods. Nevertheless, the CIA took the country into a situation of undeclared civil war, which concluded with a coup d'etat and the annihilation of the communists.

With the "Cisneros option“ ... accompanied in the Vice Presidency by Luis Miquilena ... Washington hoped to remove Chavez from power while avoiding the repetition of the experience of Pinochet. Moreover, at that moment, it was impossible to fall back on the Panama-Noriega pattern ... simply because the arrest of a Latin American President with ever more and ever greater affection within the sentiments of the continent would have to be justified to the international community.

The US State Department took stock of its April 2002 failure when the Venezuelan ultra-right ... which counted on ample backing of Israel ... was allowed to seize power.

Starting from zero, Washington does not want more mistakes, and has decided to put itself at the head of the operation, which ... in leaked information ... has been denominated 'Condoleezza' ... referring to the hawk embodied in the new US Secretary of State, Condoleezza Rice, who, although not yet confirmed in the Bush II line-up, has already opened fire against the Venezuelan President, with very well-defined warnings.

After evaluating the events of April 2002, the US State Department does not want repetitions of the oil stoppage which was  entirely led by the Venezuelan extreme right and guaranteed by a tiny group of the CIA, behind the backing of the chief of  the Central Intelligence Agency. The extensive stoppage by truck drivers in Chile was not the same as the oil stoppage in Venezuela ... the first affected internal interests, but the Venezuelan had shaken the international crude oil market and consequently the North American market, in which Venezuela is the lead supplier in Latin America.

Now, once the plan to oust Chavez is in full swing (it is foreseen to) proceed with a flank of the Meta Plan that would allow bombing to drive the FARC definitely out of their strongholds. It is being talked about as an operation with continental range, where the south of Venezuelan and the Colombian north-east would be converted into an 'occupied zone' by US Marines.

The initial phase of Operation Condoleezza is in full swing.

Among Venezuelans who are considered as being potential collaborators within the framework prior to a military intervention, figure businessmen and politicians. Gustavo Cisneros continues to be a candidate, very much apart from the fact, that some of the designers of the interventionist strategy had lost confidence in him after the events of April 2002.

Among almost a hundred Venezuelans are : Asdrúbal Aguiar, Marcel Granier, Federico Alberto Ravell, Eduardo Fernández (outsider), Herman Escarrá, Rafael Simón Jimenez, Hiram Gaviria, Luis Miquilena, Omar Camero, Gerber Torres, Ricardo Haussman, María Corina Machado, Carlos Blanco, Andrés Mata Osorio, Teodoro Petkoff, Gustavo García, Luis Giusti (outsider), Moisés Naim, Reinaldo Cervini, Henry Ramos Allup, Simón Alberto Consalvi, Pynchas Brener, Andrés Velásquez, Trino Márquez, Henrique Salas Römer, Baltasar Porras, Carlos Gil, Manuel Rosales (it is interesting getting to know the details of the drastic change of course faked by the latter), Albis Muñoz, Vicente Brito, Román Duque Corredor, and Lorenzo Mendoza, amongst others.

Each of them have been, or will be contacted by the US State Department. Some of them, above all the politicians, will be subsidized during that period, so that they will accomplish set tasks. The remuneration will be strictly controlled by Washington to avoid a deviation of resources, into which the boss of the trade union, Carlos Ortega (who did not account for the money delivered to him for the preparations of April 11, 2002), had presumably indulged in.

• Soon, the work of various NGO's will be intensified ... above all of those who have to do with human rights and community work (Cofavic and Cesap; for sure, the latter is seeking to receive support from the government for its activities, behind which destabilization is being hidden.)

An interesting thesis that motivates some of the public officials of the US State Department is the so called ‘Chavismo without Chavez,’ with the names of Bernardo Alvarez, Maripili Hernández, Eduardo Manuitt, Roy Chaderton, Arévalo Méndez, Alí Rodríguez Araque, Ramón Martínez, Leopoldo Puchi, Ismael García, Rafael Ramírez being mentioned. To be noted: The fact of appearing amongst the probable candidates to assimilate a transition period does not mean that it is actually being count on the support of the named. But what does appear is the intention to convoke them at some moment through near friends opposed to President Chavez.

Chavismo without Chavez is a proposal sold to various United States petroleum managers by Bernardo Alvarez ... it is being presented as an alternative of populist government style, more in the realm of what Rafael Caldera's second period of government was like. Social programs would be strengthened, amongst them Barrio Adentro (without the support of Cuban doctors, of course), and the financing of large credits would be negotiated in order to start huge infrastructural works to lower unemployment.

Under Chavismo without Chavez one would live in a climate of (a somewhat moderate left) social democracy. Various deputies of the so called Bloque de Cambio, two important mayors who are now supportive of the government, and a high-ranking military official, would agree with this proposal.

So far, Federico Alberto Ravell is responsible for the persuasion of the two mayors. Amongst the “kindnesses” of the offer Chavismo without Chavez, it is being estimated that it would be a less traumatic way to perform a drastic change of course, and that it would impede the fierce persecution of all those, who have been pro-government.

• What is not clear for those promoting the thesis and seeking the consent of the White House is, how best to get rid of Chavez.

This incoherency lowers their chances to get support from the US State Department, more so now, as Operation Condoleezza is in full swing ... therefore, Bernardo Alvarez (ambassador of Venezuela in Washington), who is the visible face of that proposal in the north, knows that he is acting against time.

Within the diplomatic service, various dignitaries are committed. The tentacles reach the embassies of El Salvador, Portugal, Israel, Peru, Mexico, Colombia, Italy, France, and Spain (it is not clear if it counts on the consent of the Spanish government or if the officials in question are acting on their own account).

Without doubt, the activities are being intensified and half a hundred CIA officials have entered the country to personally take charge of the details of the subversion. The profile includes a matrix of opinion where Chavez and Castro are being linked to narco-traffic.

With regard to definitions, the US State Department is preparing to redouble its campaign against Cuba, preparing everything related to a military intervention that would reach Venezuela and adding the option of protecting the shipment of Venezuelan oil to the United States.

To intervene militarily in Venezuela, the US State Department is counting on the unconditional support of the ex-paramilitary Alvaro Uribe, now President of the neighboring Republic. The United States is collaborating closely with Colombia, which, by the way, has been transforming itself into the maximum collaborator of the United States’ hawks in the region. Plan Colombia puts emphasis on the so-called war against narco-terrorism ... a term they have started to stamp upon the Venezuelan government.

Colombia has broadly been made known by the United States government to the public as the example of democracy in Latin America.

At this moment, Plan Colombia contemplates redoubling military intervention in Venezuela, which has been on its way in a very malicious manner since about 4 years. This interference is being realized counting on paramilitaries as well as on police and military forces of the Bogota government.

The most important Venezuelan military installations have been infiltrated, existing concrete plans to paralyze them once the moment of a invasion on a big scale, resting on United States’ Marines, has come.

The cases of detected paramilitaries in the surroundings of Caracas and the kidnapping of Rodrigo Granda are only test runs. The entire strategy is of complete knowledge to Alvaro Uribe, who is but the executive arm of the US’ interventionist politics in the hemisphere.

• (Translated by Iris Bühler)

La fase inicial de la Operación Condoleezza está en marcha