Alba-News

Spinning the News - The FARC-EP Files, Venezuela and Interpol

2008-05-21T09:51:00.000-07:00

First some background. On March 1, the Colombian military (with US Special Forces help) illegally attacked a FARC-EP rebel camp inside Ecuador. US satellite telephone tracking located the site. Washington signed off on the mission. Over 20 people were killed, including 16 or more FARC-EP members while they slept. Key among them was Paul Reyes, the FARC-EP's second-in-command, key peace negotiator and public voice, and lead figure in the Chavez-led hostage negotiations with Colombia.
The action was a clear act of aggression and premeditated murder. It's not how the dominant media played it. Hostile verbal exchanges took place between Hugo Chavez and Ecuador's Raphael Correa on the one hand and Colombia's Alvaro Uribe and George Bush on the other. US presidential candidates, as expected, supported the White House and Bogota.
Tensions heightened further when Colombia's vice-president, Francisco Santos Calderon, revealed his nation's army recovered three laptops and other material at the FARC-EP camp with provocative evidence on their hard drives. He claimed it showed Chavez and Correa have links to the FARC-EP, and Venezuela provided weapons, munitions, and $300 million or so to the rebel group. In addition, the FARC-EP was accused of acquiring 50 kilograms (110 pounds) of uranium, that it wishes to sell it for a radioactive dirty bomb, it also sold 700 kilograms of cocaine for about $1.5 million, and more.
The story is preposterous, but the media grabbed hold of it. No evidence exists, so they invent it. In March, Colombian authorities asked Interpol to examine the computer files for authenticity. The organization released its report on May 15. On its web site, it states that Secretary General Ronald Noble "advised senior Colombian law enforcement officials that INTERPOL's team of forensic experts discovered 'no evidence of modification, alteration, addition or deletion' in the user files of any of the three laptop computers, three USB thumb drives and two external hard disks seized during a Colombian anti-narcotics and anti-terrorist operation on a FARC camp on 1 March 2008."
But Interpol admitted that lacking evidence doesn't prove "there was no tampering." In fact, some files had future date stamps and other indications of data alteration. It questions their authenticity, and Interpol (deep in its report) acknowledged that Columbia likely manipulated the contents - with an explanation needing close reading to understand. It delegitimizes Colombian claims and would get an international court to dismiss them out of hand. Reporters doing their job should as well. Data accuracy can't be verified or worse - they may be entirely fraudulent, and made-in-Washington mischief may be behind it.
Interpol's report continued saying "between 1 and 3 March, direct access to the seized computer exhibits....did not follow internationally recognized principles in the handling of electronic evidence under ordinary circumstance." Its experts "verified that this....had no effect" on file contents, but other report evidence contradicts that statement. Interpol, in fact, stated that "Direct access may complicate validating this evidence for purposes of its introduction in a judicial proceeding because law enforcement is then required to demonstrate or prove that the direct access did not have a material impact on the purpose for which the evidence is intended."
In short, hard drive data prove nothing and may, in fact, be fake. With US involvement clear, it wouldn't be the first time, and Washington is rich in talent to do it.
Independent computer experts are also troubled. They believe that failure to follow standard evidence handling procedures seriously jeopardizes its reliability. With care, forensic specialists or computer professionals can add, delete or alter hard drive material without leaving a footprint.
Dominant media reports ignored this and more. They passed over or played down key findings, including Interpol's statement: that its experts didn't "evaluate the accuracy or the source of the exhibits' content." How could they? The volume was enormous amounting to the equivalent of "39.5 million pages in Microsoft Word...." At the rate of 100 pages a day, "it would take more than 1000 years to read" it.
That alone begs the question. In a few days or even weeks, how were Colombian authorities able to analyze the data to discover provocative information therein. That notion also got no attention in the dominant media. Neither did most other parts of the truth.
Spinning the News - How Big Media Does It
Here's how Murdoch's Wall Street Journal's played it on May 16. Its editorial page said Interpol's May 15 report "won't make Venezuelan strongman Hugo Chavez's day." It reported Interpol's claim about no evidence of file tampering, but ignored the issues of authenticity, accuracy, manipulation, or impossible "speed-reading" skills of Colombian verifiers. It concluded that "Interpol's certification proves that Mr. Chavez is trying to destabilize a US ally (and that he's a) proven supporter of terrorism in our own hemisphere."
The New York Times' Simon Romero was little better. His May 16 article was headlined: "Files Tying Venezuela to Rebels Not Altered, Report Says." He called Interpol's report "a setback for Venezuela, which had claimed that the computer files....were fabrications...." It "may advance efforts under way in the Congress to add Venezuela to the United States' list of state sponsors of terrorism...."
Well down in his report, Romero admitted that "Interpol could not vouch for the accuracy of the files" and that "a Colombian antiterrorism unit (seized them improperly and) in violation of internationally recognized rules on handling electronic evidence...." No further comment was added.
In contrast, Romero played up State Department spokesman, Sean McCormack, saying these "are serious allegations about Venezuela supplying arms and support to a terrorist organization....that has deep implications for the people of the region." He had to acknowledge, however, what credible experts agree on. Given the importance of US and Venezuelan relations, chances of declaring the country a state sponsor of terrorism is highly remote - "particularly without more evidence (read any evidence) of the country's support of the FARC..."
Latin American history professor Greg Grandin goes further. He believes "Almost all of Latin America and most of the world would take Venezuela's side in this dispute. Any move (against the Chavez government) would further isolate the United States in a region where it has been hemorrhaging influence."
That doesn't phase Romero. Piling on is his specialty. Truth isn't. He returned on May 18 with a provocative feature story headlined: "Chavez Seizes Greater Economic Power." Some key points in it are:
-- "Chavez is intensifying state control of the Venezuelan economy through a wave of takeovers of private companies and creation of government-controlled ventures with allies like Cuba and Iran; fears are intensifying (over) more nationalizations;"
-- it's happening "just months after voters rejected a referendum to give the president sweeping constitutional power (leading critics to accuse him of being) more interested in consolidating power than in fixing Venezuela's problems;"
-- "while he has argued that (he aims) to correct social injustices and fight soaring inflation, his critics say his moves are instead compounding these troubles;" no supporter voices in sight;
-- to avoid "outright confiscation (he's) offering 'some' compensation;" unmentioned is it's fair market value and nothing was, is or will be "confiscated;"
-- Romero stresses Venezuela's ties to Iran and China with joint ventures and infrastructure projects; also that Chavez will "export more oil to China in exchange for more Chinese investment in Venezuela;" implied, of course, are his relations with US rivals, and, in the case of Iran, a country George Bush calls "the world's leading state sponsor of terrorism;"
-- he ignores Venezuela's successes; along with Argentina, it's the fastest growing regional economy and one of the fastest in the world at a time of economic weakness; its impressive employment growth with most of it coming in the private sector; that Chavez is friendly to business and boosts the private economy; the country's huge social gains; and Chavez's immense popularity and growing world stature; instead he lists problems - high inflation, less foreign investment, food shortages, capital flight, and more that are only mitigated by "high oil prices;"
-- near the article's end, he's forced to admit what economist Mark Weisbrot explains - that Chavez "is so far mainly just reversing some of the privatizations that took place in the 1990s;"
-- Romero reverts to form with some provocative ending quotes about Chavez "stimulating a pre-insurrectional climate;" that his nationalizations aim "to annihilate the productive apparatus so that we depend more on petroleum, which is to depend more on the state, or in other words, to depend more on Chavez."
For the dominant US media, Chavez-bashing is full-time. Washington Post writers excel at it on any pretext, and Juan Forero's May 16 Interpol report article was typical. It's headlined: "FARC Computer Files Are Authentic, Interpol Probe Finds." He echoed the Wall Street Journal and New York Times and said files seized "contain e-mails (Interpol never mentioned any) and other documents that show how Venezuela's populist leader had formed such a tight bond with guerrilla commanders that his key lieutenants had offered help in obtaining sophisticated weaponry such as surface-to-air missiles while delivering light arms. The files also document links between FARC and Ecuador's president, Raphael Correa, a close ally of Chavez."
Similar reports appeared throughout the US and western media. They never miss a chance to play down facts and attack populist leaders. In response, Hugo Chavez dismissed the allegations as "ridiculous." He urged Colombia's president to have "a moment of reflection (and added) The government of Columbia is capable of provoking a war....to justify a US intervention in Venezuela." He also called Colombia's assertion "a new act of aggression." It means relations with his neighbor will come "under deep review," and Reuters reported May 15 that "Venezuela is deeply revising diplomatic, economic and political relations with Colombia" following Interpol's report and the Uribe government's allegations.
Ecuador's Correa was abroad in France, but took time to say the computer file documents "prove absolutely nothing. We have information that the Colombian government had the computers for some time and prepared all this." Quite possibly because the entire story is unraveling. But don't expect Big Media to report it.
Revving Up Gunboat Diplomacy
While it continues, the Pentagon announced in April that it's resurrecting its Fourth Fleet in Latin America and the Caribbean after a 60 year hiatus. It was created during WW II and disbanded in 1950. Reasons given were vaguely stated - to "conduct varying missions including a range of contingency operations, counter narco-terrorism, and theater security cooperation activities."
US Naval Forces Southern Command chief Admiral James Stevenson said the move would send a message to the entire region, not just Venezuela. Commandant of the National War College, General Robert Steel added that: "The United States' obsession with Venezuela, Cuba and other things indicates they are going to use more military force, going to use that instrument more often." Bolivian President Evo Morales called the move "Fourth Fleet....intervention."
The Fleet begins operating in July and will be headquartered out of Florida's Mayport Naval Station. It'll be part of the Pentagon's Southern Command, extending from the Caribbean to the continent's southern tip. Its strength will be formidable - aircraft carriers, submarines, various attack ships, and several nuclear-armed ones.
With no Latin American threat, why then this move, and why now with an administration nearing its end and bogged down in two unwinnable wars? Like the Middle East and Central Asia, the region's importance is crucial. Venezuela alone is why. Its proved oil reserves were just raised to 130 billion barrels, but include what's uncounted and they're far higher. On its web site, the US Department of Energy (DOE) estimates the country's extra-heavy oil at 1.36 trillion barrels, or 90% of the world's total. That's more than all "proved" world reserves combined and in addition to Venezuela's "proved" light sweet resources of around 80 billion barrels that alone ranks it seventh in the world behind the five largest Middle East producers and Canada.
With stakes that high, it's significant that Admiral Joseph Kernan will become Fleet commander when it's activated. He currently heads the Naval Special Warfare Command that includes Navy Seals and other counterinsurgency units. His choice is troublesome, and regional leaders are mindful. Hugo Chavez especially. It may be why he's buying nine Russian submarines, but against America it hardly registers. In total, Venezuela spends $1 - 2 billion on its military annually or less than half of 1% of the Pentagon's budget. Nonetheless, it's another reason Washington targets him with a hawkish commander now charged to do it.
Rumor also is that the Pentagon plans building a Colombian military base near Venezuela's border. Washington's Colombian ambassador, William Brownfield, said it's possible if its Manta, Ecuador one is closed. Its lease expires in 2009, and Raphael Correa said renewal depends on the US granting Ecuador equivalent basing rights in South Florida - his way of confirming renewal won't happen.
Chavez is justifiably alarmed at the prospect of US troops on his border. He warned Colombia not to do it and said this action will force Venezuela to revive a decades-old territorial conflict over its possible La Guajira location. He further added: "We will not allow the Colombian government to give La Guajira to the empire." Stationing US troops there will be "a threat of war at us." So far, neither Washington or Colombia confirm what's planned. But Colombia's defense minister, Juan Manuel Santos, denies the base rumor, at least in La Guajira. In a May 14 televised address, Chavez called it "good news." Nonetheless, the situation bears watching.
Chavez is justifiably wary. As long as he's president, he'll be vilified and targeted. Latin America is vital to Washington. Venezuela is a key part of it. But America's dominance is weakening, neoliberal pillage caused it, the Bush administration accelerated it, Bolivarianism challenges it, so muscular militarism may replace diplomacy to restore it.
Colombia's belligerency, the FARC-EP files, Fourth Fleet reactivation, continued funding of Venezuela's opposition, CIA's covert mischief, disruptive street violence, and other planned schemes are troublesome. They're to reassert regional control and rid Washington of its leading hemispheric antagonist. No guessing who, and no telling when the next attempt will come or in what form. Everything tried so far failed. Even worse, it's been counterproductive. Chavez has enormous stature and immense popular support.
That makes him an even greater threat and hints at something bigger coming. So far, it's just speculation, however, with the administration's tenure winding down. But it may or may not deter those running it who are always wrong, never in doubt, and apparently willing to risk making a bad situation worse. Stay tuned, expect surprises, and be assured the months ahead won't be boring.
Global Research Associate Stephen Lendman lives in Chicago

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OFM (Lara) Movimiento Independiente Por Maracaibo - MIPM (Zulia) Proyecto Carabobo - PC (Carabobo) Movimiento Juntos por Trujillo - MJPT (Trujillo) Mi Gente (Delta Amacuro) Partido de Alianza Social Revolucionaria - PASR (Delta Amacuro) Electores de Bolívar (Bolívar) Movimiento Emergente Regional Independiente - MERI (Delta Amacuro) FIOOP (Portuguesa) Alianza Social Independiente de Sucre - ASIS (Sucre) USTED (Carabobo) Lo Alacanzado por Yaracuy - LAPY (Yaracuy) Movimiento Regional de Avanzada - MRA (Nueva Esparta) Pueblos Unidos Multiétnicos de Amazonas PUAMA (Amazonas) MUPI (Amazonas), Ruedalo, Javu, comando nacional , día "D",megaresistencia,resistenciauniversitaria, Reforma Constitucional,Ruedalo,Javu,comandonacional,día"D",megaresistencia,resistenciauniversitaria, Reforma Constitucional, Ruedalo, Javu, comando nacional , día"D",megaresistencia,resistenciauniversitaria, orvex, orvex, Globovision , .11abril.com, Globovision, Globovision, Globovision, Globovision, Globovision, Globovision, Globovision, Globovision, Globovision, Globovision, Globovision , "NO" a Reforma Constitucional, "NO" a Reforma Constitucional, "NO" a la Reforma Constitucional, Nuevo Tiempo, Podemos,primero justicia, EL UNIVERSAL, EL NACIONAl, RCTV, golpe, Fuerzas Armadas, Guardia nacional, Últimas Noticias 2001 Analitica Business News Americas Correo del Caroni The Daily Journal [In English] Descifrado (Caracas) Diario El Aragueño Diario El tiempo (Trujillo) Economía Hoy (Caracas) El Carabobeño El Caroreño El Globo El Mundo El Nacional El Norte El Periodiquito EL Regional del Zulia (Ciudad Ojeda) El Siglo El Sol De Margarita (Isla Margarita) El Universal (Caracas) Globovision (Caracas) Notitarde.com (Valencia) Panorama Digital (Maracaibo) Quinto Dia (Caracas) Tal Cual (Caracas) Temas de Venezuela (Caracas) Ultimas Noticias Union Radio VCambio Venezuela al Dia, Ruedalo, Javu, comando nacional , día "D",megaresistencia,resistenciauniversitaria, Reforma Constitucional, Ruedalo, Javu, comando nacional , día "D",megaresistencia,resistenciauniversitaria, Reforma Constitucional, Ruedalo, Javu, comando nacional , día "D",megaresistencia,resistenciauniversitaria, orvex, orvex, Globovision , .11abril.com, Globovision, golpe, Fuerzas Armadas, Guardia nacional, Últimas Noticias 2001 Analitica Business News Americas Correo del Caroni The Daily Journal [In English] Descifrado (Caracas) Diario El Aragueño Diario El tiempo (Trujillo) Economía Hoy (Caracas) El Carabobeño El Caroreño El Globo El Mundo El Nacional El Norte El Periodiquito EL Regional del Zulia (Ciudad Ojeda) El Siglo El Sol De Margarita (Isla Margarita) El Universal (Caracas) Globovision (Caracas) Notitarde.com (Valencia) Panorama Digital (Maracaibo) Quinto Dia (Caracas) Tal Cual (Caracas) Temas de Venezuela (Caracas) Ultimas Noticias Union Radio VCambio

2008-05-21T09:46:00.000-07:00

Who said crime doesn't pay? Read on.
The Washington-based Cato Institute is all about "Individual Liberty, Free Markets, and Peace," or so says its web site. It's been around since 1977 preaching limited government and free market religion with plenty of high-octane corporate funding for backing. It better have it for the award it presented on May 15. It was to a 23 year old fifth year Venezuelan law student at Universidad Catolica Andres Bello. Yon Goicoechea was the fourth recipient of the "Milton Friedman Liberty Prize" in the amount of $500,000. For what? What else. For serving the interests of capital back home and leading anti-Chavista protests.
Goicoechea is leader of Venezuela's "pro-democracy student movement" that in Cato's words "prevented Hugo Chavez's regime from seizing broad dictatorial powers in December 2007." The reference is to the narrow defeat of Venezuela's reform referendum last December. Goicoechea led student-organized street violence against Venezuela's democracy, but don't look for Cato to say that.
It played up Goicoechea's "pivotal role in organizing and voicing opposition to the erosion of human and civil rights in his country (that) would have concentrated unprecendented political and economic power in the hands of the government." Instead, he chooses "tolerance" and the "human right to seek prosperity." He's been active since student and other opposition emerged against the Chavez government's refusal (with ample justification) to renew RCTV's VHF operating license last May.
Then, and in the run-up to last December's referendum, Cato says he stood down "ongoing death threats and continual intimidation due to his prominent and vocal leadership." He's been "indispensable in organizing massive, peaceful protest marches that have captured the world's attention." In fact, there were no death threats but plenty of hard right intimidation targeting Chavistas with tools like Goicoechea a part of it.
Cato founder and president Edward Crane said "We hope the Friedman Prize will help further his non-violent advocacy for basic freedoms in an increasingly militaristic and anti-democratic Venezuela." Far right novelist Mario Vargas Llosa added that "freedom is disappearing" in Venezuela, and "Goicoechea is a symbol of (a) democratic reaction when (it's) threatened."
Goicoechea received his award at a $500 a plate dinner at New York's Waldorf Astoria. Prominent corporate and government types attended, all representing far right interests. None explain how Bolivarianism works, its participatory democracy, its commitment to Venezuela's people, or how it's lifted millions in the country out of desperate poverty. Nor is there comment on a model process, impressive social reforms, supremely democratic elections, or Hugo Chavez's immense popularity. An April 24 - May 2 Venezuela Data Analysis Institute (IVAD) poll puts him at 68.8%. That compares to comparable George Bush ones with some of the lowest ratings ever for a US president.
No discussion either of how student opposition is funded or for what purpose. That their money comes from US agencies like the misnamed National Endowment for Democracy, USAID, the International Republican Institute, and other pro-business US and international agencies and organizations. CIA's part of it, too.
Highlighted are Goicoechea's plans with the money - to challenge Bolivarianism back home and work to subvert it. With those ideas and Cato's backing, he's sure to remain a hard right favorite. He'll also be busy and well-compensated - for more destabilization against the most democratic government in the hemisphere. That's what Goicoecheas are for - to sabotage democracy, subvert equity and justice, topple populist governments, and make Venezuela "friendlier" for business.
Goicoechea now heads home fully briefed for his role, but don't expect Cato to explain it. It's to support capital's divine right, privilege over beneficial social change, and the rights of the few over the many. It's to mobilize indignation against a leader who works for all Venezuelans, especially those in greatest need. Who uses his country's oil wealth for his people, not elitist business interests. For having a Constitution that mandates it. For gaining overwhelming popular support and becoming a hero to millions. For wanting others to share in what Venezuelans have. For believing all people matter, not just the privileged. For becoming the greatest of all threats to the empire (and Cato) determined to stop him. For failing so far. For seeing him gain strength and stature. For securing grassroots allies everywhere. For needing many Goicoecheas to oppose him, but not nearly enough to prevail.
His "non-violent advocacy" and "peaceful" protesting went like this - promoting class warfare; wanting Chavez toppled; and following CIA diktats to:
-- "take to the streets; protest with violent disruptive actions across the nation; create a climate of ungovernability; provoke a general uprising; isolate Chavez" internationally; destabilize the government; disrupt the constitutional process; sustain aggressive agitprop; build unity among the opposition; and end Chavismo and Bolivarianism so capital can get back in control.
Last year, Goicoechea responded by engaging in violent street clashes; targeting pro-Chavez students, police and the National Guard; smashing windows; turning over and setting cars alight; starting other fires; burning tires; throwing rocks and bottles; engaging in a shootout at Caracas' Central University; seeing Venezuela's business media report "peaceful, civic and democratic" students were attacked without provocation; and getting full US (and Cato) backing for all of the above.
Like others of his class, Goicoechea enjoys privilege and wants to keep it. He's also unwilling to share it, and he puts it this way: "We have to fight for our future, for our rights," and you know whose he means. "If we don't fight for our freedoms, we won't be able to take part in a democratic Venezuela in the future." He means democracy for the few like in pre-Chavez days.
Gabriela Calderon shares that view as editor of ElCato.org, Cato's Spanish language website. She's young, well-educated, anti-Chavez, and also against Bolivarianism's spread to her native country of Ecuador. Cato says she's a "frontline" warrior in "the struggle against Hugo Chavez's '21st century socialism,' which is threatening to engulf all of Latin America." She, in turn, calls populists like Chavez and Ecuador's President Raphael Correa "the reactionary right" for in Cato's words: "pushing for greater state control over the economy and people's lives. By contrast, she - and ElCato.org - advocates for individual freedom." That means privatizing everything, favoring property over people, privilege over the needy, crowding out dissent, and getting well-rewarded for supporting all of the above.
These are imperial interests. Youths like Goicoechea and Calderon are its tools, and organizations like Cato are front and center supporting them. It's bankrolled by business, given clear marching orders, and they're full of high-octane markets uber alles religion. But in the spirit of "Individual Liberty, Free Markets, and Peace." Orwell would approve.
Stephen Lendman lives in Chicago

Latin America, Venezuela, Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Nicaragus, Ecuador, Cuba, Chavez, Ibero America, Alternativa Bolivariana, Bolivar,Bolivia, Bolivia, Santa Cruz, cochabamba, sucre, la paz, Evo Morales,separatistas, nazistas croatas, UNASUR, ALBA, Socialismo siglo 21, Daniel Ortega, Fidel Castro, Correa, Lula Da Silva, aporrea, Globovision, Telesurtv, Agencia Bolivariana de Noticias, prensa Latina, hispano America, Simon Bolivar, terrorismo mediatico, democracia, patria, libertad, dignidad, revolucion Bolivariana, Mercosur, Petrocaribe, Hugo Chavez Frias, Orvex, No+ Chavez, No más, Medios de Noticias La Antorcha Aporrea Cadenal Global La Calle La Cambio de Siglo El Carbobeño Correo del Caroní La Costa De Frente -El Diario de Caracas El Diario de Guyana Diario el Progreso Ecos de Caracas Entorno Inteligente Frontera La Hora Impacto El Impulso El Mundo Meridiano La Nación El Nacional El Norte Las Noticias de Cojedes Noticias PYME Noti Tarde Nueva Día Nueva Linea El Oriental Panorama El Periodiquito Pico Bolivar La Prensa El ProgresoEl Regional de Zulia Semana Hoy El Siglo Sol de Margarita Solo Deportes Tal Cual Temas El Tiempo Últimas Noticias -Última Hora El Universal VEP El Venezolano Venezuela al Día Venezuela Analysis La Verdad V Headline La Voce La Voz Yaracuy 2200 Agencias de Noticias & Gobierno Agencia de Noticias de Venezuela Notici Orinoquia Photo Gobierno en LíneaPortales Analítica Auyantepui Barquisimeto Cantv Civila Directorios de VenezuelaGuía Info Guía Web Mi Punto Multi Puerta Mukas NotivenSabueso Terra Trompo Venezuela Venezuela Online Venezuela Site Venezuela VirtualVisor 2 Partes Radio Angel AVM Capital FM Circuito Nacional Belfort Fe y Alegría La Mega Estación Radio Zaraza Rumbera Unión RadioProgramas de Radio Conectados en Red El Espiral Digital Flash BackRadioNet Top Sunday Tu Enlace Revistas Ambrosía Analisis Internacional Arumbear Ashe AUTOmotriz La Cadena Tricolor Computer World Dinero Escenarios Espacio AutogestionarioExplorarium Iglesia Kalathos Llevame Megarevistas ModaWEB Motor NotasPerrolandia PC News Producto PC Quinto Día La Red Sonrisas Supermercado Tiempo Universitario Urbe Venezuela Analítica Zona 10 TVCinemax Globovisión Intercable RCTV Telecolor Televen TeleSur Televisora de Táchira Vale TV Venevisión Venezolana de Televisión Programas de TV Alta Densidad Music Box TVBancos & Finanzas Dinero Sudeban Banco IndustrialComunidades de Venezuela En el extranjero En el país Amigos de Venezuela Partidos políticos grandes y medianos-grandes Partido Socialista Unido de Venezuela (PSUV) Un Nuevo Tiempo (UNT) Primero Justicia (MPJ) Podemos Patria Para Todos (PPT) Partido Comunista de Venezuela (PCV) COPEI Acción Democrática (AD)Partidos políticos medianos Movimiento de Integridad Nacional (MIN Unidad) Venezuela de Primera (VDP)Unión Republicana Democrática (URD) Movimiento Republicano (DPA) Movimiento al Socialismo (MAS) Clase Media Revolucionaria (CMR) Convergencia Proyecto Venezuela (PV) Partidos políticos pequeños Consejo Nacional Indio de Venezuela (CONIVE) Visión Emergente (DPA) Movimiento Laborista (DPA) Un Solo Pueblo Fuerza Liberal (DPA) Renace Fuerza Popular Solidaridad Independiente (DPA) La Causa R (LCR) Grupo Nacional Socialista de Liberación Pro-Venezuela (PROVEN) Apertura Dignidad Patriótica (DP) Electores Libres (EL) Unidad Patriótica Comunitaria (UPC) Venezuela Somos Todos (VST) Movimiento de Concentración Gente Nueva (MCGN) Acción Agropecuaria (AA) Por Querer a la Ciudad (PQAC) Fuerza de Acciones Coordinadas de Bases por la Alianza (FACOBA) Organización Nacional Independiente (ONI) Bandera Roja (BR) Imagen Democrática (ID) La Llama de Venezuela (La Llave) Pensamiento Nacional Independientes por Venezuela DDemocracia Renovadora (DR)Organización Nacionalista Democracia Activa (ONDA) Solidaridad Constructores de un País Encuentro Nacional Partido Popular Independiente (PPI) Partido Independiente Electoral de Respuesta Avanzada (PIEDRA) Alianza Bravo Pueblo (ABP) Opina Nueva Alianza Progresista (NAPO) Izquierda Unida Venezuela Partido Nuevo Orden (NOR) Organización Utopía Partido Federal Republicano Resistencia Civil Vanguardia Popular Alianza Popular (AP) Partido Nacionalista Venezolano Carapaica M-28 Partido de la Revolución Venezolana (PRV)Partidos políticos regionales relevantes Organización Fuerza en Movimiento - OFM (Lara) Movimiento Independiente Por Maracaibo - MIPM (Zulia) Proyecto Carabobo - PC (Carabobo) Movimiento Juntos por Trujillo - MJPT (Trujillo) Mi Gente (Delta Amacuro) Partido de Alianza Social Revolucionaria - PASR (Delta Amacuro) Electores de Bolívar (Bolívar) Movimiento Emergente Regional Independiente - MERI (Delta Amacuro) FIOOP (Portuguesa) Alianza Social Independiente de Sucre - ASIS (Sucre) USTED (Carabobo) Lo Alacanzado por Yaracuy - LAPY (Yaracuy) Movimiento Regional de Avanzada - MRA (Nueva Esparta) Pueblos Unidos Multiétnicos de Amazonas PUAMA (Amazonas) MUPI (Amazonas), Ruedalo, Javu, comando nacional , día "D",megaresistencia,resistenciauniversitaria, Reforma Constitucional,Ruedalo,Javu,comandonacional,día"D",megaresistencia,resistenciauniversitaria, Reforma Constitucional, Ruedalo, Javu, comando nacional , día"D",megaresistencia,resistenciauniversitaria, orvex, orvex, Globovision , .11abril.com, Globovision, Globovision, Globovision, Globovision, Globovision, Globovision, Globovision, Globovision, Globovision, Globovision, Globovision , "NO" a Reforma Constitucional, "NO" a Reforma Constitucional, "NO" a la Reforma Constitucional, Nuevo Tiempo, Podemos,primero justicia, EL UNIVERSAL, EL NACIONAl, RCTV, golpe, Fuerzas Armadas, Guardia nacional, Últimas Noticias 2001 Analitica Business News Americas Correo del Caroni The Daily Journal [In English] Descifrado (Caracas) Diario El Aragueño Diario El tiempo (Trujillo) Economía Hoy (Caracas) El Carabobeño El Caroreño El Globo El Mundo El Nacional El Norte El Periodiquito EL Regional del Zulia (Ciudad Ojeda) El Siglo El Sol De Margarita (Isla Margarita) El Universal (Caracas) Globovision (Caracas) Notitarde.com (Valencia) Panorama Digital (Maracaibo) Quinto Dia (Caracas) Tal Cual (Caracas) Temas de Venezuela (Caracas) Ultimas Noticias Union Radio VCambio Venezuela al Dia, Ruedalo, Javu, comando nacional , día "D",megaresistencia,resistenciauniversitaria, Reforma Constitucional, Ruedalo, Javu, comando nacional , día "D",megaresistencia,resistenciauniversitaria, Reforma Constitucional, Ruedalo, Javu, comando nacional , día "D",megaresistencia,resistenciauniversitaria, orvex, orvex, Globovision , .11abril.com, Globovision, golpe, Fuerzas Armadas, Guardia nacional, Últimas Noticias 2001 Analitica Business News Americas Correo del Caroni The Daily Journal [In English] Descifrado (Caracas) Diario El Aragueño Diario El tiempo (Trujillo) Economía Hoy (Caracas) El Carabobeño El Caroreño El Globo El Mundo El Nacional El Norte El Periodiquito EL Regional del Zulia (Ciudad Ojeda) El Siglo El Sol De Margarita (Isla Margarita) El Universal (Caracas) Globovision (Caracas) Notitarde.com (Valencia) Panorama Digital (Maracaibo) Quinto Dia (Caracas) Tal Cual (Caracas) Temas de Venezuela (Caracas) Ultimas Noticias Union Radio VCambio

Chávez: we have a formula to struggle against poverty and it is socialism

2008-05-19T08:50:00.000-07:00

“We have a formula to struggle against poverty: the socialism,” the President of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela said on Friday in his arrival in Lima, Peru, to attend the V Summit of Heads of State and Governments of Latin America, the Caribbean and the European Union (ALC-UE). The Presidents will talk about energy, inequality and inclusion and sustainable development, environment, climate change and energy during the Summit that ends on next Saturday. President Chávez stressed that capitalism is a huge machine that create misery, “We do not aspire that all the people follow the socialist proposal; however, it is necessary to make a huge effort to avoid the misfortunes caused by capitalism.” In his brief statements issued at his arrival in Lima, he thought about the poverty problem and explained that it is very hard to struggle against it through capitalism “because it is like to go against the tide due to it is like a machine that everyday produces more misery and poverty.” Concerning the inequality in the world, the President said that “there are 100 families in the world with a capital is higher to that of 2 billion people in the planet.” “What they do with all that money while millions of people has not a cent to eat a piece of bread in several places of the world,” President Chávez said.

Latin America, Venezuela, Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Nicaragus, Ecuador, Cuba, Chavez, Ibero America, Alternativa Bolivariana, Bolivar,Bolivia, Bolivia, Santa Cruz, cochabamba, sucre, la paz, Evo Morales,separatistas, nazistas croatas, UNASUR, ALBA, Socialismo siglo 21, Daniel Ortega, Fidel Castro, Correa, Lula Da Silva, aporrea, Globovision, Telesurtv, Agencia Bolivariana de Noticias, prensa Latina, hispano America, Simon Bolivar, terrorismo mediatico, democracia, patria, libertad, dignidad, revolucion Bolivariana, Mercosur, Petrocaribe, Hugo Chavez Frias, Orvex, No+ Chavez, No más, Medios de Noticias La Antorcha Aporrea Cadenal Global La Calle La Cambio de Siglo El Carbobeño Correo del Caroní La Costa De Frente -El Diario de Caracas El Diario de Guyana Diario el Progreso Ecos de Caracas Entorno Inteligente Frontera La Hora Impacto El Impulso El Mundo Meridiano La Nación El Nacional El Norte Las Noticias de Cojedes Noticias PYME Noti Tarde Nueva Día Nueva Linea El Oriental Panorama El Periodiquito Pico Bolivar La Prensa El ProgresoEl Regional de Zulia Semana Hoy El Siglo Sol de Margarita Solo Deportes Tal Cual Temas El Tiempo Últimas Noticias -Última Hora El Universal VEP El Venezolano Venezuela al Día Venezuela Analysis La Verdad V Headline La Voce La Voz Yaracuy 2200 Agencias de Noticias & Gobierno Agencia de Noticias de Venezuela Notici Orinoquia Photo Gobierno en LíneaPortales Analítica Auyantepui Barquisimeto Cantv Civila Directorios de VenezuelaGuía Info Guía Web Mi Punto Multi Puerta Mukas NotivenSabueso Terra Trompo Venezuela Venezuela Online Venezuela Site Venezuela VirtualVisor 2 Partes Radio Angel AVM Capital FM Circuito Nacional Belfort Fe y Alegría La Mega Estación Radio Zaraza Rumbera Unión RadioProgramas de Radio Conectados en Red El Espiral Digital Flash BackRadioNet Top Sunday Tu Enlace Revistas Ambrosía Analisis Internacional Arumbear Ashe AUTOmotriz La Cadena Tricolor Computer World Dinero Escenarios Espacio AutogestionarioExplorarium Iglesia Kalathos Llevame Megarevistas ModaWEB Motor NotasPerrolandia PC News Producto PC Quinto Día La Red Sonrisas Supermercado Tiempo Universitario Urbe Venezuela Analítica Zona 10 TVCinemax Globovisión Intercable RCTV Telecolor Televen TeleSur Televisora de Táchira Vale TV Venevisión Venezolana de Televisión Programas de TV Alta Densidad Music Box TVBancos & Finanzas Dinero Sudeban Banco IndustrialComunidades de Venezuela En el extranjero En el país Amigos de Venezuela Partidos políticos grandes y medianos-grandes Partido Socialista Unido de Venezuela (PSUV) Un Nuevo Tiempo (UNT) Primero Justicia (MPJ) Podemos Patria Para Todos (PPT) Partido Comunista de Venezuela (PCV) COPEI Acción Democrática (AD)Partidos políticos medianos Movimiento de Integridad Nacional (MIN Unidad) Venezuela de Primera (VDP)Unión Republicana Democrática (URD) Movimiento Republicano (DPA) Movimiento al Socialismo (MAS) Clase Media Revolucionaria (CMR) Convergencia Proyecto Venezuela (PV) Partidos políticos pequeños Consejo Nacional Indio de Venezuela (CONIVE) Visión Emergente (DPA) Movimiento Laborista (DPA) Un Solo Pueblo Fuerza Liberal (DPA) Renace Fuerza Popular Solidaridad Independiente (DPA) La Causa R (LCR) Grupo Nacional Socialista de Liberación Pro-Venezuela (PROVEN) Apertura Dignidad Patriótica (DP) Electores Libres (EL) Unidad Patriótica Comunitaria (UPC) Venezuela Somos Todos (VST) Movimiento de Concentración Gente Nueva (MCGN) Acción Agropecuaria (AA) Por Querer a la Ciudad (PQAC) Fuerza de Acciones Coordinadas de Bases por la Alianza (FACOBA) Organización Nacional Independiente (ONI) Bandera Roja (BR) Imagen Democrática (ID) La Llama de Venezuela (La Llave) Pensamiento Nacional Independientes por Venezuela DDemocracia Renovadora (DR)Organización Nacionalista Democracia Activa (ONDA) Solidaridad Constructores de un País Encuentro Nacional Partido Popular Independiente (PPI) Partido Independiente Electoral de Respuesta Avanzada (PIEDRA) Alianza Bravo Pueblo (ABP) Opina Nueva Alianza Progresista (NAPO) Izquierda Unida Venezuela Partido Nuevo Orden (NOR) Organización Utopía Partido Federal Republicano Resistencia Civil Vanguardia Popular Alianza Popular (AP) Partido Nacionalista Venezolano Carapaica M-28 Partido de la Revolución Venezolana (PRV)Partidos políticos regionales relevantes Organización Fuerza en Movimiento - OFM (Lara) Movimiento Independiente Por Maracaibo - MIPM (Zulia) Proyecto Carabobo - PC (Carabobo) Movimiento Juntos por Trujillo - MJPT (Trujillo) Mi Gente (Delta Amacuro) Partido de Alianza Social Revolucionaria - PASR (Delta Amacuro) Electores de Bolívar (Bolívar) Movimiento Emergente Regional Independiente - MERI (Delta Amacuro) FIOOP (Portuguesa) Alianza Social Independiente de Sucre - ASIS (Sucre) USTED (Carabobo) Lo Alacanzado por Yaracuy - LAPY (Yaracuy) Movimiento Regional de Avanzada - MRA (Nueva Esparta) Pueblos Unidos Multiétnicos de Amazonas PUAMA (Amazonas) MUPI (Amazonas), Ruedalo, Javu, comando nacional , día "D",megaresistencia,resistenciauniversitaria, Reforma Constitucional,Ruedalo,Javu,comandonacional,día"D",megaresistencia,resistenciauniversitaria, Reforma Constitucional, Ruedalo, Javu, comando nacional , día"D",megaresistencia,resistenciauniversitaria, orvex, orvex, Globovision , .11abril.com, Globovision, Globovision, Globovision, Globovision, Globovision, Globovision, Globovision, Globovision, Globovision, Globovision, Globovision , "NO" a Reforma Constitucional, "NO" a Reforma Constitucional, "NO" a la Reforma Constitucional, Nuevo Tiempo, Podemos,primero justicia, EL UNIVERSAL, EL NACIONAl, RCTV, golpe, Fuerzas Armadas, Guardia nacional, Últimas Noticias 2001 Analitica Business News Americas Correo del Caroni The Daily Journal [In English] Descifrado (Caracas) Diario El Aragueño Diario El tiempo (Trujillo) Economía Hoy (Caracas) El Carabobeño El Caroreño El Globo El Mundo El Nacional El Norte El Periodiquito EL Regional del Zulia (Ciudad Ojeda) El Siglo El Sol De Margarita (Isla Margarita) El Universal (Caracas) Globovision (Caracas) Notitarde.com (Valencia) Panorama Digital (Maracaibo) Quinto Dia (Caracas) Tal Cual (Caracas) Temas de Venezuela (Caracas) Ultimas Noticias Union Radio VCambio Venezuela al Dia, Ruedalo, Javu, comando nacional , día "D",megaresistencia,resistenciauniversitaria, Reforma Constitucional, Ruedalo, Javu, comando nacional , día "D",megaresistencia,resistenciauniversitaria, Reforma Constitucional, Ruedalo, Javu, comando nacional , día "D",megaresistencia,resistenciauniversitaria, orvex, orvex, Globovision , .11abril.com, Globovision, golpe, Fuerzas Armadas, Guardia nacional, Últimas Noticias 2001 Analitica Business News Americas Correo del Caroni The Daily Journal [In English] Descifrado (Caracas) Diario El Aragueño Diario El tiempo (Trujillo) Economía Hoy (Caracas) El Carabobeño El Caroreño El Globo El Mundo El Nacional El Norte El Periodiquito EL Regional del Zulia (Ciudad Ojeda) El Siglo El Sol De Margarita (Isla Margarita) El Universal (Caracas) Globovision (Caracas) Notitarde.com (Valencia) Panorama Digital (Maracaibo) Quinto Dia (Caracas) Tal Cual (Caracas) Temas de Venezuela (Caracas) Ultimas Noticias Union Radio VCambio

Colombian actions are hiding United States self-interests

2008-05-19T08:47:00.000-07:00

The recent actions carried out by the Colombian Government arouse suspicions in Venezuela. The President of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela suspects that Colombia is offering itself for a war to promote United States intervention in Venezuela in order to control Venezuelan oil. Even if there are some differences in many of the analysis made by some researchers, they all agree in the role played by the Colombian President, Álvaro Uribe, who is labeled by Chávez as an “Empire's puppy”. Prensa Latina interviewed Venezuelan politician Domingo Alberto Rangel about the current strained relations between Colombia and Venezuela. He deems that Uribe's reelection aspirations are a key element to understand the current situation. Rangel, who is a critic of Chávez but in turn the President shows a deep respect to him, stated that United States is already in the power transition process to the next president, Barack Obama (who Rangel thinks is going to win) or John McCain. The leaving of the Government by Bush's clan, to which Uribe was very attached, forces him (Uribe) to show its unconditional links to United States, because without its support current Colombian President will not be able to be reelected, Rangel said. Furthermore, regarding the strained relations between both countries, people supporting Venezuelan President are accusing Colombian Government of looking for an excuse that could use United States to justify a military intervention. Vanessa Davies, leader of the United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV, Spanish abbreviation), said that “the accusations of (Venezuelan Government) links with the guerrilla are a similar pretext to the one presented by Washington against Iraq”. Moreover, she pointed out that, afterwards, “it was proved that Iraq did not have any weapon of massive destruction as United States said and that the accusation was based on false data”.

Latin America, Venezuela, Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Nicaragus, Ecuador, Cuba, Chavez, Ibero America, Alternativa Bolivariana, Bolivar,Bolivia, Bolivia, Santa Cruz, cochabamba, sucre, la paz, Evo Morales,separatistas, nazistas croatas, UNASUR, ALBA, Socialismo siglo 21, Daniel Ortega, Fidel Castro, Correa, Lula Da Silva, aporrea, Globovision, Telesurtv, Agencia Bolivariana de Noticias, prensa Latina, hispano America, Simon Bolivar, terrorismo mediatico, democracia, patria, libertad, dignidad, revolucion Bolivariana, Mercosur, Petrocaribe, Hugo Chavez Frias, Orvex, No+ Chavez, No más, Medios de Noticias La Antorcha Aporrea Cadenal Global La Calle La Cambio de Siglo El Carbobeño Correo del Caroní La Costa De Frente -El Diario de Caracas El Diario de Guyana Diario el Progreso Ecos de Caracas Entorno Inteligente Frontera La Hora Impacto El Impulso El Mundo Meridiano La Nación El Nacional El Norte Las Noticias de Cojedes Noticias PYME Noti Tarde Nueva Día Nueva Linea El Oriental Panorama El Periodiquito Pico Bolivar La Prensa El ProgresoEl Regional de Zulia Semana Hoy El Siglo Sol de Margarita Solo Deportes Tal Cual Temas El Tiempo Últimas Noticias -Última Hora El Universal VEP El Venezolano Venezuela al Día Venezuela Analysis La Verdad V Headline La Voce La Voz Yaracuy 2200 Agencias de Noticias & Gobierno Agencia de Noticias de Venezuela Notici Orinoquia Photo Gobierno en LíneaPortales Analítica Auyantepui Barquisimeto Cantv Civila Directorios de VenezuelaGuía Info Guía Web Mi Punto Multi Puerta Mukas NotivenSabueso Terra Trompo Venezuela Venezuela Online Venezuela Site Venezuela VirtualVisor 2 Partes Radio Angel AVM Capital FM Circuito Nacional Belfort Fe y Alegría La Mega Estación Radio Zaraza Rumbera Unión RadioProgramas de Radio Conectados en Red El Espiral Digital Flash BackRadioNet Top Sunday Tu Enlace Revistas Ambrosía Analisis Internacional Arumbear Ashe AUTOmotriz La Cadena Tricolor Computer World Dinero Escenarios Espacio AutogestionarioExplorarium Iglesia Kalathos Llevame Megarevistas ModaWEB Motor NotasPerrolandia PC News Producto PC Quinto Día La Red Sonrisas Supermercado Tiempo Universitario Urbe Venezuela Analítica Zona 10 TVCinemax Globovisión Intercable RCTV Telecolor Televen TeleSur Televisora de Táchira Vale TV Venevisión Venezolana de Televisión Programas de TV Alta Densidad Music Box TVBancos & Finanzas Dinero Sudeban Banco IndustrialComunidades de Venezuela En el extranjero En el país Amigos de Venezuela Partidos políticos grandes y medianos-grandes Partido Socialista Unido de Venezuela (PSUV) Un Nuevo Tiempo (UNT) Primero Justicia (MPJ) Podemos Patria Para Todos (PPT) Partido Comunista de Venezuela (PCV) COPEI Acción Democrática (AD)Partidos políticos medianos Movimiento de Integridad Nacional (MIN Unidad) Venezuela de Primera (VDP)Unión Republicana Democrática (URD) Movimiento Republicano (DPA) Movimiento al Socialismo (MAS) Clase Media Revolucionaria (CMR) Convergencia Proyecto Venezuela (PV) Partidos políticos pequeños Consejo Nacional Indio de Venezuela (CONIVE) Visión Emergente (DPA) Movimiento Laborista (DPA) Un Solo Pueblo Fuerza Liberal (DPA) Renace Fuerza Popular Solidaridad Independiente (DPA) La Causa R (LCR) Grupo Nacional Socialista de Liberación Pro-Venezuela (PROVEN) Apertura Dignidad Patriótica (DP) Electores Libres (EL) Unidad Patriótica Comunitaria (UPC) Venezuela Somos Todos (VST) Movimiento de Concentración Gente Nueva (MCGN) Acción Agropecuaria (AA) Por Querer a la Ciudad (PQAC) Fuerza de Acciones Coordinadas de Bases por la Alianza (FACOBA) Organización Nacional Independiente (ONI) Bandera Roja (BR) Imagen Democrática (ID) La Llama de Venezuela (La Llave) Pensamiento Nacional Independientes por Venezuela DDemocracia Renovadora (DR)Organización Nacionalista Democracia Activa (ONDA) Solidaridad Constructores de un País Encuentro Nacional Partido Popular Independiente (PPI) Partido Independiente Electoral de Respuesta Avanzada (PIEDRA) Alianza Bravo Pueblo (ABP) Opina Nueva Alianza Progresista (NAPO) Izquierda Unida Venezuela Partido Nuevo Orden (NOR) Organización Utopía Partido Federal Republicano Resistencia Civil Vanguardia Popular Alianza Popular (AP) Partido Nacionalista Venezolano Carapaica M-28 Partido de la Revolución Venezolana (PRV)Partidos políticos regionales relevantes Organización Fuerza en Movimiento - OFM (Lara) Movimiento Independiente Por Maracaibo - MIPM (Zulia) Proyecto Carabobo - PC (Carabobo) Movimiento Juntos por Trujillo - MJPT (Trujillo) Mi Gente (Delta Amacuro) Partido de Alianza Social Revolucionaria - PASR (Delta Amacuro) Electores de Bolívar (Bolívar) Movimiento Emergente Regional Independiente - MERI (Delta Amacuro) FIOOP (Portuguesa) Alianza Social Independiente de Sucre - ASIS (Sucre) USTED (Carabobo) Lo Alacanzado por Yaracuy - LAPY (Yaracuy) Movimiento Regional de Avanzada - MRA (Nueva Esparta) Pueblos Unidos Multiétnicos de Amazonas PUAMA (Amazonas) MUPI (Amazonas), Ruedalo, Javu, comando nacional , día "D",megaresistencia,resistenciauniversitaria, Reforma Constitucional,Ruedalo,Javu,comandonacional,día"D",megaresistencia,resistenciauniversitaria, Reforma Constitucional, Ruedalo, Javu, comando nacional , día"D",megaresistencia,resistenciauniversitaria, orvex, orvex, Globovision , .11abril.com, Globovision, Globovision, Globovision, Globovision, Globovision, Globovision, Globovision, Globovision, Globovision, Globovision, Globovision , "NO" a Reforma Constitucional, "NO" a Reforma Constitucional, "NO" a la Reforma Constitucional, Nuevo Tiempo, Podemos,primero justicia, EL UNIVERSAL, EL NACIONAl, RCTV, golpe, Fuerzas Armadas, Guardia nacional, Últimas Noticias 2001 Analitica Business News Americas Correo del Caroni The Daily Journal [In English] Descifrado (Caracas) Diario El Aragueño Diario El tiempo (Trujillo) Economía Hoy (Caracas) El Carabobeño El Caroreño El Globo El Mundo El Nacional El Norte El Periodiquito EL Regional del Zulia (Ciudad Ojeda) El Siglo El Sol De Margarita (Isla Margarita) El Universal (Caracas) Globovision (Caracas) Notitarde.com (Valencia) Panorama Digital (Maracaibo) Quinto Dia (Caracas) Tal Cual (Caracas) Temas de Venezuela (Caracas) Ultimas Noticias Union Radio VCambio Venezuela al Dia, Ruedalo, Javu, comando nacional , día "D",megaresistencia,resistenciauniversitaria, Reforma Constitucional, Ruedalo, Javu, comando nacional , día "D",megaresistencia,resistenciauniversitaria, Reforma Constitucional, Ruedalo, Javu, comando nacional , día "D",megaresistencia,resistenciauniversitaria, orvex, orvex, Globovision , .11abril.com, Globovision, golpe, Fuerzas Armadas, Guardia nacional, Últimas Noticias 2001 Analitica Business News Americas Correo del Caroni The Daily Journal [In English] Descifrado (Caracas) Diario El Aragueño Diario El tiempo (Trujillo) Economía Hoy (Caracas) El Carabobeño El Caroreño El Globo El Mundo El Nacional El Norte El Periodiquito EL Regional del Zulia (Ciudad Ojeda) El Siglo El Sol De Margarita (Isla Margarita) El Universal (Caracas) Globovision (Caracas) Notitarde.com (Valencia) Panorama Digital (Maracaibo) Quinto Dia (Caracas) Tal Cual (Caracas) Temas de Venezuela (Caracas) Ultimas Noticias Union Radio VCambio

Venezuela denuncia incursión de tropas colombianas en su territorio

2008-05-19T08:28:00.000-07:00

A través de una nota de protesta, la Cancillería venezolana eleva su voz ante la irrupción de una Comisión de 60 hombres del Ejército colombiano en territorio nacional, al tiempo que exige al Gobierno colombiano que vele por el cese inmediato de estas violaciones del Derecho Internacional, de la soberanía y de la integridad territorial de Venezuela, y aplique las sanciones correspondientes a los responsables de las mismas.Caracas, 17 de mayo de 2008/ El gobierno venezolano ve con preocupación que este acto se produzca en momentos en que ha denunciado la política belicista del Gobierno colombiano que busca deliberadamente la desestabilización de la Región. A continuación trascribimos el texto íntegro de la declaración oficial:Nota de ProtestaEl Ministerio del Poder Popular para Relaciones Exteriores de la República Bolivariana de Venezuela saluda al Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores de la República de Colombia, en ocasión de formular su más enérgica protesta por la incursión ilegal de tropas del Ejército colombiano en territorio venezolano, ocurrida el día 16 de mayo en el sector Los Bancos del Municipio Páez del Estado Apure.La Comisión de 60 hombres del Ejército colombiano, al mando de quien se identificó como el Subteniente del Ejército Colombiano, Jhonny Ocampo Jurado adscrito al Batallón Especial Energético y Vial No 1 Gral. Juan José Negro Velasco, con sede en la Base Militar Cubará, departamento de Arauca, Colombia, fue interceptada en las coordenadas N – 07o 02'' 12,5' – W – 072o 02'' 6,4' a 800 (ochocientos) metros de la línea fronteriza en territorio venezolano y fue obligada a abandonarlo inmediatamente.El Ministerio del Poder Popular para Relaciones Exteriores de la República Bolivariana de Venezuela, a nombre del Gobierno venezolano, hace propicia la ocasión para exigir al Gobierno colombiano que vele por el cese inmediato de estas violaciones del Derecho Internacional, de la soberanía y de la integridad territorial de Venezuela, y aplique las sanciones correspondientes a los responsables de las mismas.El Ministerio del Poder Popular para Relaciones Exteriores de la República Bolivariana de Venezuela ve con preocupación que este acto de provocación se produzca en momentos en que nuestro Gobierno ha denunciado la política belicista del Gobierno colombiano que busca deliberadamente la desestabilización de la Región.

Latin America, Venezuela, Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Nicaragus, Ecuador, Cuba, Chavez, Ibero America, Alternativa Bolivariana, Bolivar,Bolivia, Bolivia, Santa Cruz, cochabamba, sucre, la paz, Evo Morales,separatistas, nazistas croatas, UNASUR, ALBA, Socialismo siglo 21, Daniel Ortega, Fidel Castro, Correa, Lula Da Silva, aporrea, Globovision, Telesurtv, Agencia Bolivariana de Noticias, prensa Latina, hispano America, Simon Bolivar, terrorismo mediatico, democracia, patria, libertad, dignidad, revolucion Bolivariana, Mercosur, Petrocaribe, Hugo Chavez Frias, Orvex, No+ Chavez, No más, Medios de Noticias La Antorcha Aporrea Cadenal Global La Calle La Cambio de Siglo El Carbobeño Correo del Caroní La Costa De Frente -El Diario de Caracas El Diario de Guyana Diario el Progreso Ecos de Caracas Entorno Inteligente Frontera La Hora Impacto El Impulso El Mundo Meridiano La Nación El Nacional El Norte Las Noticias de Cojedes Noticias PYME Noti Tarde Nueva Día Nueva Linea El Oriental Panorama El Periodiquito Pico Bolivar La Prensa El ProgresoEl Regional de Zulia Semana Hoy El Siglo Sol de Margarita Solo Deportes Tal Cual Temas El Tiempo Últimas Noticias -Última Hora El Universal VEP El Venezolano Venezuela al Día Venezuela Analysis La Verdad V Headline La Voce La Voz Yaracuy 2200 Agencias de Noticias & Gobierno Agencia de Noticias de Venezuela Notici Orinoquia Photo Gobierno en LíneaPortales Analítica Auyantepui Barquisimeto Cantv Civila Directorios de VenezuelaGuía Info Guía Web Mi Punto Multi Puerta Mukas NotivenSabueso Terra Trompo Venezuela Venezuela Online Venezuela Site Venezuela VirtualVisor 2 Partes Radio Angel AVM Capital FM Circuito Nacional Belfort Fe y Alegría La Mega Estación Radio Zaraza Rumbera Unión RadioProgramas de Radio Conectados en Red El Espiral Digital Flash BackRadioNet Top Sunday Tu Enlace Revistas Ambrosía Analisis Internacional Arumbear Ashe AUTOmotriz La Cadena Tricolor Computer World Dinero Escenarios Espacio AutogestionarioExplorarium Iglesia Kalathos Llevame Megarevistas ModaWEB Motor NotasPerrolandia PC News Producto PC Quinto Día La Red Sonrisas Supermercado Tiempo Universitario Urbe Venezuela Analítica Zona 10 TVCinemax Globovisión Intercable RCTV Telecolor Televen TeleSur Televisora de Táchira Vale TV Venevisión Venezolana de Televisión Programas de TV Alta Densidad Music Box TVBancos & Finanzas Dinero Sudeban Banco IndustrialComunidades de Venezuela En el extranjero En el país Amigos de Venezuela Partidos políticos grandes y medianos-grandes Partido Socialista Unido de Venezuela (PSUV) Un Nuevo Tiempo (UNT) Primero Justicia (MPJ) Podemos Patria Para Todos (PPT) Partido Comunista de Venezuela (PCV) COPEI Acción Democrática (AD)Partidos políticos medianos Movimiento de Integridad Nacional (MIN Unidad) Venezuela de Primera (VDP)Unión Republicana Democrática (URD) Movimiento Republicano (DPA) Movimiento al Socialismo (MAS) Clase Media Revolucionaria (CMR) Convergencia Proyecto Venezuela (PV) Partidos políticos pequeños Consejo Nacional Indio de Venezuela (CONIVE) Visión Emergente (DPA) Movimiento Laborista (DPA) Un Solo Pueblo Fuerza Liberal (DPA) Renace Fuerza Popular Solidaridad Independiente (DPA) La Causa R (LCR) Grupo Nacional Socialista de Liberación Pro-Venezuela (PROVEN) Apertura Dignidad Patriótica (DP) Electores Libres (EL) Unidad Patriótica Comunitaria (UPC) Venezuela Somos Todos (VST) Movimiento de Concentración Gente Nueva (MCGN) Acción Agropecuaria (AA) Por Querer a la Ciudad (PQAC) Fuerza de Acciones Coordinadas de Bases por la Alianza (FACOBA) Organización Nacional Independiente (ONI) Bandera Roja (BR) Imagen Democrática (ID) La Llama de Venezuela (La Llave) Pensamiento Nacional Independientes por Venezuela DDemocracia Renovadora (DR)Organización Nacionalista Democracia Activa (ONDA) Solidaridad Constructores de un País Encuentro Nacional Partido Popular Independiente (PPI) Partido Independiente Electoral de Respuesta Avanzada (PIEDRA) Alianza Bravo Pueblo (ABP) Opina Nueva Alianza Progresista (NAPO) Izquierda Unida Venezuela Partido Nuevo Orden (NOR) Organización Utopía Partido Federal Republicano Resistencia Civil Vanguardia Popular Alianza Popular (AP) Partido Nacionalista Venezolano Carapaica M-28 Partido de la Revolución Venezolana (PRV)Partidos políticos regionales relevantes Organización Fuerza en Movimiento - OFM (Lara) Movimiento Independiente Por Maracaibo - MIPM (Zulia) Proyecto Carabobo - PC (Carabobo) Movimiento Juntos por Trujillo - MJPT (Trujillo) Mi Gente (Delta Amacuro) Partido de Alianza Social Revolucionaria - PASR (Delta Amacuro) Electores de Bolívar (Bolívar) Movimiento Emergente Regional Independiente - MERI (Delta Amacuro) FIOOP (Portuguesa) Alianza Social Independiente de Sucre - ASIS (Sucre) USTED (Carabobo) Lo Alacanzado por Yaracuy - LAPY (Yaracuy) Movimiento Regional de Avanzada - MRA (Nueva Esparta) Pueblos Unidos Multiétnicos de Amazonas PUAMA (Amazonas) MUPI (Amazonas), Ruedalo, Javu, comando nacional , día "D",megaresistencia,resistenciauniversitaria, Reforma Constitucional,Ruedalo,Javu,comandonacional,día"D",megaresistencia,resistenciauniversitaria, Reforma Constitucional, Ruedalo, Javu, comando nacional , día"D",megaresistencia,resistenciauniversitaria, orvex, orvex, Globovision , .11abril.com, Globovision, Globovision, Globovision, Globovision, Globovision, Globovision, Globovision, Globovision, Globovision, Globovision, Globovision , "NO" a Reforma Constitucional, "NO" a Reforma Constitucional, "NO" a la Reforma Constitucional, Nuevo Tiempo, Podemos,primero justicia, EL UNIVERSAL, EL NACIONAl, RCTV, golpe, Fuerzas Armadas, Guardia nacional, Últimas Noticias 2001 Analitica Business News Americas Correo del Caroni The Daily Journal [In English] Descifrado (Caracas) Diario El Aragueño Diario El tiempo (Trujillo) Economía Hoy (Caracas) El Carabobeño El Caroreño El Globo El Mundo El Nacional El Norte El Periodiquito EL Regional del Zulia (Ciudad Ojeda) El Siglo El Sol De Margarita (Isla Margarita) El Universal (Caracas) Globovision (Caracas) Notitarde.com (Valencia) Panorama Digital (Maracaibo) Quinto Dia (Caracas) Tal Cual (Caracas) Temas de Venezuela (Caracas) Ultimas Noticias Union Radio VCambio Venezuela al Dia, Ruedalo, Javu, comando nacional , día "D",megaresistencia,resistenciauniversitaria, Reforma Constitucional, Ruedalo, Javu, comando nacional , día "D",megaresistencia,resistenciauniversitaria, Reforma Constitucional, Ruedalo, Javu, comando nacional , día "D",megaresistencia,resistenciauniversitaria, orvex, orvex, Globovision , .11abril.com, Globovision, golpe, Fuerzas Armadas, Guardia nacional, Últimas Noticias 2001 Analitica Business News Americas Correo del Caroni The Daily Journal [In English] Descifrado (Caracas) Diario El Aragueño Diario El tiempo (Trujillo) Economía Hoy (Caracas) El Carabobeño El Caroreño El Globo El Mundo El Nacional El Norte El Periodiquito EL Regional del Zulia (Ciudad Ojeda) El Siglo El Sol De Margarita (Isla Margarita) El Universal (Caracas) Globovision (Caracas) Notitarde.com (Valencia) Panorama Digital (Maracaibo) Quinto Dia (Caracas) Tal Cual (Caracas) Temas de Venezuela (Caracas) Ultimas Noticias Union Radio VCambio

The Conspiracy to Divide Bolivia Must Be Denounced

2008-04-24T09:09:00.000-07:00

The process of changes in favor of the Bolivian majority is at risk of being brutally restrained. The rise to power of an Indigenous president with unprecedented support in that country and his programs of popular benefits and recovery of the natural resources have had to face the conspiracies of the oligarchy and United States interference from the very beginning. In recent days the increase in conspiracy has reached its climax. The subversive and unconstitutional actions of the oligarchic groups to try to divide the Bolivian nation reflect the racist and elitist minds of these sectors and constitute a very dangerous precedent not only for the country’s integrity, but for other countries in our region. History shows with ample eloquence, the terrible consequences that the divisionary and separatist processes supported and induced by foreign interests have had for humanity. Faced with this situation the signers below would like to express their support for the government of Evo Morales Ayma, for his policies for change and for the sovereign constituent process of the Bolivian people. At the same time we reject the so-called Santa Cruz Autonomy Statute due to its unconstitutionality and the attempt against the unity of a nation of our America. Visit the site in order to sign.

http://www.todosconbolivia.org

Latin America, Venezuela, Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Nicaragus, Ecuador, Cuba, Chavez, Ibero America, Alternativa Bolivariana, Bolivar, Bolivia, Mexico, Mejico, Honduras, Guatemala, El Salvador, Panama, Costa Rica, Puerto Rico, Guantanamo, Uruguay, Brasil, quinto infierno, Peron, Cristina Fernandez, Lugo, santa cruz, UNASUR, ALBA, Socialismo siglo 21, Daniel Ortega, Fidel Castro, Correa, Lula Da Silva, aporrea, Globovision, Telesurtv, Agencia Bolivariana de Noticias, prensa Latina, hispano America, Simon Bolivar, terrorismo mediatico, democracia, patria, libertad, dignidad, revolucion Bolivariana, Mercosur, Petrocaribe, Hugo Chavez Frias, Orvex, No+ Chavez, No más, Medios de Noticias La Antorcha Aporrea Cadenal Global La Calle La Cambio de Siglo El Carbobeño Correo del Caroní La Costa De Frente -El Diario de Caracas El Diario de Guyana Diario el Progreso Ecos de Caracas Entorno Inteligente Frontera La Hora Impacto El Impulso El Mundo Meridiano La Nación El Nacional El Norte Las Noticias de Cojedes Noticias PYME Noti Tarde Nueva Día Nueva Linea El Oriental Panorama El Periodiquito Pico Bolivar La Prensa El Progreso El Regional de Zulia Semana Hoy El Siglo Sol de Margarita Solo Deportes Tal Cual Temas El Tiempo Últimas Noticias -Última Hora El Universal VEP El Venezolano Venezuela al Día Venezuela Analysis La Verdad V Headline La Voce La Voz Yaracuy 2200 Agencias de Noticias & Gobierno Agencia de Noticias de Venezuela Notici Orinoquia Photo Gobierno en LíneaPortales Analítica Auyantepui Barquisimeto Cantv Civila Directorios de Venezuela Guía Info Guía Web Mi Punto Multi Puerta Mukas NotivenSabueso Terra Trompo Venezuela Venezuela Online Venezuela Site Venezuela VirtualVisor 2 Partes Radio Angel AVM Capital FM Circuito Nacional Belfort Fe y Alegría La Mega Estación Radio Zaraza Rumbera Unión RadioProgramas de Radio Conectados en Red El Espiral Digital Flash BackRadioNet Top Sunday Tu Enlace Revistas Ambrosía Analisis Internacional Arumbear Ashe AUTOmotriz La Cadena Tricolor Computer World Dinero Escenarios Espacio Autogestionario Explorarium Iglesia Kalathos Llevame Megarevistas ModaWEB Motor NotasPerrolandia PC News Producto PC Quinto Día La Red Sonrisas Supermercado Tiempo Universitario Urbe Venezuela Analítica Zona 10 TVCinemax Globovisión Intercable RCTV Telecolor Televen TeleSur Televisora de Táchira Vale TV Venevisión Venezolana de Televisión Programas de TV Alta Densidad Music Box TVBancos & Finanzas Dinero Sudeban Banco IndustrialComunidades de Venezuela En el extranjero En el país Amigos de Venezuela Partidos políticos grandes y medianos-grandes Partido Socialista Unido de Venezuela (PSUV) Un Nuevo Tiempo (UNT) Primero Justicia (MPJ) Podemos Patria Para Todos (PPT) Partido Comunista de Venezuela (PCV) COPEI Acción Democrática (AD)Partidos políticos medianos Movimiento de Integridad Nacional (MIN Unidad) Venezuela de Primera (VDP)Unión Republicana Democrática (URD) Movimiento Republicano (DPA) Movimiento al Socialismo (MAS) Clase Media Revolucionaria (CMR) Convergencia Proyecto Venezuela (PV) Partidos políticos pequeños Consejo Nacional Indio de Venezuela (CONIVE) Visión Emergente (DPA) Movimiento Laborista (DPA) Un Solo Pueblo Fuerza Liberal (DPA) Renace Fuerza Popular Solidaridad Independiente (DPA) La Causa R (LCR) Grupo Nacional Socialista de Liberación Pro-Venezuela (PROVEN) Apertura Dignidad Patriótica (DP) Electores Libres (EL) Unidad Patriótica Comunitaria (UPC) Venezuela Somos Todos (VST) Movimiento de Concentración Gente Nueva (MCGN) Acción Agropecuaria (AA) Por Querer a la Ciudad (PQAC) Fuerza de Acciones Coordinadas de Bases por la Alianza (FACOBA) Organización Nacional Independiente (ONI) Bandera Roja (BR) Imagen Democrática (ID) La Llama de Venezuela (La Llave) Pensamiento Nacional Independientes por Venezuela DDemocracia Renovadora (DR)Organización Nacionalista Democracia Activa (ONDA) Solidaridad Constructores de un País Encuentro Nacional Partido Popular Independiente (PPI) Partido Independiente Electoral de Respuesta Avanzada (PIEDRA) Alianza Bravo Pueblo (ABP) Opina Nueva Alianza Progresista (NAPO) Izquierda Unida Venezuela Partido Nuevo Orden (NOR) Organización Utopía Partido Federal Republicano Resistencia Civil Vanguardia Popular Alianza Popular (AP) Partido Nacionalista Venezolano Carapaica M-28 Partido de la Revolución Venezolana (PRV)Partidos políticos regionales relevantes Organización Fuerza en Movimiento - OFM (Lara) Movimiento Independiente Por Maracaibo - MIPM (Zulia) Proyecto Carabobo - PC (Carabobo) Movimiento Juntos por Trujillo - MJPT (Trujillo) Mi Gente (Delta Amacuro) Partido de Alianza Social Revolucionaria - PASR (Delta Amacuro) Electores de Bolívar (Bolívar) Movimiento Emergente Regional Independiente - MERI (Delta Amacuro) FIOOP (Portuguesa) Alianza Social Independiente de Sucre - ASIS (Sucre) USTED (Carabobo) Lo Alacanzado por Yaracuy - LAPY (Yaracuy) Movimiento Regional de Avanzada - MRA (Nueva Esparta) Pueblos Unidos Multiétnicos de Amazonas PUAMA (Amazonas) MUPI (Amazonas), Ruedalo, Javu, comando nacional , día "D",megaresistencia,resistenciauniversitaria, Reforma, Santa Cruz, la Juventud Cruceñista,Fascistas de Santa Cruz, neonazis, Optor, vendepatria, gusanos, separatistas,Constitucional,Ruedalo,Javu,comandonacional,día"D",megaresistencia,resistenciauniversitaria, Reforma Constitucional, Ruedalo, Javu, comando nacional , Lugo, Paraguay, Guarimbas, Cara nueva, nueva Cara, elecciones,día"D",megaresistencia,resistenciauniversitaria, orvex, orvex, Globovision , .11abril.com, Globovision, Globovision, Globovision, Globovision, Globovision, Nuevo Tiempo, Podemos,primero justicia, EL UNIVERSAL, EL NACIONAl, RCTV, RCTV - Radio Caracas Televisión, golpe, Fuerzas Armadas, Guardia nacional, Últimas Noticias 2001 Analitica Business News Americas Correo del Caroni The Daily Journal [In English] Descifrado (Caracas) Diario El Aragueño Diario El tiempo (Trujillo) Economía Hoy (Caracas) El Carabobeño El Caroreño El Globo El Mundo El Nacional El Norte El Periodiquito EL Regional del Zulia (Ciudad Ojeda) El Siglo El Sol De Margarita (Isla Margarita) El Universal (Caracas) Globovision (Caracas) Notitarde.com (Valencia) Panorama Digital (Maracaibo) Quinto Dia (Caracas) Tal Cual (Caracas) Temas de Venezuela (Caracas) Ultimas Noticias Union Radio VCambio Venezuela al Dia, Ruedalo, Javu, comando nacional , día "D",megaresistencia,resistenciauniversitaria, Reforma Constitucional, Ruedalo, Javu, comando nacional , día "D",megaresistencia,resistenciauniversitaria, Reforma Constitucional, Ruedalo, Javu, comando nacional ,El mercurio, la tercera, el Clarin, diario12,día "D",megaresistencia,resistenciauniversitaria, orvex, orvex, Globovision , .11abril.com, Globovision, Globovision, Globovision, Globovision, Globovision, Globovision, Globovision, Globovision, Globovision, Globovision,Nuevo Tiempo, Podemos,primero justicia, EL UNIVERSAL, EL NACIONAl, RCTV, RCTV - Radio Caracas Televisión, golpe, Fuerzas Armadas, Guardia nacional, Últimas Noticias 2001 Analitica Business News Americas Correo del Caroni The Daily Journal [In English] Descifrado (Caracas) Diario El Aragueño Diario El tiempo (Trujillo) Economía Hoy (Caracas) El Carabobeño El Caroreño El Globo El Mundo El Nacional El Norte El Periodiquito EL Regional del Zulia (Ciudad Ojeda) El Siglo El Sol De Margarita (Isla Margarita) El Universal (Caracas) Globovision (Caracas) Notitarde.com (Valencia) Panorama Digital (Maracaibo) Quinto Dia (Caracas) Tal Cual (Caracas) Temas de Venezuela (Caracas) Ultimas Noticias Union Radio VCambio

Chávez and Lugo agree to keep building UNASUR

2008-04-23T10:32:00.000-07:00

The President of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, Hugo Chávez Frías, congratulated th new elected President of Paraguay, Fernando Lugo, after his victory on Sunday's elections was made public and they agreed to keep building the UNASUR “based on the vindication of the history of our people's struggles”. A communiqué emitted by the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Venezuela informs that, with a phone call, Chávez recognized the impeccable democratic journey in which the Paraguayan people carried out their voting this Sunday April 20th, which “proves the political maturity of this South American brother country”. Furthermore, during the friendly telephonic conversation, “President Chávez reminded, to the elected President Fernando Lugo, his admiration for the heroic history of Paraguayan people, honorable heir of the memories of Marshal Francisco Solano López, as well as they agreed in the necessity of keep building the South American Nations Union (UNASUR, Spanish acronym), based on the vindication of the history of our people's struggle”, the Ministry's communiqué says. “Both presidents show their intention of holding a meeting as soon as possible in order to talk about cooperation and complementarity plans; President Chávez ratified his will to keep working in order to achieve the shared development of Paraguayan and Venezuelan people”, the communiqué concludes. Translated by Ernesto Aguilera

Latin America, Venezuela, Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Nicaragus, Ecuador, Cuba, Chavez, Ibero America, Alternativa Bolivariana, Bolivar, Bolivia, Mexico, Mejico, Honduras, Guatemala, El Salvador, Panama, Costa Rica, Puerto Rico, Guantanamo, Uruguay, Brasil, quinto infierno, Peron, Cristina Fernandez, Lugo, santa cruz, UNASUR, ALBA, Socialismo siglo 21, Daniel Ortega, Fidel Castro, Correa, Lula Da Silva, aporrea, Globovision, Telesurtv, Agencia Bolivariana de Noticias, prensa Latina, hispano America, Simon Bolivar, terrorismo mediatico, democracia, patria, libertad, dignidad, revolucion Bolivariana, Mercosur, Petrocaribe, Hugo Chavez Frias, Orvex, No+ Chavez, No más, Medios de Noticias La Antorcha Aporrea Cadenal Global La Calle La Cambio de Siglo El Carbobeño Correo del Caroní La Costa De Frente -El Diario de Caracas El Diario de Guyana Diario el Progreso Ecos de Caracas Entorno Inteligente Frontera La Hora Impacto El Impulso El Mundo Meridiano La Nación El Nacional El Norte Las Noticias de Cojedes Noticias PYME Noti Tarde Nueva Día Nueva Linea El Oriental Panorama El Periodiquito Pico Bolivar La Prensa El Progreso El Regional de Zulia Semana Hoy El Siglo Sol de Margarita Solo Deportes Tal Cual Temas El Tiempo Últimas Noticias -Última Hora El Universal VEP El Venezolano Venezuela al Día Venezuela Analysis La Verdad V Headline La Voce La Voz Yaracuy 2200 Agencias de Noticias & Gobierno Agencia de Noticias de Venezuela Notici Orinoquia Photo Gobierno en LíneaPortales Analítica Auyantepui Barquisimeto Cantv Civila Directorios de Venezuela Guía Info Guía Web Mi Punto Multi Puerta Mukas NotivenSabueso Terra Trompo Venezuela Venezuela Online Venezuela Site Venezuela VirtualVisor 2 Partes Radio Angel AVM Capital FM Circuito Nacional Belfort Fe y Alegría La Mega Estación Radio Zaraza Rumbera Unión RadioProgramas de Radio Conectados en Red El Espiral Digital Flash BackRadioNet Top Sunday Tu Enlace Revistas Ambrosía Analisis Internacional Arumbear Ashe AUTOmotriz La Cadena Tricolor Computer World Dinero Escenarios Espacio Autogestionario Explorarium Iglesia Kalathos Llevame Megarevistas ModaWEB Motor NotasPerrolandia PC News Producto PC Quinto Día La Red Sonrisas Supermercado Tiempo Universitario Urbe Venezuela Analítica Zona 10 TVCinemax Globovisión Intercable RCTV Telecolor Televen TeleSur Televisora de Táchira Vale TV Venevisión Venezolana de Televisión Programas de TV Alta Densidad Music Box TVBancos & Finanzas Dinero Sudeban Banco IndustrialComunidades de Venezuela En el extranjero En el país Amigos de Venezuela Partidos políticos grandes y medianos-grandes Partido Socialista Unido de Venezuela (PSUV) Un Nuevo Tiempo (UNT) Primero Justicia (MPJ) Podemos Patria Para Todos (PPT) Partido Comunista de Venezuela (PCV) COPEI Acción Democrática (AD)Partidos políticos medianos Movimiento de Integridad Nacional (MIN Unidad) Venezuela de Primera (VDP)Unión Republicana Democrática (URD) Movimiento Republicano (DPA) Movimiento al Socialismo (MAS) Clase Media Revolucionaria (CMR) Convergencia Proyecto Venezuela (PV) Partidos políticos pequeños Consejo Nacional Indio de Venezuela (CONIVE) Visión Emergente (DPA) Movimiento Laborista (DPA) Un Solo Pueblo Fuerza Liberal (DPA) Renace Fuerza Popular Solidaridad Independiente (DPA) La Causa R (LCR) Grupo Nacional Socialista de Liberación Pro-Venezuela (PROVEN) Apertura Dignidad Patriótica (DP) Electores Libres (EL) Unidad Patriótica Comunitaria (UPC) Venezuela Somos Todos (VST) Movimiento de Concentración Gente Nueva (MCGN) Acción Agropecuaria (AA) Por Querer a la Ciudad (PQAC) Fuerza de Acciones Coordinadas de Bases por la Alianza (FACOBA) Organización Nacional Independiente (ONI) Bandera Roja (BR) Imagen Democrática (ID) La Llama de Venezuela (La Llave) Pensamiento Nacional Independientes por Venezuela DDemocracia Renovadora (DR)Organización Nacionalista Democracia Activa (ONDA) Solidaridad Constructores de un País Encuentro Nacional Partido Popular Independiente (PPI) Partido Independiente Electoral de Respuesta Avanzada (PIEDRA) Alianza Bravo Pueblo (ABP) Opina Nueva Alianza Progresista (NAPO) Izquierda Unida Venezuela Partido Nuevo Orden (NOR) Organización Utopía Partido Federal Republicano Resistencia Civil Vanguardia Popular Alianza Popular (AP) Partido Nacionalista Venezolano Carapaica M-28 Partido de la Revolución Venezolana (PRV)Partidos políticos regionales relevantes Organización Fuerza en Movimiento - OFM (Lara) Movimiento Independiente Por Maracaibo - MIPM (Zulia) Proyecto Carabobo - PC (Carabobo) Movimiento Juntos por Trujillo - MJPT (Trujillo) Mi Gente (Delta Amacuro) Partido de Alianza Social Revolucionaria - PASR (Delta Amacuro) Electores de Bolívar (Bolívar) Movimiento Emergente Regional Independiente - MERI (Delta Amacuro) FIOOP (Portuguesa) Alianza Social Independiente de Sucre - ASIS (Sucre) USTED (Carabobo) Lo Alacanzado por Yaracuy - LAPY (Yaracuy) Movimiento Regional de Avanzada - MRA (Nueva Esparta) Pueblos Unidos Multiétnicos de Amazonas PUAMA (Amazonas) MUPI (Amazonas), Ruedalo, Javu, comando nacional , día "D",megaresistencia,resistenciauniversitaria, Reforma, Santa Cruz, la Juventud Cruceñista,Fascistas de Santa Cruz, neonazis, Optor, vendepatria, gusanos, separatistas,Constitucional,Ruedalo,Javu,comandonacional,día"D",megaresistencia,resistenciauniversitaria, Reforma Constitucional, Ruedalo, Javu, comando nacional , Lugo, Paraguay, Guarimbas, Cara nueva, nueva Cara, elecciones,día"D",megaresistencia,resistenciauniversitaria, orvex, orvex, Globovision , .11abril.com, Globovision, Globovision, Globovision, Globovision, Globovision, Nuevo Tiempo, Podemos,primero justicia, EL UNIVERSAL, EL NACIONAl, RCTV, RCTV - Radio Caracas Televisión, golpe, Fuerzas Armadas, Guardia nacional, Últimas Noticias 2001 Analitica Business News Americas Correo del Caroni The Daily Journal [In English] Descifrado (Caracas) Diario El Aragueño Diario El tiempo (Trujillo) Economía Hoy (Caracas) El Carabobeño El Caroreño El Globo El Mundo El Nacional El Norte El Periodiquito EL Regional del Zulia (Ciudad Ojeda) El Siglo El Sol De Margarita (Isla Margarita) El Universal (Caracas) Globovision (Caracas) Notitarde.com (Valencia) Panorama Digital (Maracaibo) Quinto Dia (Caracas) Tal Cual (Caracas) Temas de Venezuela (Caracas) Ultimas Noticias Union Radio VCambio Venezuela al Dia, Ruedalo, Javu, comando nacional , día "D",megaresistencia,resistenciauniversitaria, Reforma Constitucional, Ruedalo, Javu, comando nacional , día "D",megaresistencia,resistenciauniversitaria, Reforma Constitucional, Ruedalo, Javu, comando nacional ,El mercurio, la tercera, el Clarin, diario12,día "D",megaresistencia,resistenciauniversitaria, orvex, orvex, Globovision , .11abril.com, Globovision, Globovision, Globovision, Globovision, Globovision, Globovision, Globovision, Globovision, Globovision, Globovision,Nuevo Tiempo, Podemos,primero justicia, EL UNIVERSAL, EL NACIONAl, RCTV, RCTV - Radio Caracas Televisión, golpe, Fuerzas Armadas, Guardia nacional, Últimas Noticias 2001 Analitica Business News Americas Correo del Caroni The Daily Journal [In English] Descifrado (Caracas) Diario El Aragueño Diario El tiempo (Trujillo) Economía Hoy (Caracas) El Carabobeño El Caroreño El Globo El Mundo El Nacional El Norte El Periodiquito EL Regional del Zulia (Ciudad Ojeda) El Siglo El Sol De Margarita (Isla Margarita) El Universal (Caracas) Globovision (Caracas) Notitarde.com (Valencia) Panorama Digital (Maracaibo) Quinto Dia (Caracas) Tal Cual (Caracas) Temas de Venezuela (Caracas) Ultimas Noticias Union Radio VCambio

Food crisis is a result of the capitalist system

2008-04-23T10:30:00.000-07:00

President Chávez Caracas, April 23 ABN.- The president of the Bolivarian Republic, Hugo Chávez Frías, denounced once again that the food crisis suffered around the world is a result of the capitalist system ruling in the economies of the planet. The president issued this statement from the Miraflores Presidential Palace, where he received the vice president of the Republic of Cuba, Carlos Lage, on the occasion of the extraordinary meeting of presidents of the ALBA countries, which takes place this Wednesday in Caracas. Concisely, Chávez stressed the figures of the United Nations Organization (UNO) concerning the world food crisis. “Figures of the United Nations show that it is being produced the double of foods needed to feed the whole world population, but it is not being used for feeding,” expressed the President. He did not hesitated to describe the current world food crisis as “a real massacre” and set as example an information taken from the Internet in which is shown the current situation of the poor children in Haiti. “Children in Haiti eat mud cookies; I do not know what else they use for it, but the raw material is mud,” said the President. He expressed that these figures indicate that one of each six inhabitants of the world is starving, and he added that the report expresses that each ten seconds in the world a child under ten dies from famine. President Chávez seized the opportunity to stress the words expressed by the former president and Cuban leader Fidel Castro, who in a speech at Sao Paulo, Brazil, i 1992, called all the presents to make everything possible to “come to an end with the hunger instead of man.” Likewise, the President thanked the work of Cuban people in Venezuela, who are in this country as part of the cooperation that Cuba carries out in matters of agriculture.

Latin America, Venezuela, Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Nicaragus, Ecuador, Cuba, Chavez, Ibero America, Alternativa Bolivariana, Bolivar, Bolivia, Mexico, Mejico, Honduras, Guatemala, El Salvador, Panama, Costa Rica, Puerto Rico, Guantanamo, Uruguay, Brasil, quinto infierno, Peron, Cristina Fernandez, Lugo, santa cruz, UNASUR, ALBA, Socialismo siglo 21, Daniel Ortega, Fidel Castro, Correa, Lula Da Silva, aporrea, Globovision, Telesurtv, Agencia Bolivariana de Noticias, prensa Latina, hispano America, Simon Bolivar, terrorismo mediatico, democracia, patria, libertad, dignidad, revolucion Bolivariana, Mercosur, Petrocaribe, Hugo Chavez Frias, Orvex, No+ Chavez, No más, Medios de Noticias La Antorcha Aporrea Cadenal Global La Calle La Cambio de Siglo El Carbobeño Correo del Caroní La Costa De Frente -El Diario de Caracas El Diario de Guyana Diario el Progreso Ecos de Caracas Entorno Inteligente Frontera La Hora Impacto El Impulso El Mundo Meridiano La Nación El Nacional El Norte Las Noticias de Cojedes Noticias PYME Noti Tarde Nueva Día Nueva Linea El Oriental Panorama El Periodiquito Pico Bolivar La Prensa El Progreso El Regional de Zulia Semana Hoy El Siglo Sol de Margarita Solo Deportes Tal Cual Temas El Tiempo Últimas Noticias -Última Hora El Universal VEP El Venezolano Venezuela al Día Venezuela Analysis La Verdad V Headline La Voce La Voz Yaracuy 2200 Agencias de Noticias & Gobierno Agencia de Noticias de Venezuela Notici Orinoquia Photo Gobierno en LíneaPortales Analítica Auyantepui Barquisimeto Cantv Civila Directorios de Venezuela Guía Info Guía Web Mi Punto Multi Puerta Mukas NotivenSabueso Terra Trompo Venezuela Venezuela Online Venezuela Site Venezuela VirtualVisor 2 Partes Radio Angel AVM Capital FM Circuito Nacional Belfort Fe y Alegría La Mega Estación Radio Zaraza Rumbera Unión RadioProgramas de Radio Conectados en Red El Espiral Digital Flash BackRadioNet Top Sunday Tu Enlace Revistas Ambrosía Analisis Internacional Arumbear Ashe AUTOmotriz La Cadena Tricolor Computer World Dinero Escenarios Espacio Autogestionario Explorarium Iglesia Kalathos Llevame Megarevistas ModaWEB Motor NotasPerrolandia PC News Producto PC Quinto Día La Red Sonrisas Supermercado Tiempo Universitario Urbe Venezuela Analítica Zona 10 TVCinemax Globovisión Intercable RCTV Telecolor Televen TeleSur Televisora de Táchira Vale TV Venevisión Venezolana de Televisión Programas de TV Alta Densidad Music Box TVBancos & Finanzas Dinero Sudeban Banco IndustrialComunidades de Venezuela En el extranjero En el país Amigos de Venezuela Partidos políticos grandes y medianos-grandes Partido Socialista Unido de Venezuela (PSUV) Un Nuevo Tiempo (UNT) Primero Justicia (MPJ) Podemos Patria Para Todos (PPT) Partido Comunista de Venezuela (PCV) COPEI Acción Democrática (AD)Partidos políticos medianos Movimiento de Integridad Nacional (MIN Unidad) Venezuela de Primera (VDP)Unión Republicana Democrática (URD) Movimiento Republicano (DPA) Movimiento al Socialismo (MAS) Clase Media Revolucionaria (CMR) Convergencia Proyecto Venezuela (PV) Partidos políticos pequeños Consejo Nacional Indio de Venezuela (CONIVE) Visión Emergente (DPA) Movimiento Laborista (DPA) Un Solo Pueblo Fuerza Liberal (DPA) Renace Fuerza Popular Solidaridad Independiente (DPA) La Causa R (LCR) Grupo Nacional Socialista de Liberación Pro-Venezuela (PROVEN) Apertura Dignidad Patriótica (DP) Electores Libres (EL) Unidad Patriótica Comunitaria (UPC) Venezuela Somos Todos (VST) Movimiento de Concentración Gente Nueva (MCGN) Acción Agropecuaria (AA) Por Querer a la Ciudad (PQAC) Fuerza de Acciones Coordinadas de Bases por la Alianza (FACOBA) Organización Nacional Independiente (ONI) Bandera Roja (BR) Imagen Democrática (ID) La Llama de Venezuela (La Llave) Pensamiento Nacional Independientes por Venezuela DDemocracia Renovadora (DR)Organización Nacionalista Democracia Activa (ONDA) Solidaridad Constructores de un País Encuentro Nacional Partido Popular Independiente (PPI) Partido Independiente Electoral de Respuesta Avanzada (PIEDRA) Alianza Bravo Pueblo (ABP) Opina Nueva Alianza Progresista (NAPO) Izquierda Unida Venezuela Partido Nuevo Orden (NOR) Organización Utopía Partido Federal Republicano Resistencia Civil Vanguardia Popular Alianza Popular (AP) Partido Nacionalista Venezolano Carapaica M-28 Partido de la Revolución Venezolana (PRV)Partidos políticos regionales relevantes Organización Fuerza en Movimiento - OFM (Lara) Movimiento Independiente Por Maracaibo - MIPM (Zulia) Proyecto Carabobo - PC (Carabobo) Movimiento Juntos por Trujillo - MJPT (Trujillo) Mi Gente (Delta Amacuro) Partido de Alianza Social Revolucionaria - PASR (Delta Amacuro) Electores de Bolívar (Bolívar) Movimiento Emergente Regional Independiente - MERI (Delta Amacuro) FIOOP (Portuguesa) Alianza Social Independiente de Sucre - ASIS (Sucre) USTED (Carabobo) Lo Alacanzado por Yaracuy - LAPY (Yaracuy) Movimiento Regional de Avanzada - MRA (Nueva Esparta) Pueblos Unidos Multiétnicos de Amazonas PUAMA (Amazonas) MUPI (Amazonas), Ruedalo, Javu, comando nacional , día "D",megaresistencia,resistenciauniversitaria, Reforma, Santa Cruz, la Juventud Cruceñista,Fascistas de Santa Cruz, neonazis, Optor, vendepatria, gusanos, separatistas,Constitucional,Ruedalo,Javu,comandonacional,día"D",megaresistencia,resistenciauniversitaria, Reforma Constitucional, Ruedalo, Javu, comando nacional , Lugo, Paraguay, Guarimbas, Cara nueva, nueva Cara, elecciones,día"D",megaresistencia,resistenciauniversitaria, orvex, orvex, Globovision , .11abril.com, Globovision, Globovision, Globovision, Globovision, Globovision, Nuevo Tiempo, Podemos,primero justicia, EL UNIVERSAL, EL NACIONAl, RCTV, RCTV - Radio Caracas Televisión, golpe, Fuerzas Armadas, Guardia nacional, Últimas Noticias 2001 Analitica Business News Americas Correo del Caroni The Daily Journal [In English] Descifrado (Caracas) Diario El Aragueño Diario El tiempo (Trujillo) Economía Hoy (Caracas) El Carabobeño El Caroreño El Globo El Mundo El Nacional El Norte El Periodiquito EL Regional del Zulia (Ciudad Ojeda) El Siglo El Sol De Margarita (Isla Margarita) El Universal (Caracas) Globovision (Caracas) Notitarde.com (Valencia) Panorama Digital (Maracaibo) Quinto Dia (Caracas) Tal Cual (Caracas) Temas de Venezuela (Caracas) Ultimas Noticias Union Radio VCambio Venezuela al Dia, Ruedalo, Javu, comando nacional , día "D",megaresistencia,resistenciauniversitaria, Reforma Constitucional, Ruedalo, Javu, comando nacional , día "D",megaresistencia,resistenciauniversitaria, Reforma Constitucional, Ruedalo, Javu, comando nacional ,El mercurio, la tercera, el Clarin, diario12,día "D",megaresistencia,resistenciauniversitaria, orvex, orvex, Globovision , .11abril.com, Globovision, Globovision, Globovision, Globovision, Globovision, Globovision, Globovision, Globovision, Globovision, Globovision,Nuevo Tiempo, Podemos,primero justicia, EL UNIVERSAL, EL NACIONAl, RCTV, RCTV - Radio Caracas Televisión, golpe, Fuerzas Armadas, Guardia nacional, Últimas Noticias 2001 Analitica Business News Americas Correo del Caroni The Daily Journal [In English] Descifrado (Caracas) Diario El Aragueño Diario El tiempo (Trujillo) Economía Hoy (Caracas) El Carabobeño El Caroreño El Globo El Mundo El Nacional El Norte El Periodiquito EL Regional del Zulia (Ciudad Ojeda) El Siglo El Sol De Margarita (Isla Margarita) El Universal (Caracas) Globovision (Caracas) Notitarde.com (Valencia) Panorama Digital (Maracaibo) Quinto Dia (Caracas) Tal Cual (Caracas) Temas de Venezuela (Caracas) Ultimas Noticias Union Radio VCambio

VAMOS DANDO CANDELA! VIVA BOLIVAR! VIVA UNASUR!

2008-04-06T06:36:00.000-07:00

VAMOS DANDO CANDELA! VIVA BOLIVAR! VIVA UNASUR!

IAPA and Reporters without frontiers: main disinformation organizations used by the CIA

2008-03-29T05:57:00.000-07:00

Caracas, March 28 ABN.- The work carried out together by the Inter American Press Association (IAPA) and the French organization Reporters Without Frontier (RSF) to attack the progressive government of the American continent, is a new evidence of their ties with the US' Central Intelligence Agency (CIA).

The Canadian journalist and cooperator of newspaper Grama from Cuba, Jean Guy-Allard, said during his participation in the conferences of Media Terrorism in Latin American as part of the Latin American Meeting against Media Terrorism, held in Caracas.

In his address, Guy-Allard said that this kind of meetings are fundamental to dismantle the ties among both organizations that proclaim to be in favor of the journalists but that obey to the imperial disinformation interests against the Latin American countries.

In this regard, Guy-Allard said: 'we have to remember those elements that prove that the CIA has control over its institutions, among them the SIP and Reporters without Frontiers. This last organization has never nothing to do with the defense of journalism. It is ruled by the kings of the press and not for journalists.'

The Canadian journalist said that the SIP and RSF have signed several accords with the CIA, among them the following: in 2004, the RSF's general secretary, Roger Menar, and one of his faithful partner were identified as cooperators of the CIA to carry out dirty campaigns against Latin America, alliance between RSF and the State Department; both organizations denied to reveal the documents that put in evidence the accords among them and the RSF's budget, about 5 million Euro, which they try to justify with the sale of pictures and albums.

Guy-Allard also stressed the RSF's offices in New York and Virginia (United States).

Allard also talked about the ties between the journalist Patricia Poleo with the Inter American Press Association (IAPA), organism that serves to the Empire, and the CIA.

'The Empire and its communication organizations interfere in favor of Patricia Poleo when her name was among the suspects of Danilo Anderson's murder, a Venezuelan public prosecutor, When is also known her ties with Cuban terrorists and all the Venezuelan pro-coup people,' Guy-Allard said.

'All the CIA's initiatives, adding to those who said to be in favor of the journalists of the world and the freedom of speech, are part of the media terrorism and the disinformation campaign that they pretend to keep,' he added.

Venezuela, Brazil strengthen ties

2008-03-20T09:40:00.000-07:00

Venezuela, Brazil strengthen ties in agricultural and infrastructure fields
ABN 18/03/2008

Caracas, March 18 ABN.- The President of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, Hugo Chávez, held a meeting on Tuesday with the presidential advisor on international affairs of the presidency of Brazil, Marco Aurelio García, in order to discuss about important issue between both countries.

A communiqué issued by Presidency informed that García made a visit to Venezuela in order to reinforce the bilateral and cooperation ties carried out by both nations in agriculture, infrastructure and other fields.

At the end of 2007, the trade exchange between Venezuela and Brazil totalled up to $4 billion.

Meanwhile, the bilateral imports reached a total of $ 3,800 billion in 2007.

The Republic of Brazil is a very important trade partner of the Venezuelan government and Lula's government has been one of the main promoters for the full entry of Venezuela in the Souther Common Market (Mercosur).

It was known that President Hugo Chávez plans to visit soon his Brazilian counterpart, as part of a commitments assumed by both presidents of holding four meeting per year at least in order to reinforce the bilateral ties.

Latin America rejects Bush doctrine

2008-03-19T09:47:00.000-07:00

Latin America rejects Bush doctrine
by Federico Fuentes

Reeling from the blow that it received in the aftermath of the Colombian military's illegal incursion on March 1 into Ecuador — which resulted in the brutal massacre of a number of civilians and members of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), including its chief negotiator Raul Reyes — US imperialism has once again raised the ante in its struggle to undermine the growing process of Latin American integration.

Venezuela's Bolivarian revolution, led by President Hugo Chavez whose government is spearheading the push to unite Latin American nations to counter US domination, is being specifically targeted.

"The region is facing an increasingly stark choice: to quietly accept the vision of the terrorists and the demagogues, or to actively support democratic leaders", US President George Bush stated on March 12. Bush said his government was studying whether or not Venezuela should be added to its list of countries that "sponsor terrorism".

In Washington's Orwellian world view — where war is peace and elected leaders are dictators — his comments were aimed at Venezuela's democratically-elected government that is offering its services to assist with a negotiated peaceful solution to Colombia's more than four decade-long civil war.

Venezuela's representative in the Organization of American States (OAS), Jorge Valero, hit back that same day, calling the US government "the terrorist government par excellence".

Valero argued it was "an absolutely stupid thing to say from the government of Mr Bush … that practices state terrorism, that has invaded Iraq and Afghanistan without respect for international law, that commits genocidal practices in various parts of the world, that has invaded Latin American and Caribbean countries …"

Having viewed Latin America as its own backyard for decades, Washington is becoming increasingly concerned about developments south of its border. Its biggest headache is Venezuela, whose government has been making important headway in bring together governments of Latin America, as well as undermining capitalism inside Venezuela.

Washington has waged a constant public campaign (similar to its campaign against Iraq before the invasion) attempting to link Venezuela with narcotrafficking, terrorism, promoting an arms race, money laundering and threats to regional security.

US-Venezuelan lawyer Eva Golinger argued on the Venezuelan TV show La Hojilla that this campaign is aimed at containing Chavez's influence and undermining Latin American integration — a process aided by the election of a number of governments that, to varying degrees, have proven willing to exercise independence from Washington and pursue closer regional collaboration.

For Dario Azzellini, author of several books about US military intervention into the region, Colombia's illegal cross-border attack (publicly supported by the US government, which funds and arms the Colombian military) was the first step in carrying out more serious military infractions across its border in order to provoke a response from Venezuela and lay the blame for the subsequent conflict at their feet.

"Their aim is to create massive destabilisation in a region where Colombia would play a similar role to that of Israel in the Middle East", Azzellini told Green Left Weekly.

"The Colombian government said that they had the coordinates of Reyes whereabouts for month, during which we can suppose that he moved between Colombian, Venezuelan and Ecuadorian territory as part of the current negotiations by the FARC in releasing prisoners. So the question is why did they choose to carry it out in Ecuador?

"It was a test, they wanted to do it in Ecuadorian territory and not in Venezuela to see what the international reaction would be."

Luis Bilbao, director of Latin American magazine America XXI, told GLW US imperialism had two aims in mind with Colombia's attack (which was clearly coordinated with the US) — put a halt to the hopes for humanitarian accord with the FARC, who only days before had released four prisoners unilaterally, and sabotage the growing South American convergence.

Finding a political solution to Colombia's current conflict is a danger to Washington, which has used it as justification to build up their military presence in Colombia. This is why the issue of peace in Colombia is so closely intertwined with the process of Latin American integration.

Colombia's attack came just days before global protests in favour of a peaceful solution to Colombia's civil war and against state and paramilitary violence, which targets political activists, with more trade unionists killed in Colombia every year than any other country. On March 6, hundreds of thousands marched across Colombia, defying threats of reprisals from paramilitaries.

Associated Press reported on March 14 that six organisers of the march had been murdered, and two dozen more received death threats from the Black Eagles death squad.

Moreover, Bilbao pointed out that in the immediate aftermath of this event, it seemed unthinkable that the meeting of the South American Community of Nations (Unasur, formed in April 2002 with the aim of creating a European Union-style body across South America) that had been scheduled to take place in Colombia at the end of the month could have gone ahead.

Such a turn of events would suit Washington, as the development of Unasur threatens the ability of the US to exert its control over the region on behalf of US corporate interests.

Bilbao argued that the action was nonetheless a big mistake on the part of Colombia. Bilbao argued that "they didn't attack Venezuela", as Venezuelan foreign minister Nicolas Maduro had stated Venezuela expected, "because of the firm stance that Venezuela has taken and instead attacked Ecuador expecting a timid response … setting a precedent for further repeat actions in Ecuador and to extend this to Venezuela".

However the firm stance by both Ecuador and Venezuela — both of whose governments broke diplomatic ties and moved troops to their Colombian borders — put Colombia on the back foot.

In fact, rather than reverse the trend towards integration, the response to Colombia's attack could mark an important regional realignment — assisting the process of regional integration.

The most significant event was the summit of the Group of Rio held on March 6 and 7. Televised live across the whole continent, representatives of all Latin American governments debated the issue without the presence of the US government.

After a fiery debate, the meeting came to a unanimous decision to reject the actions of the Colombian government and any further violation of the sovereignty of another country. Crucially, the vote was a rejection of the doctrine of "preventive war" that the US has pushed since the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.

Ecuador and Colombia are pushing for the March 17 meeting of the OAS (of which the US is a member) to ratify the Group of Rio's motion. Ecuadorian President Rafael Correa has stated bluntly that if the OAS meeting did not condemn the aggression, that it should be thrown "in the dustbin of history".

Arguing that it would be "difficult for the US government to oppose such a resolution", Valero asserted that "I don't believe the United States has sufficient strength to crush the will of the Rio Group countries".

Federico Fuentes is a frequent contributor to Global Research.

The Imperial Branding of Simon Bolivar and the Cuban Revolution

2008-03-18T11:13:00.001-07:00

The Imperial Branding of Simon Bolivar and the Cuban Revolution
By NELSON P. VALDÉS

"Many people in the world not only lack freedom of thought but also the capacity to think, because it has been destroyed. Billions of human beings, including a large percentage of those living in developed societies, are told what brand of soda they should drink, what cigarettes they should smoke, what clothes and shoes they should wear, what they should eat and what brand of food they should buy. Their political ideas are supplied in the same way."

Fidel Castro, June 1, 2000

"... it is perhaps the greatest triumph of the market to have polluted our most cherished speech about ourselves with the vocabulary of marketing."

Leon Wieseltier, March 12, 2008

In 2007, before leaving for Latin America, George W Bush spoke to a Spanish speaking audience of business people in New York City where he claimed he was a "Bolivariano" and a son of Simon Bolivar. [1] There are some people who just don't understand the United States government and its foreign policy, so they were puzzled and asked "how can George call himself an 'hijo de Bolivar'?

The answer is simple: branding. Branding has gone global, and it is the fundamental weapon of American marketing. In the old days tangible consumer goods were branded. Today branding knows no boundaries. Branding is now applied to people, institutions, political entities, right up to national governments. Nations are brands now, in the logic of 21st-century capitalism. You can buy or sell the nation as a brand. Simon Bolivar, Jose Marti, Che Guevara and Fidel Castro are only incidentally historical figures involved in anti-colonial struggles. They now exist as brands, trademarks, logos -- in other words, as ways to remember products. If these historical figures are emulated or despised is a function of marketing. Brands, we are told, sell identity, manufactured self knowledge. It is also a hollow shell that might use historical references devoid of historical content.

As early as 1883 Andres de la Morena, from Venezuela, patented a drink to enhance one's appetite, it was called Bolivar. Ten years later a French entrepreneur copyrighted a perfume with the name "Agua del Libertador" ['water of the Liberator'] But the brand name remained a minor phenomena among some cigar producers in South America. That has changed.

According to this marketing logic, if Hugo Chavez or Fidel Castro sell their revolutionary products by successful invoking the name of historical figures in their political marketing, then American capitalism can appropriate the brand name and make a profit to boot. After all, it has been done already with Radio Marti, TV Marti. Marti is also the real "mojito licour" rum super premium which, with "natural lime & mint" becomes "libertador de Cuba" duly owned by GFY Beverages Company of New York. [2]

The Venezuelan liberator was a perfume, the Cuban one turned out to be a rum. In either case, both histories and symbols appropriated to make a profit.

At Foggy Bottom, Capitol Hill and 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, foreign policy is merely a function of proper marketing and branding. And, if it is hip, much better.

On March 11, 2008 the Wall Street Journal published from Michael Casey, Dow Jones Newswires bureau chief in Buenos Aires, an article entitled "Brand Cuba." In it the author wrote, "As Fidel Castro brings his reign in Cuba to a long overdue end, we are left to ponder how a leader with such a dismal economic record could retain power for a half-century." [3]

The answer? The economic journalist turned postmodernist deconstructionist asserted, "if we view Castro's political machine through the apolitical prism of the market, we can attribute its durability to a concept that's alien to his socialist rhetoric, and deeply rooted in the American capitalist system he claims to despise: branding. Castro's political "success" is a case study in managing the global information economy."

But how is that possible? The answer: "This is, of course, a constructed "Cuba," with little relation to the real Cuba, with its dysfunctional, increasingly inequitable social and economic structure. But savvy brand managers are rarely hindered by a divergence from reality." You see, the entire globe is inhabited by dupes and idiots while the only people who comprehend the reality of the world are those who manipulate images. According to WSJ piece the revolutionary regime has survived because, "Castro has long been blessed with a great ability to manipulate information and images in the interest of self-promotion."

There are numerous capitalist enterprises in the world today involved in the "branding of nation states." In fact there is a journal dedicated to the "science" called Place Branding and Public Diplomacy." The journal describes itself as follows: "Place Branding and Public Diplomacy is a new journal, and the first to concentrate on the practice of applying brand strategy and other marketing techniques and disciplines to the economic, social, political and cultural development of cities, regions and countries." [4] A country's foreign policy can be marketed as if it were a box of tortillas or corn flakes. All that is required is brand name recognition.[5] As of now, 35 countries have been ranked and the US under George W. is not at the top.

The ideological guru of branding nations, Simon Anholt, tells us that, "I have always held that the market-based view of the world, on which the theory of place branding is largely predicated, is an inherently peaceful and humanistic model for the relationships between nations. It is based on competition, consumer choice and consumer power; and these concepts are intimately linked to the freedom and power of the individual. For this reason, it seems far more likely to result in lasting world peace than a statecraft based on territory, economic power, ideologies, politics or religion." [6]

The actual foreign policy of a country or its consequences do not matter to the branders, what counts is what people perceive and that is just a function of marketing. If Bolivar sells south of the border, then appropriate the memory/image, claim to be a Bolivariano and keep on collecting the profits. If United Fruit could just take over an entire Central American country, why not do the same to a country's history? To paraphrase Earl Shorris in the Age of Information, the latter is "not the precursor to knowledge; it [is] the tool of salesmen." [7]

That is what the colonialists and imperialists assume, believe and hope, to be true. But Latin Americans act on the basis of their own history and needs.

Caveat venditor [Seller beware].

Nelson P. Valdés is a Professor of Sociology at the University of New Mexico.

Notes.

[1] 03/06/078 - Washington Post - Bush Prepares for Trip to Latin America As Counter to Chavez, A11.

[2] http://www.findownersearch.com/brand/4207579/

[3] 03/11/08 - Wall Street Journal - Brand Cuba, A21.

[4] http://www.placebranding.com/

[5] http://www.nationsbrandindex.com

[6] "Is Place Branding A Capitalist Tool?," Place Branding (2006) 2, 1-4]. By the same author: Competitive Identity: The New Brand Management for Nations, Cities and Regions, Palgrave Macmillan, 2006. There are many others: Eugene D. Jaffe, National Image & Competitive Advantage: The Theory and Practice of Place Branding, Copenhagen Business School Press, 2006; Keith Dinnie, Nation Branding: Concepts, Issues, Practices, Butterworth Heinemann, 2007

[7] The quote is cited by Thomas Frank in "The New Gilded Age," in Thomas Frank and Matt Weiland, The Business of Culture in the New Gilded Age: Commodify Your Dissent, New York, W. W. Norton, 1997, p. 23.

*I would like to express my appreciation to my friend Ned

Rafael Correa:who has lost the world's credibility?

2008-03-07T08:46:00.000-08:00

Rafael Correa
“We cannot be related to a subject who has lost the world's credibility'
ABN 06/03/2008

Caracas, March 6 ABN.- Before the fake charges presented by the Colombian Government regarding the relation of presidents of Venezuela and Ecuador with the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, (FARC), Ecuadorian president Rafael Correa expressed that “we cannot be related to a subject who has lost the world's credibility.”

Correa issued this information this Wednesday 5^th at the end of the private meeting he held with his counterpart from Venezuela, Hugo Chávez Frías, at the Miraflores' Presidential Palace.

“Ecuador has been bombed by a bellicose agressor Administration. Their lies are falling down: They first wanted to deny the attempt against our sovereignty, then they recognized it. Faced to that, from prosecutor they became defendant,” said Correa regarding the fake proofs consigned in a computer, allegedly belonging to the deceased FARC second-in-command Raúl Reyes, which charge him and Chávez of having close links with this organization.

“So much cheek, so much indecency, so much nerve on behalf of Alvaro Uribe's Administration, that he made us break relations with a government which does not know the meaning of loyalty, decency, of being bolivarian, that is the treason,” affirmed the Ecuadorian president.

He stressed that President Uribe and his Minister of Defense, Juan Manuel Santos, want to lie to Ecuador and to the world, and so “we cannot be related to that kind of Administration,” though he also expressed that the relations between the people of Ecuador and Colombia will everlasting.

Correa expressed that if the international community does not condemn the agressor (Colombian government) “without doubts”, “Ecuador, a small, peaceful, worthy and sovereign country, will know how to make respect its sovereignty.”

Besides, he expressed that “today has been taken an important step forward, we are happy.”

Finally, he added that as much as they (Colombian government) “talk, the more they make mistakes and contradict themselves.”

2005 Patras warned:The US / Colombia Plot Against Venezuela

2008-03-07T07:31:00.001-08:00

The Granda Kidnapping Explodes
The US / Colombia Plot Against Venezuela
By JAMES PETRAS
A major diplomatic and political conflict has exploded between Colombia and Venezuela after the revelation of a Colombian government covert operation in Venezuela, involving the recruitment of Venezuelan military and security officers in the kidnapping of a Colombian leftist leader. Following an investigation by the Venezuelan Ministry of Interior and reports and testimony from journalists and other knowledgeable political observers it was determined that the highest echelons of the Colombian government, including President Uribe, planned and executed this onslaught on Venezuelan sovereignty.
Once direct Colombian involvement was established, the Venezuelan government demanded a public apology from the Colombian government while seeking a diplomatic solution by blaming Colombian Presidential advisers. The Colombian regime took the offensive, launching an aggressive defense of its involvement in the violation of Venezuelan sovereignty and, beyond that, seeking to establish in advance, under the rationale of "national security" the legitimacy of future acts of aggression. As a result President Chavez has recalled the Venezuelan Ambassador from Bogota, suspended all state-to-state commercial and political agreements pending an official state apology. In response the US Government gave unconditional support to Colombian violation of Venezuelan sovereignty and urged the Uribe regime to push the conflict further. What began as a diplomatic conflict over a specific incident has turned into a major, defining crises in US and Latin American political relations with potentially explosive military, economic and political consequences for the entire region.
In justifying the kidnapping of Rodrigo Granda, the Colombian leftist leader, the Uribe regime has promulgated a new foreign policy doctrine which echoes that of the Bush Administration: the right of unilateral intervention in any country in which the Colombian government perceives or claims is harboring or providing refuge to political adversaries (which the regime labels as "terrorists") which might threaten the security of the state. The Uribe doctrine of unilateral intervention echoes the preventive war speech, enunciated in late 2001 by President Bush. Clearly Uribe's action and pronouncement is profoundly influenced by the dominance that Washington exercises over the Uribe regime's policies through its extended $3 billion dollar military aid program and deep penetration of the entire political-defense apparatus.
Uribe's offensive military doctrine involves several major policy propositions:
1.) The right to violate any country's sovereignty, including the use of force and violence, directly or in cooperation with local mercenaries.
2.) The right to recruit and subvert military and security officials to serve the interests of the Colombian state.
3.) The right to allocate funds to bounty hunters or "third parties" to engage in illegal violent acts within a target country.
4.) The assertion of the supremacy of Colombian laws, decrees and policies over and against the sovereign laws of the intervened country.
The Uribe doctrine clearly echoes Washington's global pronouncements. While the immediate point of aggression involves Colombia's relations to Venezuela, the Uribe doctrine lays the basis for unilateral military intervention anywhere in the hemisphere. Uribe's doctrine is a threat to sovereignty of any country in the hemisphere: its intervention in Venezuela and the justification provides a precedent for future aggression.
Colombia's adoption and implementation of the extraterritorial policy as part of its strategy of unilateral intervention is not coincidental, as the Colombian security forces have been trained and advised by US and Israeli secret agencies. More directly, through its $3 billion dollar military aid program Washington is in a command-and-control position within all sectors of the Colombian state and thus able to determine the security doctrine of the Uribe regime. More important Uribe has been a long-time, large-scale practitioner of death squad politics prior to his ascendancy to the Presidency and prior to receiving large scale US aid. By borrowing the Bush Doctrine from his patron-state, Uribe has internationalized the terror practices which he has pursued for the past 20 years within Colombia.
Prior to the recent spate of high profile trans-border kidnapping (Trinidad in Ecuador, Granda in Venezuela), the Uribe regime has engaged in frequent interventions, kidnapping and assassinating popular leaders and soldiers from bordering countries, and providing material and political support to would-be 'golpistas', especially in Venezuela. Dozens of Colombian refugees fleeing marauding death squads have been pursued into Venezuela and killed or kidnapped over the past three years by Colombian paramilitary and security forces. Six Venezuelan soldiers were killed by Colombian security forces in an "unexplained" incident. More recently, in 2004, over 130 Colombian paramilitary forces and other irregulars were infiltrated into Venezuela to engage in terrorist violence to trigger action by Venezuelan-US coup-makers. Shortly thereafter Colombian security forces and the US CIA intervened in Ecuador to kidnap a former peace negotiator of the FARC, Colombia's major guerrilla group.
What is new and more ominous is that the Uribe regime's de facto policy of extra-territoriality has been converted into a de jure strategic doctrine of unilateral military intervention. Colombia no longer pretends to be engaged in a "covert" selective policy of violating other countries sovereignty but has publicly declared the supremacy of its laws and the right to apply them anywhere in the world where it unilaterally declares its case for national security. Colombia's gross violations of Venezuelan and Ecuadorian sovereignty is a policy clearly endorsed and dictated at the highest levels of the Colombian state exclusively the prerogative of President Uribe and endorsed at the highest level of the US government by its principal diplomatic spokesperson in Colombia, Ambassador Woods ("We endorse Uribe's action 100%"). The 'Granda incident' is not simply an isolated diplomatic incident which can be resolved through good faith bilateral negotiations. The kidnapping is part of a larger strategy involving preparations ideological, political and military for a large-scale, political-military confrontation with Venezuela.
The enunciation and practice of the Uribe Doctrine has several purposes. One is in line with US and Colombian elite policy: To overthrow the Chavez regime. Chavez opposes the US wars in Iraq and Afghanistan as well as its plans to invade Iran. In Latin America, Chavez opposes the US-dominated Free Trade of the Americas Pact. Secondly the Uribe doctrine seeks to destroy Cuban-Venezuelan trade ties, in order to undermine the Cuban revolutionary government. Thirdly the Uribe doctrine is aimed at maintaining Venezuela as an exclusive oil exporter to the US at a time when the Chavez government has signed trade agreements to diversify its oil markets to China and elsewhere. Fourthly, and most probably most important from the strict perspective of the Uribe regime's survival, the Colombian government is profoundly disturbed by the positive social impact which the Chavez welfare policies have on the majority of Colombians living in poverty, especially his newly announced agrarian reform, and his defense of national public enterprises (especially the state petroleum company) within the framework of free and democratic institutions. Uribe's austerity policies, his military and paramilitary forces displacement of three million peasants, his promotion of greater and greater concentration of wealth and the slashing of social services, and worse, the systematic long-term large-scale violations of human and democratic rights stand in polar opposition to Venezuela under President Chavez which provides a viable, accessible and visible alternative easily understood by vast numbers of Colombians who migrate to Venezuela. By intervening in Venezuela, by supporting US and its local coup-makers, Uribe hopes to undercut the political appeal of revolutionary politics, whether it takes the form of electoral, guerrilla and /or social movements.
The most immediate purpose of the Uribe doctrine is to defeat the 20,000 person guerrilla armies which control or influence half of Colombia's territory. The purpose of the recent interventions is to pressure neighboring governments to ally themselves with the Colombian death-squads in a regional campaign to resolve the Colombian elites internal problems i.e. the decimation of the opposition to US regional domination. The bombastic "anti-terror" international propaganda campaign of the Uribe regime is an admission of the failure of its internal counter-insurgency campaign. Uribe's accusations that the Venezuelan State is "protecting" or "providing sanctuary to terrorists" is patently false. Uribe provides no systematic evidence. The real purpose is to blackmail the Venezuelan state or its most malleable sectors into abdicating their role as a neutral peace mediators and submitting to the dictates of the Colombian-US security apparatus.
The Uribe regime has been widely recognized as one of the worst practitioners of state terrorism in the world.
Tens of thousands of peasants, social and human rights activists, trade unionists and journalists have been murdered by the security forces the military directly, or via the state financed paramilitary groups. Every day of every year, scores of peasants and critics of the regime are slaughtered. State terror is the defining characteristic of the Uribe regime and its US military advisory and military mission.
Uribe who sends 130 paramilitary forces to terrorize Venezuela, supports a failed violent coup and then provides asylum and material support to the exiled senior members of the coup and who blatantly bribes Venezuelan soldiers to betray their country to perpetuate a kidnapping, accuses Chavez of harboring terrorists and calls for an "international conference" on "terrorism". Uribe's purpose in calling for a regional conference is not to discuss the state terrorism which is endemic to and embedded in his regime (with US backing), but to justify the Uribe doctrine of unilateral intervention and to mobilize other regional US clients in support of its internal war and to pressure the Chavez regime to subordinate itself to Colombia's security doctrine.
Chavez has recognized the growing security threat posed by the kidnapping and has terminated state-to-state economic and military projects and recalled his ambassador from Bogotá. He has proposed to Uribe a bi-lateral meeting of heads of state to resolve differences with regard to the kidnapping and related incidents. But no amount of diplomatic maneuvering on the part of Venezuela's foreign ministry nor aggressive propaganda campaign by the Colombian security state can obviate the fact that the Colombian state is bent on a course of direct military confrontation with Venezuela.
Implication of Uribe Doctrine
The political and military implications of the Uribe Doctrine are an extreme departure from the recognized norms of international law and closely approximate the belligerent practices of imperial satraps. If all countries were the apply the Uribe Doctrine we would face a world of constant wars, conquests and prolonged liberation struggles throughout Latin America.
Explicit in the Uribe Doctrine's claim to militarily intervene across national borders is a state of permanent belligerency. This policy means that every Latin American country must limit its sovereignty according to the Colombian definitions of "national security". This is clearly unacceptable to any independent country, like Venezuela, though the Gutierrez regime in Ecuador has accepted the role of a "second level client" , of the Uribe regime which in turn is a client of the US.
Equally serious, the Uribe Doctrine rejects recognized frontiers, meaning that it arrogates to itself the right to cross national boundaries at will without consulting the countries whose borders it violates. It is a short step from not recognizing borders and national boundaries to annexing adjacent regions for "security" or economic reasons. Colombia has in the recent past (1992) nearly provoked a major war by sending its warships into Venezuelan waters. Uribe's notion of an international ideological war without frontiers is an exact replica of the Bush imperial project, translated into the Andean region. Clearly Uribe aspires to play a sub-imperial role in the Northern region of South America under US tutelage.
The Uribe Doctrine stands as a stark rejection of all United Nation's principles and in violation of international law-which, however, has already been weakened by the acquiescence of most of the major Latin American countries in the US-led invasion of Haiti, the kidnapping of its elected leader (President Bertrand Aristide) and the presence of Latin American colonial occupation forces on the island.
The Colombian threat to Venezuela's sovereignty has been taken by Venezuela's rightwing opposition as a welcome intervention. This was manifest in the Congressional debates following the kidnapping of Granda when opposition members of congress condemned the Venezuelan government's defense of national sovereignty and justified Uribe's intervention in Venezuela.
Washington has provided more military aid to Colombia than all the rest of Latin America combined, and only second to Israel in the world. The US strategy revolves around defeating the guerrilla movement as a first step toward consolidating power in the Andean region and the upper Amazon basin. Once secured this region would become a springboard toward invading and taking over Venezuela and its oil fields. The US, through Uribe, has tripled the size of the Colombian armed forces over the past few years to over 267,000 troops. It has vastly increased its aerial firepower (combat helicopters and fighter planes) and provided the most advanced technological weaponry to detect and track guerrilla movements. Yet the strategy, while massacring thousands of peasant sympathizers and displacing millions of others, has failed to gain any strategic military advantage over the guerrillas. As long as the Colombian regime is tied down by the guerrilla resistance, it can only play a limited role in any military invasion of Venezuela. For Uribe to engage in a US-sponsored invasion of Venezuela is a very risky proposition, opening a large swathe of territory for a guerrilla offensive
The kidnapping of Granda is only the "dress rehearsal" of a larger project of escalating provocations to test the loyalty, discipline and effectiveness of the Venezuelan security system. Washington is probing to see how far it can push Venezuela in surrendering its sovereignty and control over its borders.
Uribe and Washington's effort to drive a wedge between the popular resistance in Colombia and the Chavez government by using the "terrorist issue" as a political club has, in part, backfired , arousing a potent undercurrent of nationalist sentiment in Venezuela, while seriously jeopardizing important sectors of the Colombian economy, including elite classes which normally back Uribe.
Washington and Uribe's proposal for an international conference to discuss the issue of terror is based on their knowledge that most of the Latin American regimes today are eager to serve US interests. During the previous period of sustained economic and political warfare against the elected Chavez government by the authoritarian right, Brazil's Celso Amorin organized a group of countries calling themselves "The Friends of Venezuela" made up of hostile neo-liberal Ibero-Americans leaders, including ex-Presidents Aznar of Spain and Bush of the US (who both supported the failed military coup), Fox of Mexico and Lagos of Chile (notorious free marketers) and, of course, Brazil which gave equal political standing to the Venezuelan rightwing opposition as to the elected government. Chavez rightly rejected the mediation of such "friends".
Today Lula offers his services once again to "mediate" between an international aggressor and a sovereign country. Except for Cuba, not a single Latin American client regime has condemned Uribe's aggression or, worse, spoken out clearly in opposition to his doctrine of extra-territoriality. President Chavez is clearly aware of the pitfalls of meeting in an "international summit" dominated by hostile neo-liberal, pro-empire regimes that have already accepted and submitted to the Bush-Uribe anti-terrorist doctrine.
Chavez is absolutely correct to counterpoise the notion of a bilateral forum in which the focus is on Colombia's intervention, where the issues of Uribe's policy of state terrorism could become part of the public debate on "terrorism". Of course, Washington will "advise" Uribe to refuse. Chavez could then advise his foreign minister to take the matter to the UN General Assembly as a matter of urgent importance of peace, security and national sovereignty. Chavez has already retaliated to continued US overt aggression by signing oil export and investment agreements with China, Russia, Latin America and Europe. Shutting off imports of Colombian agricultural imports could stimulate a more intensified effort to promote local agricultural production, push for a more expeditious agrarian reform and greater public investment in local food production.
The kidnapping of Granda and the subverting of a few Venezuelan officials can serve as a wake-up call for the Venezuelan leadership to the real threats to national sovereignty which emanate from the US-backed Uribe doctrine. The threat is real, it is systemic and it is immediate. President Uribe has the backing of an imperial power but Chavez has the backing of the overwhelming majority of Venezuelans and the fact that they will be willing to fight to defend their land, their government and their right to live as a sovereign people. The question of Venezuelan sovereignty is now not simply a question of diplomatic maneuvers but of organizing the mass of the Venezuelans into becoming a military deterrent to any armed aggression.
James Petras, a former Professor of Sociology at Binghamton University, New York, owns a 50 year membership in the class struggle, is an adviser to the landless and jobless in brazil and argentina and is co-author of Globalization Unmasked (Zed). He can be reached at: jpetras@binghamton.edu

Colombia, Internalization of the conflict... Or peace fades away?

2008-03-07T07:10:00.000-08:00

Caracas, March 5 ABN (Aurelio Gil Beroes).- The murder in Ecuadorian territory of the guerrilla leader from the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia-People's Army (FARC-EP), Raúl Reyes, and other 16 members of that insurgent group, filled the complete region of tension.

Reactions from the Ecuadorian and Venezuelan Governments did not take long. President Correa retired his ambassador from Bogotá, expelled Colombia's and called Uribe a lier; while President Chávez ordered to close Venezuelan Embassy to Bogotá and to expel the Colombian diplomatic corps from our country. Hours before that, the Venezuelan president had
prepared the mobilization of troops towards the shared frontier area.

A few days after the unilateral release of captives Gloria Polanco, Luis Eladio Perez, Orlando Beltrán and Jorge Géchem on behalf of the FARC-EP, a fact which might be considered as a warrant for the humanitarian agreement and the subsequent peace agreement for Colombia, the Government of Alvaro Uribe progressed a military operation on Ecuadorian territory, in the midst of an action that shows disdain and contempt to
the peace in his own country and, now, in South America.

It is as well an act of rejection to the efforts that previous presidents had done in order to get close to the end of one of the most extended armed conflicts of contemporary history.

Peace efforts

Despite President Uribe has until now denied to give political belligerence status (acknowledgement as political actors) to the main insurgent groups, the FARC-EP and the National Liberation Army (ELN), five presidents in the period of 20 years comprised between 1982 and 2002, accepted the political status of the Colombian armed conflict and
recognized, in fact, their condition of political agents. Likewise, they endeavored to achieve peace agreements as much as possible.

The origin of this war seems to be diffuse, but it can be generally located on April 9 1948, in Bogotá, when a murderer hand killed Jorge Eliécer Gaitán, people's leader from the Liberal Party and who represented the aspirations of justice of the immense majority of poor in Colombia.

This situation set off the furiousness of the people, firing Bogotá during three days, seeking to whom charge for their anger and frustration, and which led to 'La violencia', name given to the conflict which took place from 1948 to 1953, which trascended its term and still has not ceased.

Armed insurgency

After the 'Bogotazo', as it was named that historical event, the Government of conservative President Mariano Ospina Pérez suppressed violence. Liberals, defeated, retired to the countryside and organize the resistance joined to the communists.

During the consecutive years, armed groups of different nature appeared and the violence of both parties generalized in the country, until June 1953 when General Gustavo Rojas Pinilla, in a bloody coup which counted with liberal and conservative's consent, took power with the slogan of
pacification. Three months later, with an offer of amnesty for those raised in arms, Rojas Pinilla managed the liberal guerrillas to endorse an armistice.

Marquetalia

The communist guerrillas remained active and strengthened mainly in Marquetalia, a rural area located in the midst of the Andean Range, at the south of the Department of Tolina.

However, ten years later, President Guillermo León Valencia, authorized by the Congress, ordered a military operation destined to assassinate those armed groups, charging them of creating an “independent Republic”. The attack did not achieved its aim and in response to that, on May 27,
born out the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia-People's Army (FARC-EP).

Two months later, on July 4, at the Simacota municipality in the Department of Santander, starts the National Liberation Army (ELN), the second Colombian guerrilla force speaking in numbers.

Belisario Betancur's initiative

Two decades had to pass so the Colombian State issued its first reaction in order to search a solution to the situation of the armed conflict, and it was during the Belisario Betancur's administration when it was endorsed the first bilateral cease to fire between the FARC-EP and the Government, on May 28 1984, in La Uribe, Department of Meta.

The agreement was endorsed by Manuel Marulanda, on behalf of the insurgents, and by president Betancur himself. It envisaged the constitution of a National Committee for the Verification of the agreements, periods of proof and the cease of confrontations, warrants and encouragement for the incorporation to the political and social life, as well as political and social reforms.

The accord, ratified in March 1986, was preceded by the Law 35 in August 1982, proclaimed by Betancur himself, which stated amnesty for the armed groups and norms to reestablish and preserve the peace in Colombia.

Thanks to this agreement started the Union Patriótica (Patriotic Union), a political group formed by the communist party and other left-wing organizations, which rank and files in a short time were decimated by the State's security forces and the rising paramilitary groups. Approximately five thousand leaders and political commissions were killed.

Virgilio Barco accords with the M-19 and the EPL (1986-1990)

President Barco, who took post on August 7 1986, not only maintained the peace commissions and verification of the agreements achieved by his predecessor with the armed organizations, but four years later, on March 8 1990, he undersigned a peace agreement with the Movimiento 19 de Abril
(Movement April 19, M-19) a group which did not returned to the arms despite the killing of his leader, Carlos Pizarro León-Gómez, on April 26. Barco also achieved peace with the People's Army of Liberation (Ejercito Popular de Liberación, EPL), on May 16 of that year.

FARC dialogues with Gaviria despite Operation Centauro (1990-1994)

This process of searching the peace was interrupted on December 9 1990, when the recently inaugurated President Cesar Gaviria, trying to surprise the FARC-EP high command, orders 'Operation Centauro', against the Secretariat headquarter of the organization in La Uribe, Department of Meta. The action did not succeed

Despite all of that, the FARC-EP and Gaviria's government retake the talks, and in May 15 1991 they meet in Cravo Norte (Department of Arauca); then in Caracas, on September and October of that year; and then in Tlaxcala, Mexico, where they hold two new encounters: on March 10 1992 and on October 10. However, on October 31, in Bogota, Gaviria declares the end of the negotiations and decrees “integral war” against
the guerrilla.

Ernesto Samper searching for conditions (1994-1998)

By the half of his term, on August 12 1996, President Samper announced through radio and television the creation of a “exploratory mission” responsible for “defining the terms and conditions” in which “a first negotiation of peace might be held” with the armed groups, but the initiative did not progressed.

In different opportunities, Samper expressed to be interested on the peace process which took place in Guatemala and which finished successfully at the end of 1996.

Pastrana meets three times with Marulanda (1998-2002)

Out of Uribe's predecessors, maybe it was Pastrana who went further in the search of agreements with the armed groups.

This president met in three opportunities, at the Colombian jungle, with the FARC-EP chief, Manuel Marulanda, and he undersigned the 'Shared Agenda for the Change towards a new Colombia', a document formed by 12 items which defined the perspective for a debate upon the basis of the building of a new country.

The negotiation process between Pastrana's administration and the FARC-EP lasted three years and ended up without making specific decisions, but with the record of a relevant experience.

Uribe, point of inflection (2002-2006 / 2006-2010)

Nowadays, Alvaro Uribe govern his second term and though his emissaries held six unsuccessful round of negotiations with the ELN in La Habana in 2007, since his first term in office he marked a point of inflection in the negotiation line of the Colombian governments with the armed groups.

An article published on May 28 2002, in La Jornada journal, from Mexico, regarding Uribe's first press conference, elected for the period 2002-2006, clearly defined his point of view:

“Santa Fe de Bogotá, May 27.- The elected president of Colombia, right-wing Alvaro Uribe, requested an international mediation leaded by the UN aiming for a dialog with the ilegal armed groups, after he had focused his electoral campaign in military proposals to confront them, and asking military help to the United States in order to combat terrorism.”

Uribe has reiterated that the democratic progress in his country does not justify the insurgence, just as he did -in accordance with a press release- on August 31 2007, during the setting off of the fourth meeting of South American intelligence chiefs:

“Bogotá, August 31 (Xinhua) – The president of Colombia, Alvaro Uribe, affirmed today, again, that the guerrilla groups who operate in his country should not be labeled as insurgent because their actions answer more to terrorism.”

Finally, on January 11 2008, in a communique to answer President Chávez's request of recognizing political belligerence to the FARC and the ELN, Uribe described those groups as “terrorist organizations which changed their old ideas of Marxist revolution for mercenariness, financed through ilegal drugs and, besides, caused paramilitary terrorism.”

Hope persists

Hopefully, the FARC-EP have expressed that the murder of Reyes and their 16 comrades will not change the organization's disposition to concrete a humanitarian swap.

However, in the midst of the tension prevailing in the region, new contacts with this purpose appear to be improbable. Still less to think about peace agreements, at least for the time being.

A Response to the Muder of Raúl Reyes in Ecuador

2008-03-07T05:23:00.000-08:00

A Response to the Muder of Raúl Reyes in Ecuador
Uribe's Colombia is Destabilizing a New Latin America
By JAMES J. BRITTAIN
and R. JAMES SACOUMAN
A few weeks after the Ecuadorian and Venezuelan state called on the Colombian government to respect the need for peace and negotiation with the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia-People's Army (FARC-EP), the administration of Álvaro Uribe Vélez (2002-2010) supported an extensive armed air and land assault against the insurgency movement--not within Colombia's borders but rather on the sovereign territory of Ecuadorian soil.
On 1 March, 2008 the Colombian state, under the leadership of Uribe and Vice-President Francisco Santos Calderón (and his cousin Defence Minister Juan Manuel Santos), illegally deployed a military campaign within Ecuador, which resulted in the deaths of Raúl Reyes, Julian Conrado, and fifteen other combatants associated with the FARC-EP. Such actions are a clear display of the (US-backed) Colombian state's open negation of international codes of conduct, law, and social justice.
The actions of Saturday 1 March took place days before a major international demonstration scheduled for 6 March, 2008. Promoted by The National Movement of Victims of State-Sponsored Crimes (MOVICE), the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC), and countless social justice-based organizations, March 6th has been set as an international day of protest against those tortured, murdered, and disappeared by the Colombian state, their allies within the paramilitary United Self-Defence Forces of Colombia (AUC) and the newly reformed Black Eagles. Recently, President Uribe's top political adviser, José Obdulio Gaviria, proclaimed that the protest and protesters should be criminalized. In addition, paramilitaries in the southwestern department of Nariño (not far from where the illegal incursions were carried out in Ecuador), have threatened to attack any organization or person associated with the activities scheduled for Thursday.
It is believed that the Uribe and Santos administration is utilizing the slaughter of Comandante Raúl Reyes and others as a method to deter activists and socially conscious peoples within and outside Colombia from participating in the March 6th events. Numerous state-controlled or connected media outlets, such as El Tiempo (which has long-standing ties to the Santos family), have been parading photographs of the bullet ridden and mutilated corpse of Raúl Reyes throughout the country's communications mediums. Such propaganda is clearly a tool to psychologically intimidate those preparing to demonstrate against the atrocities perpetrated by the state over the past seven years.
Over the past two months, numerous researchers, scholars, and lawyers have supported the call to declare the FARC-EP a legitimate force fighting against the corrupt Colombian state. In January 2008, Ecuador's Foreign Minister Maria Isabel Salvador argued that the FARC-EP should no longer be depicted as a terrorist organization. Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez too announced that the FARC-EP are far from a terrorist force but are rather a real army, which occupies Colombian territory and shares in a Bolivarian vision for a new Latin America. Mexican deputy Ricardo Cantu Garza also has promoted the recognition of the FARC-EP as a belligerent force legitimately fighting against a corrupt and unequal sociopolitical system. As prominent US attorney Paul Wolf argued,
the FARC-EP are a belligerent army of national liberation, as evidenced by their sustained military campaign and sovereignty over a large part of Colombian territory, and their conduct of hostilities by organized troops kept under military discipline and complying with the laws and customs of war, at least to the same extent as other parties to the conflict. Members of the FARC-EP are therefore entitled to the rights of belligerents under international law there is no rule of international law prohibiting revolution, and, if a revolution succeeds, there is nothing in international law prohibiting the acceptance of the outcome, even though it was achieved by force.
From Copenhagen to Caracas, numerous state officials have denounced the description of the FARC-EP as a terrorist organization. Progressive officials and administrations in Mexico, Ecuador, and Venezuela have rather opted for the status of belligerent or irregular forces to more accurately depict the FARC-EP domestic and geo-political stance. Disturbingly, in the face of this evidence and the FARC-EP's consistent promotion for a humanitarian prisoner exchange and peace negotiations with the state in a demilitarized zone in southwestern Colombia, the Uribe and Santos administration has moved ever farther away from supporting an end to the civil war within Colombia by opting for systemic violence.
Over the past several years, different aspects of the FARC-EP's real social, political, and cultural activities for progressive social change have been censored or marginalized by the private press or governments in support of the Colombian state. Nevertheless, after researching the FARC-EP and the country of Colombia for years, Garry Leech argued that "while there is little doubt regarding the global reach of terrorist organizations such as al-Qaeda, there is no evidence that the FARC is anything but one of the armed actors in Colombia's long and tragic domestic conflict".
In actuality, the FARC-EP are actors within the strategic confines of Colombian society that aim their directives at domestic social change. In light of such realities, how can this insurgency be a terrorist threat to external nation-states? Coletta A. Youngers responds to this question by describing how
the U.S. government now views the Latin American region almost exclusively through the counterterrorist lens, though the region poses no serious national security threat to the United States little evidence has been put forward to substantiate such claims, and whatever activity is taking place there appears to be minimal.
While Youngers does not trivialize its revolutionary tactics, she clearly argues that the FARC-EP cannot be correctly framed within the concept and rhetoric of global terrorism. Youngers argues that the insurgency is not a direct political threat to administrations within the United States, Canada, the European Union and any other foreign nation-state in the fact that the FARC-EP activities "are targeted inward, not outward," hence, "applying the terrorism concept to these groups negates their political projects".
Characterizing the FARC-EP as a foreign terrorist organization dramatically alters the dynamics of the peace process in favour of a killer state. Stipulating that the FARC-EP is terrorist results in the inability for legal peace negotiations to take place between the FARC-EP and any government that subscribes to the categorization. Promoting the FARC-EP (and their supporters) as terrorists "puts them on the list of targets to be assaulted by the US military machine" and "thus subject to total war," according to James Petras and Henry Veltmeyer. The terminology of terrorism is perfect for imperialist ideology and expansionism. It is a very open-ended reference that "allows maximum intervention in all regions against any opposition" and "that any group engaged in opposing militarism, imperialism (so-called "globalization") or local authoritarian regimes could be labelled "terrorist" and targeted", thus legitimizing external invasion or attack.
Internal and external condemnation of the Colombian state has fallen upon the deaf ears of the Uribe and Santos administration. After years of increased violations of civilian human rights, the ongoing suppression of trade-unionism, assassinations of left-of-centre activists and politicians, and a political reality that has witnessed 75 governors, mayors, and Congressional politicians alleged or found guilty of having direct links to the paramilitary--including Vice-President Francisco Santos Calderón and his cousin Defense Minister Juan Manuel Santos and President Uribe's brother Santiago and their cousin Senator Mario Uribe--now the Colombian state has deemed it necessary to illegally encroach upon those nations that deviate from their ideological model of political and economic centralization. Not only has the Uribe administration criticized their neighbours but after the actions realized on 1 March, 2008 it is clear that the Colombian state, with the full backing of the United States, will impose its own ideological goals and values, through force, regardless of the democratic rights and privileges of conventional electoral law and procedure.
While the neighbouring states of Ecuador and Venezuela struggle for peace and try to assist the people of Colombia in the quest for an end to the civil war, the Uribe and Santos administration has bypassed judicial realities and governance to impose its own objectives. Careful analysts of the Colombian situation continue to debate whether the Colombian state is pre-fascist or actually fascist. It is certainly neither humane nor actually democratic. The current Colombian state must be transformed, sooner rather than later. Those fighting for peace must condemn the action of this regime. In solidarity, we must protest the policies of the Colombian state and raise our voices in support for a New Colombia which stands for Peace with Social Justice.
James J. Brittain (Assistant Professor) and Jim Sacouman (Professor) are Canadian sociologists at Acadia University in Nova Scotia who have been researching the Colombian civil war and political economy over the past decade. They can be reached at: james.brittain@acadiau.ca

The Raid on Ecuador

2008-03-07T05:04:00.001-08:00

Underestimating Rafael Correa
By FIDEL CASTRO

I remember when Rafael Correa visited us, months before the electoral campaign when he was thinking of running as a candidate for the Presidency of Ecuador. He had been the Minister of the Economy in the government of Alfredo Palacio, a surgeon with professional prestige who had also visited us as Vice President, before becoming the President in an unexpected situation that took place in Ecuador. He had been receptive to a program of ophthalmologic operations that we offered him as a form of cooperation. There were good relations between our two governments.

A while earlier Correa had resigned from the Ministry of the Economy. He was unhappy with what he called administrative corruption instigated by Oxy, a foreign company that explored and invested important sums of money, but was holding on to four out of every five barrels of oil that it extracted. He didn't talk about nationalization, but about taxing them heavily; these taxes would be assigned in advance to specific social investments. He had already approved the measures and a judge had declared them to be valid.

Since the word "nationalize" had not been mentioned, I thought he felt apprehensive about the concept. It didn't surprise me because he had graduated as an economist with much acclaim from a well-known U.S. university. I didn't bother getting into much depth; I bombarded him with questions from the arsenal accumulated in the struggle against the Latin American foreign debt in 1985 and of Cuba's own experience.

There are high-risk investments that use sophisticated technology and that no small nation like Cuba or Ecuador could take on.

Since this was already in 2006 and we were determined to promote the energy revolution, --ours was the first country on the planet to proclaim this as a vital issue for humankind-- I had dealt with the subject particularly emphatically. But I halted, as I understood one of his reasons.

I related to him the conversation I had had a while ago with the president of REPSOL, a Spanish company. This company, associated with other international companies, would undertake an expensive operation to drill the ocean floor, more than 2000 meters down, using sophisticated technology, in Cuba's jurisdictional waters. I asked the head of the Spanish company: How much is an exploratory well worth? I ask you this because we would like to participate, even if it is for one percent of the total cost and we would like to know what you want to do with our oil.

Correa, for his part, had told me that for every one hundred dollars taken out by the companies, only twenty remained in the country; it didn't even get into the budget, he said; it was left in a separate fund for just about anything other than improving the living conditions of the people.

I abolished the fund, he told me, and directed 40 percent towards education and health, technological and highway development, and the rest towards buying back the debt if the price was favorable, and if not, investing it in something more useful. Before, every year we had to buy a portion of that debt which was becoming more expensive.

In the case of Ecuador he added oil policies verged on treason against the country. Why do they do it? I asked him. Is it because they are afraid of the Yankees or due to unbearable pressure? He answered: If they have a Minister of the Economy who tells them privatization would improve efficiency, you can just imagine. I didn't do that.

I encourage him to go on and he calmly explains. The foreign company Oxy is one that has broken its contract and according to Ecuadorian law it requires an expiration date. It means that the oil field operated by this company must go over to the State, but because of Yankee pressure the government does not dare to occupy it; a situation is created which is not contemplated by the legislation. The law just states that an expiration date must be set, and nothing more. The judge at the court of first instance at that moment was the president of PETROECUADOR and he made it happen. I was a member of PETROECUADOR and they called an emergency meeting to expel him from his position. I didn't attend and they couldn't fire him. The judge declared the expiration date.

What did the Yankees want? I asked him. They wanted a fine, he quickly replied. Listening to him I realized that I had underestimated him.

I was in a hurry because of a great number of commitments. I invited him to sit in on a meeting with a large group of highly qualified Cuban professionals who were leaving for Bolivia to be part of the Medical Brigade; it had staff for more than 30 hospitals including 19 surgical positions that could do more than 130 thousand ophthalmologic operations per year; all in the manner of free cooperation. Ecuador possesses three similar centers with six ophthalmologic positions.

Dinner with the Ecuadorian economist took place into the morning hours of February 9, 2006. There were scarcely any view points that I didn't cover. I even spoke to him about the very harmful mercury that modern industry scatters throughout the planet's oceans. Consumerism was of course a subject that I emphasized; the high cost of the kilowatt/hour in the thermoelectric plants; the differences between socialist and communist forms of distribution, the role of money, the trillions spent on advertising which people had no choice but to pay for in the prices of goods, and the studies made by university social brigades who discovered, among the 500 thousand families in the capital, the number of elderly folk lived alone. I explained the stage of university courses for all that we were involved in.

We became friends even though he perhaps received the impression that I was self-sufficient. If that happened, it was truly not my intention.

Since that time I have observed his every step: the electoral process, focusing on the concrete problems of Ecuadorians and the people's victory over the oligarchy.

In the history of our peoples there are many things that bring us together. Sucre was always a highly admired figure, along with The Liberator Bolivar; as Marti said, what he hasn't done in America remains to be done, and as Neruda exclaimed, Bolivar awakens every hundred years.

Imperialism has just committed a monstrous crime in Ecuador. Deadly bombs were dropped in the early morning hours on a group of men and women who, almost without exception, were asleep. That has been deduced by all the official reports right from the beginning. Any concrete accusations against that group of human beings do not justify that action. They were Yankee bombs, guided by Yankee satellites.

Absolutely no one has the right to kill in cold blood. If we accept that imperial method of warfare and barbarism, Yankee bombs directed by satellites could fall on any group of Latin American men and women, in the territory of any country, war or no war. The fact that this happened on undisputed Ecuadorian territory is an aggravating circumstance.

We are not an enemy of Colombia. Previous reflections and exchanges demonstrate how much of an effort we have made, both the current President of the Council of State of Cuba and I, to abide by a declared policy of principles and peace, proclaimed years ago in our relations with the rest of the Latin American states.

Today, with everything at risk, we have not been transformed into belligerent people. We are determined supporters of that unity among peoples which Marti named Our America.

If we keep quiet we shall become accomplices. Today they would like to have our friend, the economist and President of Ecuador Rafael Correa, seated in the dock; this is something we couldn't even conceive that morning of February 9, 2006. At that time it seemed that my imagination was capable of embracing all kinds of dreams and risks, but never anything like what has occurred in the early morning of Saturday March 1, 2008.

Correa has in his hands the few survivors and the rest of the bodies. The two which are missing prove that Ecuadorian territory was occupied by troops that crossed the border. Now he can cry out like Emile Zola: J'accuse!

OPEC Supports Venezuela in Case Exxon Mobil

2008-03-05T10:15:00.000-08:00

The conference of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) has unanimously, issued a resolution of support to Venezuela in the ongoing legal dispute undertaken by Exxon Mobil which pretends to act against the sovereign decisions of the Venezuelan State.

The information was issued on Wednesday by the president of Petróleos de Venezuela (PDVSA) and Minister of Energy and Oil, Rafael Ramnírez, from Vienna; Austria, after the end of 148th Meeting of the OPEC Conference.

Bolivarian News Agency / March 5, 2008

Plan Colombia: The Real Destabilizing Force in South America

2008-03-05T10:06:00.001-08:00

March 4th 2008, by Carlos Martinez - Global Exchange Venezuela Program
In surveying US press coverage of the recent tensions between Colombia, Ecuador, and Venezuela one might come to the conclusion that Colombia has become the victim of the wrath of its' evil next door neighbor, Hugo Chavez. Once again, the media spin machine has been turned against Venezuela, bypassing a contextual analysis of the situation for a simplistic story line. With headlines such as, "Chavez Picks a New Fight" (Business Week March 4, 2008) the story perpetuates the US government's claims that Venezuela is a destabilizing force in the region while ignoring the alarming actions perpetrated by the Colombian government.

While Chavez has certainly made it easy for international attention to be focused on his actions, the lack of coverage on the response of other South American presidents is disconcerting. The most egregious example of this blind spot is with Ecuador itself, the country whose territory was trespassed in Colombia's attacks. The protests raised by Ecuadoran President Rafael Correa have been sorely under reported in comparison to Chavez's response, potentially leaving one with the impression that Ecuador does not consider Colombia's actions to be of major concern.

Nor is it being acknowledged that this is not the first time Ecuador has suffered the negative consequences of Colombia's war on "narco-terrorism" as articulated through Plan Colombia. For years the northern region of Ecuador has been subject to tremendous contamination of legal crops, animals, and whole communities as a result of aerial herbicide spraying of coca crops in Colombia.

A statement published by White House spokesperson Gordon Johndroe maintains that Venezuela is simply over reacting to a legitimate operation. "This is an odd reaction by Venezuela to Colombia's efforts against the FARC, a terrorist organization that continues to hold Colombians, Americans and others hostage."

A quick review of responses from other countries would in fact show that the US government's assessment is deeply flawed and out of step with international opinion. President of Chile, Michelle Bachelet, proclaimed, "A situation of this nature undoubtedly warrants an explanation from Colombia to the people of Ecuador, the President of Ecuador and the rest of the region". The governments of Paraguay, Peru, and Argentina have all released similar statements of disapproval with Colombia's actions.

Meanwhile, French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner expressed despair at the killing of his government's primary contact in negotiating the release of former Colombian presidential candidate Ingrid Betancourt, who also holds French nationality. Referring to the killing of FARC second-in-command Raul Reyes, he asserted, "It is bad news that the man we were talking to, with whom we had contacts, has been killed."

While some press in the United States question whether Chavez is using this situation as an opportunity to distract Venezuelans from their social problems, this excessive focus on him is in fact distracting people in the US from having a much needed dialogue on their own governments' role in fomenting this so-called "Andean Crisis". As a result, the tough realities and repercussions from the US government's support for a military solution in Colombia are being overlooked.

Emboldened and armed with the multibillion dollar support of Plan Colombia, the Uribe government has decided to violate international law rather than attempting mediated discussions with the FARC. This is simply the latest controversy to discredit Colombia, already renowned for having the greatest number of human rights violations and politically motivated murders per year in the Western Hemisphere.

This is an important time to consider the consequences of the United States' blanket support for the Colombian government's militarism and the destabilizing effect this is clearly creating, not simply to talk about Chavez.

[Carlos Martinez is the Caracas based coordinator of the Global Exchange Venezuela Program.]

Latin American governments condemn Colombian attacks, defend territorial sovereignty

2008-03-05T09:57:00.001-08:00

Latin American governments condemn Colombian attacks, defend territorial sovereignty

Caracas, March 3, 2008 (venezuelanalyisis.com) - Latin American governments and regional organizations declared support for Ecuadorian national sovereignty and regional unity, and widely condemned the assault by Colombian armed forces on the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) in Ecuadorian territory early Saturday morning, which resulted in the deaths of 16 insurgents, among them Raúl Reyes, a top level FARC leader and diplomat.
Ecuadorian President Rafael Correa made a televised appeal Sunday for international solidarity with Ecuador in the wake of Colombia`s "planned aerial attack" and subsequent "unacceptable aggression" perpetrated by 60 Colombian ground troops "with full conscience that they were violating our sovereignty."
Correa informed the press that he had already spoken with the leaders of over a dozen Latin American nations, the Organization of American States, and Spain to "impede the internationalization of the conflict in Colombia" and to reiterate the gravity of what he said was the worst act of aggression that the Uribe administration has inflicted on Ecuador.
Investigations conducted by Ecuadorian military and government officials "confirmed irrefutably" that the attack was a premeditated "massacre" that penetrated up to 10 kilometers of Ecuadorian territory, Correa announced.
Colombian President Alvaro Uribe and Colombian Foreign Secretary Fernando Araújo, gave a different account and claimed that Colombian helicopters flying in southern Colombia were fired upon from inside Ecuadorian territory, justifying the attack, which they claimed was an act of "legitimate defense" conducted from within Colombian territory.
However, Correa said there is no justification for foreign military aggression in Ecuadorian territory, and Colombia`s "mockery of the truth and of the Ecuadorian people" has violated bilateral treaties and international law, "but most of all, the respect and trust that should exist between brotherly countries."
Colombian Foreign Secretary Araújo appealed to the government of Ecuador to consider the attack as a defense of both countries against the "terrorists" who were illegally taking refuge in foreign territory and causing harm to local populations.
In response, Correa declared that "Colombia is a sovereign nation, and so are we, and international law demands that they inform us, and that it be the public forces of Ecuador which carry out the capture, as has occurred on multiple occasions in the past, always with absolute respect for human rights," and reiterated that Ecuador does not support the FARC and disapproves of the insurgent`s "actions and methods".
Ecuadorian Ambassador to Venezuela René Vargas Pazzo declared on the Venezuelan government television channel (VTV) that Colombia`s attack on the sleeping guerrilla encampment had "no military justification," and that it was rather "a provocation by people or governments who do not want peace, who do not want integration, who want war and that is the path that all South American must oppose, all Latin Americans who want peace, union, and integration."
The Andean Parliament, a diplomatic organization of the community of Andean nations, echoed Pazzo`s analysis, asserting that Colombia`s military apparatus is being manipulated in the interests of the Pentagon, and that the violations of trust by Colombian officials impede "the creation of unity among southern peoples."
The attacks were "at odds with the most elemental principles of International Humanitarian Law," according to the Latin American Association for Human Rights (ALDHU), a 28 year-old international NGO based in Ecuador that works with over 20 nations and is a principle component of the Andean Parliament. Juan de Dios Parra, the general secretary of ALDHU, called the events an "invasion" and a "massacre" which "violated all the international norms regulating the respect for borders".
In addition, Chilean President Michelle Bachelet, told the Chilean press that "we cannot be in agreement with the non-respect of borders and we lament that Ecuador has been assaulted." She personally spoke with President Correa and asserted that "borders between countries are based on international agreements," which is why their transgression for "whatever objective, legitimate or illegitimate" is "extremely delicate".
Statements were also released by the Brazilian administration, which announced its initiation of a multi-national diplomatic effort to "maximally reduce tension and renew initiatives to achieve a humanitarian accord." Brazilian president Lula da Silva has reportedly consulted with the presidents of Argentina, Chile, Ecuador, Colombia, and Venezuela. Brazilian Foreign Relations Secretary cancelled diplomatic activities scheduled in Sao Paolo this week to attend to the conflict, which presidential envoy Marco Aurelio García says "has influence on regional destabilization," therefore "our principle of non-interference cannot mean indifference."
Statements released from the Argentine foreign relations department expressed that "Argentina is dismayed and very worried about what is evidently a violation of the territorial sovereignty of a country in the region," and that the country will remain "active and in constant contact...in order to coordinate a common position."
Paraguayan President Nicanor Duarte declared, "Paraguay vindicates the sovereignty of nations, the self-determination of peoples, and condemns all external aggression, all usurpation, all forsaking of the territorial sovereignty of nations."
Similarly, Peruvian President Alan García expressed "enormous preoccupation" and condemned Colombia`s incursion into Ecuadorian territory as "unacceptable," calling for urgent action by the Organization of American States (OAS).
Immense concern was also expressed in a statement released by the Bolivian Foreign Relations Ministry which called any act of violation of national sovereignty "unjustifiable," and called for a "peaceful, long lasting, humanitarian" solution based on "a climate of understanding and mutual respect." In addition, Bolivia offered to mediate the conflict in line with "peaceful tradition expressed in Bolivian Constitutional Precepts."
In similar fashion, Mexican President Felipe Calderón urged dialogue and communicated directly with Uribe and Correa to offer his mediation if both countries agree.
Cuba`s former president Fidel Castro unabashedly diagnosed the situation as a "consequence of the genocidal plans of the Yankee empire," and declared that once again, after a long history of such attacks from the U.S. and its allies, "the trumpets of war are heard mightily in the South of our continent... this is nothing new! It was foreseen!"
José Miguel Insulza, the general secretary of the Organization of American States (OAS), announced Monday that in addition to the ordinary meeting of the OAS Tuesday, there will be a special meeting to treat the conflict related to Colombia`s attacks, petitioned by the Ecuadorian president.
Insulza expressed that this "is a problem among member states that also affects the fundamental values of our constitutive charter," and withheld further commentary "until the states can converse this Tuesday."

Exporting health care: oil and health in Venezuela

2008-03-05T09:54:00.001-08:00

March 5th 2008, by Patrick Irelan - CounterPunch
Simon Romero of the New York Times never fails to report the slightest flutter of bad news from Venezuela. On February 9 of this year, under the headline "In Venezuela, Faith in Chávez Starts to Wane" he tells us that--despite the blessings of large oil reserves--food shortages and "outbreaks of dengue fever" have the populace in a foul mood.
I previously dealt with the problem of food shortages on February 13 and again on February 21 at this site, but I wrote nothing about dengue or its deadly variation known as dengue hemorrhagic fever (DHF).
Perhaps Romero was in a hurry, but if he had checked a story released by the Bolivarian News Agency (ABN) on February 8, the day before his own story appeared in the Times, he might have seen this headline: "Venezuela is First Country to Show Progress in the Fight against Dengue."
Under this headline, Romero and the entire staff of the NYT could have read the article's opening sentence: "Members of the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), who are visiting Venezuela, said that Venezuela is the first nation of the region to make great progress in the fight against dengue." The PAHO is the regional office of the World Health Organization (WHO).
Maybe Romero and the Times assumed that President Chávez made up this story and ordered the ABN to foist it on an unsuspecting continent. But it seems to me that Mr. Chávez might be too busy dealing with FARC rebels and the Colombian invasion of Ecuador to fiddle around in a newsroom in Caracas, and nobody at the World Health Organization has denied the truth of the ABN story anyway.
Incidentally, as of the 12th of February, 118 cases of dengue had been reported in Puerto Rico, where one has to assume that faith in George W. Bush is starting to wane.
Dengue and DHF exist throughout South America, Central America, Mexico, and the Caribbean. Some countries do a better job than others of fighting these diseases. Why has Venezuela been so successful? One could ask the same question about health care in general in Venezuela, a country where every success excites the hatred of the American Empire.
The explanation for this pathological hatred may lie in the fact that, given the socialist leanings of its current government, Venezuela dares to use its resources to provide health care at no charge to all its citizens who need it, especially the poor. Previous Venezuelan governments have promised free health care in the past, but they never had enough clinics and sympathetic doctors to turn the promise into reality. The Chávez government has both doctors and clinics.
By contrast, the rulers of the American Empire tell us that we cannot afford to provide free health care for our people. We're obligated instead to spend trillions of dollars to create and detonate weapons of mass destruction in Iraq and Afghanistan. It's for their own good, of course. We're trying to bomb them into free and democratic societies.
But how unusual this Chávez fellow is. He has no interest in WMD. He says that Venezuela will soon become an "a superpower in food production." Instead of continued reliance on the United States, Venezuela now manufactures its own tractors. If you want to improve public health, it seems, you must first prevent malnutrition and starvation.
For the best health care possible, you also need doctors, clinics, and all the benefits of medical science. In Venezuela, the most representative expression of the Bolivarian Revolution's attitude toward health care has been the growth of the Misión Barrio Adentro (Inside the Neighborhood) movement. "It entailed placing doctors in urban shantytowns and rural villages where few Venezuelan doctors would dare to tread. To many poor Venezuelans, that was a revolution in itself." (Bart Jones, ¡Hugo!, 2007, p. 288)
Where did Venezuela find these doctors? What country could produce doctors filled with revolutionary ardor, doctors who would gladly go where the poor people lived?
In October of 1999, Fidel Castro traveled to Venezuela for a fraternal reunion. He and Chávez visited the tomb of Simón Bolívar. They traveled to Sabaneta, Chávez's boyhood village, where he and his grandmother had lived in a hut made of mud and straw. Chávez and Castro played baseball. Actually, Fidel, at age 75, only managed his team, although he did pinch hit in the last inning. He was called out on strikes, but disputed the call.
By the time Fidel left for home, he and Chávez had agreed about matters important to both countries. Venezuela would sell oil to Cuba at affordable prices. Cuba would pay for this oil in cash and medical assistance. Four hundred fifty Cuban doctors already in Venezuela would remain there and staff the new clinics Venezuela would build.
By 2004, the number of Cuban doctors in Venezuela had increased to 13,000. Cuba had also been training medical students from Venezuela. Today, ten years after Chávez was elected, Venezuela has a new generation of doctors who are eager to help the poor. Young ophthalmologists, for example, now work in free eye clinics throughout the country.
John Otis of the Houston Chronicle went to visit one of these new clinics, where he met 73-year-old Celestino Granados, one of 110 cataract victims from El Salvador. The nine doctors at the clinic removed the cataracts for all 110 at no charge. Venezuela even paid their air fare.
"I see perfectly," Granados told Otis a few days following his surgery. "I can even see the color of your eyes." Then he and the others flew back to El Salvador. Not one of those people could have afforded to pay for cataract surgery, which now costs about $1500 in traditional clinics in Latin America. (Houston Chronicle, June 18, 2007)
How does Venezuela pay for this health care? Most of the money comes from oil revenue. Some critics find this immoral. "They couldn't do those things without all that oil," they say.
That's right. They couldn't. But they do have the oil, and they spend it to help the poor. There used to be a great deal oil in Texas. But Texas never brought in hundreds of people to have their cataracts removed at no charge. In Houston, they sent people to the moon and built the Astrodome. If you had cataracts, would you like to visit an Astrodome you couldn't see, or would you prefer to regain your sight and look at the moon from your back yard?
Critics say the doctors and clinics in Venezuela are bad because their success promotes socialism. What should they promote? Faith healing?
Given all the publicity about eye clinics, the Times was sure to send Simon Romero back to Venezuela to report the latest news. In an article published on February 26, he recounted his visit to the Hospital Luis Ortega in the city of Porlamar, where Romero's news was as grim as always. "Paint peels from walls neglected for years." If this isn't bad enough, take note of the "unconscious patients." Their cots are "strewn near the reception desk."
The place sounds almost as bad as one of those American hospitals where doctors amputate the wrong limb. Or maybe they amputate the right limb, but from the wrong patient.
In spite of all the cots strewn in his path, Romero found his way to "a recovery room tucked away at the end of a dim corridor."
Regardless of the peeling paint and the dimness of the corridor, a team of ophthalmologists has successfully restored the sight of 96 men and women from Nicaragua. And, yes, they all got free airfare.
Just to keep his story fair and balanced, Romero hurried back to Caracas, where he spoke with Mirtha Noguera, president of the Venezuelan Ophthalmology Society. She thinks all this sight-restoration business is okay, but that it causes the health care system to neglect "other pressing health needs in Venezuela." This may or may not be a good point, but it probably doesn't matter anyway, because, as Ms. Noguera says, "Doctors are emigrating because they cannot earn decent salaries."
To be honest, I don't think the plight of underpaid doctors is really going to engage the sympathy of most newspaper readers here in the Middle West. We're more likely to empathize with Marden Espinoza, 69, a retired math teacher, one of the Nicaraguans who has by now returned home with his sight fully restored.
The sad fact for Ms. Noguera is that Venezuela is rapidly gaining a great many doctors who don't require millions of dollars before they'll help a retiree from a poor country regain his sight. I don't know what she plans to do after all the doctors in the Venezuelan Ophthalmology Society have emigrated because "they cannot earn decent salaries."
But here's my suggestion for Ms. Noguera's job search. At the inauguration of the new Dr. Osío de Cúa Hospital in Miranda, President Chávez pointed out that between 1997 and 2007, "[T]he number of primary health care clinics in Venezuela increased from 4804 to 11,373" (Kiraz Janicke, Venezuelanalysis.com, February 20, 2008)
Eventually, the paint in all those clinics will start to peel. Paint supplied at no charge, but bring your own brush.
[Patrick Irelan is a retired high-school teacher. He is the author of A Firefly in the Night (Ice Cube Press) and Central Standard: A Time, a Place, a Family (University of Iowa Press). You can contact him at pwirelan43@yahoo.com.]

Uribe’s Colombia is destabilizing a New Latin America

2008-03-05T09:48:00.000-08:00

A few weeks after the Ecuadorian and Venezuelan state called on the Colombian government to respect the need for peace and negotiation with the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia-People's Army (FARC-EP), the administration of President Álvaro Uribe Vélez supported an extensive armed air and land assault against the insurgency movement-not within Colombia's borders, but rather on the sovereign territory of Ecuadorian soil. On March 1, 2008, the Colombian state, under the leadership of Uribe, Vice-President Francisco Santos Calderón, and his cousin Defence Minister Juan Manuel Santos, illegally deployed a military campaign within Ecuador, which resulted in the deaths of Raúl Reyes, Julian Conrado, and fifteen other combatants associated with the FARC-EP. Such actions are a clear display of the US-backed-Colombian state's open negation of international codes of conduct, law and social justice.

The actions of March 1 took place days before a major international demonstration scheduled for March 6. Promoted by The National Movement of Victims of State-Sponsored Crimes (MOVICE), the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC), and countless social justice-based organizations, March 6 has been set as an international day of protest against those tortured, murdered and disappeared by the Colombian state, their allies within the paramilitary United Self-Defence Forces of Colombia (AUC) and the newly-reformed Black Eagles. Recently, President Uribe's top political adviser, José Obdulio Gaviria, proclaimed that the protest and protesters should be criminalized. In addition, paramilitaries in the southwestern department of Nariño-not far from where the illegal incursions were carried out in Ecuador-have threatened to attack any organization or person associated with the protest activities.

It is believed that the Uribe and Santos administration is utilizing the slaughter of Commander Raúl Reyes and others as a method to deter activists and socially conscious peoples within and outside Colombia from participating in the March 6 events. Numerous state-controlled or connected media outlets, such as El Tiempo-which has long-standing ties to the Santos family-have been parading photographs of the bullet-ridden and mutilated corpse of Raúl Reyes throughout the country's communications mediums. Such propaganda is clearly a tool to psychologically intimidate those preparing to demonstrate against the atrocities perpetrated by the state over the past seven years.

Over the past two months, numerous researchers, scholars and lawyers have supported the call to declare the FARC-EP a legitimate force fighting against the corrupt Colombian state. In January 2008, Ecuador's Foreign Minister Maria Isabel Salvador argued that the FARC-EP should no longer be depicted as a terrorist organization. Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez also announced that the FARC-EP are far from a terrorist force, but are rather a real army, which occupies Colombian territory and shares in a Bolivarian vision for a new Latin America. Mexican deputy Ricardo Cantu Garza also has promoted the recognition of the FARC-EP as a belligerent force legitimately fighting against a corrupt and unequal socio-political system. As prominent US attorney Paul Wolf argued:

The FARC-EP are a belligerent army of national liberation, as evidenced by their sustained military campaign and sovereignty over a large part of Colombian territory, and their conduct of hostilities by organized troops kept under military discipline and complying with the laws and customs of war, at least to the same extent as other parties to the conflict. Members of the FARC-EP are therefore entitled to the rights of belligerents under international law ... there is no rule of international law prohibiting revolution, and, if a revolution succeeds, there is nothing in international law prohibiting the acceptance of the outcome, even though it was achieved by force.

From Copenhagen to Caracas, numerous state officials have denounced the description of the FARC-EP as a terrorist organization. Progressive officials and administrations in Mexico, Ecuador and Venezuela have rather opted for the status of belligerent or irregular forces to more accurately depict the FARC-EP's domestic and geo-political stance. Disturbingly, in the face of this evidence and the FARC-EP's consistent promotion of a humanitarian prisoner exchange and peace negotiations with the state in a demilitarized zone in southwestern Colombia, the Uribe and Santos administration has moved ever farther away from supporting an end to the civil war within Colombia by opting for systemic violence.

Over the past several years, different aspects of the FARC-EP's real social, political and cultural activities for progressive social change have been censored or marginalized by the private press or governments in support of the Colombian state. Nevertheless, after researching the FARC-EP and the country of Colombia for years, independent journalist Garry Leech argued that, "while there is little doubt regarding the global reach of terrorist organizations such as al-Qaeda, there is no evidence that the FARC is anything but one of the armed actors in Colombia's long and tragic domestic conflict."

In actuality, the FARC-EP is an actor within the strategic confines of Colombian society that aims its directives at domestic social change. In light of such realities, how can this insurgency be a terrorist threat to external nation-states? Coletta A. Youngers, of the Washington Office on Latin America (WOLA), responds to this question by describing how:

The U.S. government now views the Latin American region almost exclusively through the counterterrorist lens, though the region poses no serious national security threat to the United States ... little evidence has been put forward to substantiate such claims, and whatever activity is taking place there appears to be minimal.

While Youngers does not trivialize its revolutionary tactics, she clearly argues that the FARC-EP cannot be correctly framed within the concept and rhetoric of global terrorism. Youngers argues that the insurgency is not a direct political threat to administrations within the United States, Canada, the European Union and any other foreign nation-state in the fact that the FARC-EP's activities "are targeted inward, not outward," hence, "applying the terrorism concept to these groups negates their political projects."

Characterizing the FARC-EP as a foreign terrorist organization dramatically alters the dynamics of the peace process in favour of a killer state. Stipulating that the FARC-EP is terrorist results in the inability for legal peace negotiations to take place between the FARC-EP and any government that subscribes to the categorization. According to James Petras and Henry Veltmeyer, promoting the FARC-EP-and its supporters-as terrorists "puts them on the list of targets to be assaulted by the US military machine" and "thus subject to total war."

The terminology of terrorism is perfect for imperialist ideology and expansionism. It is a very open-ended reference that "allows maximum intervention in all regions against any opposition" and "that any group engaged in opposing militarism, imperialism (so-called ‘globalization') or local authoritarian regimes could be labelled ‘terrorist' and targeted," thus legitimizing external invasion or attack, say Petras and Veltmeyer.

Internal and external condemnation of the Colombian state has fallen upon the deaf ears of the Uribe and Santos administration. After years of increased violations of civilian human rights, the ongoing suppression of trade-unionism, assassinations of left-of-centre activists and politicians, and a political reality that has witnessed 75 governors, mayors and Congressional politicians alleged or found guilty of having direct links to the paramilitaries-including Vice-President Francisco Santos Calderón and his cousin Defense Minister Juan Manuel Santos and President Uribe's brother Santiago and their cousin Senator Mario Uribe-now the Colombian state has deemed it necessary to illegally encroach upon those nations that deviate from their ideological model of political and economic centralization.

Not only has the Uribe administration criticized its neighbours, but after the actions realized on March 1 it is clear that the Colombian state, with the full backing of the United States, will impose its own ideological goals and values through force, regardless of the democratic rights and privileges of conventional electoral law and procedure. While the neighbouring states of Ecuador and Venezuela struggle for peace and try to assist the people of Colombia in the quest for an end to the civil war, the Uribe and Santos administration has bypassed judicial realities and governance to impose its own objectives.

Careful analysts of the Colombian situation continue to debate whether the Colombian state is pre-fascist or actually fascist. It is certainly neither humane nor actually democratic. The current Colombian state must be transformed, sooner rather than later. Those fighting for peace must condemn the action of this regime. In solidarity, we must protest the policies of the Colombian state and raise our voices in support for a New Colombia that stands for peace with social justice.

[James J. Brittain (Assistant Professor) and Jim Sacouman (Professor) are Canadian sociologists at Acadia University in Nova Scotia, Canada who have been researching the Colombian civil war and political economy over the past decade.]

Washington’s role in the current conflict between Colombia, Venezuela and Ecuador

2008-03-04T09:58:00.000-08:00

March 3rd 2008, by Cory Fischer-Hoffman - Upside Down World
Monday, 03 March 2008, Caracas, Venezuela -- On Saturday March 1st Colombia's Air Force carried out a military operation in Ecuador, violating the sovereignty of its western neighbor nation. The bombing resulted in at least 17 deaths. One of the people reported to be among the victims is Raúl Reyes, commander and spokesperson for the Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia (FARC). This attack is the continuation and escalation of an on-going war in Colombia that has persisted for 40 years due to US military funding and training of Armed Forces in Colombia. The United States has a long history of intervention in Latin America, ranging from military occupations, to financial support for the overthrow of democratically elected presidents to economic sabotage to military trainings of state and private death squads. In Colombia, the United States has taken particular interest in the oil, land, water, and agricultural resources as well as the ports and profitable cocaine trade, and more recently Colombia's strategic location in relation to Venezuela and Ecuador.

The United States supported and funded a coup attempt in April 2002 in Venezuela, temporarily taking democratically elected President Hugo Chávez out of power. While Venezuela has continued to sell oil to the United States, Chávez has taken a pro-sovereignty stance, demanding that the United States not intervene in their national politics. The Bush Administration has made a series of aggressive statements towards Venezuela, working to support the political opposition that launched the coup attempt and is now engaged in tactics of economic sabotage with the aims of destabilizing the Venezuelan economy. In addition to rich natural resources, Venezuela is offering an alternative to the US-led neo-liberal development model by proposing a "Socialism of the 21st Century." The Unites States government uses its military power, technology, and wealth to threaten and to impose its culture, politics, and economies on other nations. When those nations resist, they are branded as terrorists, enemies or communists. Since September 11, 2001 the US government has used "the war on terrorism" to advance their aims of acquiring more oil, land and resources.

With the death toll in Iraq and Afghanistan rising every day, and a complicit media, which is forbidden by law to show the coffins of US soldiers who were killed in Iraq, the US people have become desensitized to the death of those labeled as terrorists. The US is employing its classic logic; that in the hunt for "terrorists" there are no rules. They have imposed this onto Colombians for many years, fueling an internal civil war, and providing the military funding and training necessary to target the FARC, the ELN, and to terrorize the Colombian people. Colombia's civil war plays a destabilizing force within the entire region and with the recent attack of Ecuador, that process has been escalated rapidly. It is important to emphasize that Colombia has violated Ecuador's national sovereignty and has for all intents and purposes brought its war to Ecuador. In response Ecuador has withdrawn its ambassador from Colombia and Venezuela has sent tanks to the border. While bombing another sovereign nation is standard behavior for the US government, this military operation is unprecedented and marks a calculated escalation of tensions within the region.

Each discontent expressed by the US government towards the Chávez Administration is armed with the threat of invasion. While many people that I know in the US simply roll their eyes at another nauseating comment from Bush; here, they prepare for invasion. Even within the anti-war movement, many people could not fathom the US being involved in further military operations, as the Armed Forces are currently over-stretched in their wars and occupations in the Middle East. For some time now, many analysts have suggested that US interventionism in Venezuela would come by means of Colombia; a state that has been led by pro-US regimes to protect US interests for resources. This seemed like a practical way for the US to play a destabilizing role without having to send US Forces, but instead send US trained Colombian Forces; both state and private paramilitary.

Chávez has also faced the bind of a huge, mostly unguarded western border with Colombia, in which the FARC, the Armed Forces, and paramilitaries have crossed into Venezuela, bringing their internal conflict to Venezuela's door. Chávez has condemned the violence in Colombia, and its pouring onto Venezuelan soil. Based on Colombia's attack of Ecuador, Chávez has sent tanks to protect its border with Colombia. Let us not forget that in the United States there are troops at the US-Mexico border, and not because the United States is responding to a military attack, but because the US government and media has attempted to equate immigration with terrorism.

While the US projects its "war on terror" towards the immigration community within its borders, it extends the war throughout the world, in an attempt to justify its military actions for more land, resources, and power. With the recent tensions that Exxon-Mobile has created in Venezuela, by claiming rights to an inflated amount of funds from Venezuela's state oil company and furthermore, initiating various international lawsuits, resulting in the freezing of $300 million of PDVSA's assets, US-Venezuelan relations have become even more tense. This action taken by US company Exxon-Mobile is a further escalation against Venezuela; representing not only the militaristic but the economic tactics used in an effort to discredit and destabilize Venezuela.

Now, while Colombia has attacked Ecuador, provoking a collapse in diplomatic relations and placing the region at risk of a war, the headlines in the United States read: "Chávez sends forces to Colombia's border." This is a calculated attempt to create the image of Venezuela as the aggressor in the conflict, when the clear aggressor is the United States, who trains and funds the Colombian Army, not only in counter-insurgency and terror but now as an imperialist army, who has violated the sovereignty of its neighbor nation and created grave tensions within the region. The US government cannot pretend to be an objective observer in this conflict.

Plan Colombia: The Real Destabilizing Force in South America

2008-03-04T09:55:00.000-08:00

In surveying US press coverage of the recent tensions between Colombia, Ecuador, and Venezuela one might come to the conclusion that Colombia has become the victim of the wrath of its' evil next door neighbor, Hugo Chavez. Once again, the media spin machine has been turned against Venezuela, bypassing a contextual analysis of the situation for a simplistic story line. With headlines such as, "Chavez Picks a New Fight" (Business Week March 4, 2008) the story perpetuates the US government's claims that Venezuela is a destabilizing force in the region while ignoring the alarming actions perpetrated by the Colombian government.

While Chavez has certainly made it easy for international attention to be focused on his actions, the lack of coverage on the response of other South American presidents is disconcerting. The most egregious example of this blind spot is with Ecuador itself, the country whose territory was trespassed in Colombia's attacks. The protests raised by Ecuadoran President Rafael Correa have been sorely under reported in comparison to Chavez's response, potentially leaving one with the impression that Ecuador does not consider Colombia's actions to be of major concern.

Nor is it being acknowledged that this is not the first time Ecuador has suffered the negative consequences of Colombia's war on "narco-terrorism" as articulated through Plan Colombia. For years the northern region of Ecuador has been subject to tremendous contamination of legal crops, animals, and whole communities as a result of aerial herbicide spraying of coca crops in Colombia.

A statement published by White House spokesperson Gordon Johndroe maintains that Venezuela is simply over reacting to a legitimate operation. "This is an odd reaction by Venezuela to Colombia's efforts against the FARC, a terrorist organization that continues to hold Colombians, Americans and others hostage."

A quick review of responses from other countries would in fact show that the US government's assessment is deeply flawed and out of step with international opinion. President of Chile, Michelle Bachelet, proclaimed, "A situation of this nature undoubtedly warrants an explanation from Colombia to the people of Ecuador, the President of Ecuador and the rest of the region". The governments of Paraguay, Peru, and Argentina have all released similar statements of disapproval with Colombia's actions.

Meanwhile, French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner expressed despair at the killing of his government's primary contact in negotiating the release of former Colombian presidential candidate Ingrid Betancourt, who also holds French nationality. Referring to the killing of FARC second-in-command Raul Reyes, he asserted, "It is bad news that the man we were talking to, with whom we had contacts, has been killed."

While some press in the United States question whether Chavez is using this situation as an opportunity to distract Venezuelans from their social problems, this excessive focus on him is in fact distracting people in the US from having a much needed dialogue on their own governments' role in fomenting this so-called "Andean Crisis". As a result, the tough realities and repercussions from the US government's support for a military solution in Colombia are being overlooked.

Emboldened and armed with the multibillion dollar support of Plan Colombia, the Uribe government has decided to violate international law rather than attempting mediated discussions with the FARC. This is simply the latest controversy to discredit Colombia, already renowned for having the greatest number of human rights violations and politically motivated murders per year in the Western Hemisphere.

This is an important time to consider the consequences of the United States' blanket support for the Colombian government's militarism and the destabilizing effect this is clearly creating, not simply to talk about Chavez.

[Carlos Martinez is the Caracas based coordinator of the Global Exchange Venezuela Program.]

Different countries question Colombian military action in Ecuadorian territory

2008-03-04T09:47:00.000-08:00

Italy, Argentina and Chile question the Colombian incursion into Ecuador in which died Luis Edgar Devia Silva, aka 'Raúl Reyes'; Germany requested prudence to the countries and France expressed that FARC leader's death “is not a good news.”

International agencies highlight declarations from the Italian Minister of Foreign Relations, Massimo D'Alema, who affirmed that Italy is “worried and bemused” due to the Colombian military operation in Ecuadorian lands, in which died one of the chiefs of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, People's Army (FARC-EP).

“The Colombian military operation abroad surprised a lot and it let us worried and bemused,” declared the Italian minister during a meeting with the foreign press accredited in that country.

“An operation of this kind expresses to contradict the effort of beginning a diplomatic way” and so it is understood that “it has created serious tension in Latin America,” he added.

D'Alema reiterated that Italy is ready to be part of the group of countries to help in negotiations for a humanitarian agreement between the Colombian Government and the FARC, fostered by Venezuela.

Likewise, the Argentinean Administration has shown to be dismayed and worried before what they consider transgression to the Ecuadorian sovereignty on behalf of Colombia, after the military operation in which died a FARC chief.

Argentina, through its Minister Jorge Taiana, expressed to be dismayed and worried before an obvious transgression to the territorial sovereignty of a country from the region as it is ecuador.

According to international agencies, the Argentinean Minister of Foreign Relations, Jorge Taiana, is in contact with his counterparts from Brasil, Chile, Ecuador, Colombia, Paraguay and Venezuela.

Taiana agreed with the other ministers to maintain “actives and in permanent contact in order to exchange information, carry out consults and to work coordinately in a shared view.”

In declarations issued to Radio ADN of Santiago de Chile by the president of the Republic, Michelle Bachelet, that country claims by the infringement to the Ecuadorian sovereignty, and they question the Colombian incursion into Ecuadorian territory, which ended with the death of the FARC second-in-command, Raul Reyes.

“A situation of this nature deserves, doubtlessly, an explanation on behalf of Colombia to Ecuadorians, to the Ecuadorian president and the whole area,” affirmed the Chilean president.

Bachelet also said that frontiers should be respected and she declared to be “worried” because of the diplomatic crisis which involves Ecuador, Colombia and Venezuela.

“The countries' frontiers and limits are based upon many international agreements and it is a extremely delicate situation when (the frontier) can be crossed over with any object, legal or ilegal,” she stated.

“We are very worried because of that. We are sorry and we can not agree to disrespect the frontier, for any reason and, especially, that Ecuador has felt assaulted with this intervention,” she added.

The president affirmed as well that she is in contact with the Ecuadorian president Rafael Correa, with the OAS General Secretary, Jose Miguel Insulza, besides her counterparts from Brasil and Argentina, in order to overcome the conflict.

On the other hand, the German Administration recommended “prudence” to all the parts involved in the crisis unleashed by the Colombian military operation against a FARC camp in Ecuadorian territory, which killed the organization's second-in-command, Raúl Reyes.

“We hope that all the sides behave with proper prudence in order to avoid the crisis to worsen,” said the spokesperson from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Martin Jäger, in Berlin.

The killing of the FARC second-in-command, Raúl Reyes, during an operation of the Colombian Armed Forces in the early morning of last Saturday “is not a good news”, expressed the French Minister of Foreign Affairs, Bernard Kouchner, to whom it is necessary to “double efforts” for the release of the guerrilla hostages, especially the Colombian-French politician Ingrid Betancourt.

“It is not a good news” that Reyes, “the man to whom we talked and we had contact, has been killed,” affirmed the French diplomat to the radio station France Inter.

The international spokesperson from the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) was killed last Saturday in the midst of a Colombian military operation in Ecuadorian territory, joined to 17 partners, which has unleashed a diplomatic crisis among Colombia, Ecuador and Venezuela, and the announce of these two last mentioned countries to send reinforcements to the frontier.

Translated by Felitza Nava

President Uribe, it has no sense to cause an in unimaginable conflict

2008-03-04T09:38:00.000-08:00

El Secretario General de la Organización de los Estados Americanos (OEA), José Miguel Insulza, admitió hoy “la gravedad de la situación que involucra a Colombia y Ecuador y expresó su deseo de que esta sea resuelta en la región en el marco del respeto a los principios que rigen la convivencia entre las naciones americanas”.

Informó que durante el fin de semana y en las últimas horas, ha sostenido conversaciones con mandatarios y cancilleres de la región, “en la búsqueda de un acercamiento en las posiciones, priorizando el diálogo como único mecanismo de negociación”.

Insulza expresó su esperanza de que el Consejo Permanente, que fue convocado para mañana martes a las 15.00 horas, “entregará orientaciones que permitan alcanzar una solución pacífica a esta crisis, para así abordar los problemas de fondo que la han provocado”. Por ello, el Secretario General no realizará nuevos pronunciamientos, a la espera de una decisión del Consejo.

Sin embargo, Insulza estimó necesario recordar que subsiste la crisis humanitaria generada por el secuestro prolongado de un grupo de personas a manos de las FARC, y que es preciso retomar pronto las gestiones que permitan su libertad.

National Assembly to investigate ties between paramilitary groups and political party Primero Justicia

2008-03-04T09:33:00.000-08:00

The National Assembly (AN) will open an investigation about the possible presence of paramilitary groups in Caracas and their possible ties with members of the Venezuela's political party Primero Justicia (PJ, by its Spanish acronym).

Parliament's chair Cilia Flores informed that they will investigate the denouncements made by parliament's members Hermes García and Luis Tascón.

Tascón said that he was informed about meetings held between spokesmen of PJ and paramilitaries residents in the city.

Furthermore, García explained that these groups are composed by Colombian citizens who received dual nationality by the national government for their long stay in the country.

Therefore, the AN's Chair invited both deputies to present evidences at the Parliament ' due to there are serious denouncements that have to be investigated in order to defend the sovereignty of the Nation.'

The statements were made in the extraordinary session carried out by the AN on Monday, ' to support the decision taken by the President Hugo Chávez about the Colombian situation.'

'Venezuela's government decided to expel all Colombian diplomats'

2008-03-04T09:27:00.000-08:00

The Venezuela's government decided to expel all the Colombian diplomats in the country.

The announcement was made Monday by the Venezuelan Foreign Affairs Minister, Nicolás Maduro, during his participation in an extraordinary session held at the National Assembly.

The decision is based on the 'computer' operation launched against Venezuela, Minister Maduro said.

Minister Maduro said that the Colombian conflict is a threat not only for that country but for all the region.

Furthermore, he made an appeal to the international community to guarantee an humanitarian swap in Colombia.

Maduro stressed the global repudiation to the attack against the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (Farc) in Ecuador's territory, except for the United States, which gave its support to Colombia.

'The world has rejected the cowardly aggression carried out by the Colombian government against the peaceful people of Ecuador,' he said.

The Foreign Affairs Minister added: 'Venezuela supports Ecuador. We will fight for the sovereignty of our brother countries in Latin America and the Caribbean.'

Maduro ratified President Chávez' stance, which is to continue promoting the peace.

Likewise, he rejected the plan carried out to destabilize the South American region.

He warned about the alleged versions that point out the attack against the Farc' camp in Ecuador started in the US military base of Manta, located in Ecuador.

According to Maduro, the version has been analyzed by the government of Ecuador due to the proximity of Manta with the place where 17 members of the Farc were murdered last Saturday.

Socialism: human beings first

2008-02-29T06:40:00.000-08:00

Caracas, Feb 26 ABN (Nancy Mastronardi).- Just as the president of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, Hugo Chávez Frías, said, socialism places the human being over everything else, it is to say, citizens and their social welfare are top priority.

During his Sunday program number 305, Chávez Frías called Venezuelans to build socialism and to not reinforce the capitalist theory.

Now, before tackling with the socialist model began in Venezuela, let's take for reference the concept offered by the Real Academia Española (Spanish for 'Royal Spanish Academy'; RAE) at its digital version, “socialism is a system of social and economic organization based upon collective or governmental ownership and administration of the means of production and regulation of the economic and social activities on behalf of the State, and the distribution of
goods.”

Other dictionaries indicate that socialism is a political ideology that fix the theories and political actions which advocate an economic and political system based upon the ownership or democratic possession of the means of production and its administrative control on behalf of the producers or workers themselves, and of the democratic control of the civic political structures on behalf of citizens.

Some of them also affirm, “For that reason, socialism is linked to the seek of collective good, development in cooperation and even social equality, however, the concept of these aspects of socialism may drastically vary.”

XXI Century Socialism

“Without democracy there would never exist socialism; on the contrary, capitalism destroys democracy.”

Hugo Chávez issued this statement on July 28th 2007, during his participation at the assembly of applicants to be militants for the Socialist United Party of Venezuela (PSUV) in Caracas, where he also indicated the socialist components which should be oriented towards the ethic-moral, social, political, geographic and economic areas.

In this assembly, regarding the socialist ethic, the President indicated that “there will be no socialism without ethic, if we do not begin a moral revolution, setting the example of socialist ethic, unselfishness, solidarity and love among us, we will never begin socialism, it would be a complete farce.”

Concerning social socialism, the president invited the applicants for this new political organization to fight for a society with equality, inclusion, satisfaction of human necessities as feeding, health, education, moral, housing and work, which are essential as well.

Likewise, in order to explain political socialism, Chávez commented that it comprises democracy, “Without democracy there would never exist socialism; on the contrary, capitalism destroys democracy.”

“One of the wiles of our opponents, the capitalists, is that I am here to destroying democracy, that we are dismantling the institutions, that we are starting a dictatorship in Venezuela. It is the other way around. They have a global dictatorship against democracy, which is not the model praised by the president of the United States of the North American empire, nor the elites from the Latin American countries, the oligarchies and bourgeoisies.”

President Chávez explained that geographic socialism “is quite more complicated, but it is not difficult at all. We just have to find a way to understand it well; it deals with a new vision of the Reconfiguration of State Power, what we have called the Fourth Constituent Engine.”

Geographic socialism should “release spaces in order to make us equal,” because, as he said, the poor people who live in shantytowns deserve to have decent homes, grassy areas and other benefits.

Regarding economic socialism, Chávez stated that “nobody should think that socialism begins in solidarity; it is part of the effort to build socialism, but we have to change capitalist for socialist.”

He expressed that it tackles with revising concepts and besides he clarified that bolivarian socialism does not envisage eliminating or banning of private property, “it only deals with the means of production ownership.”

“We have to progress, gradually creating new ways of production; first of all of property, and battalions can carry out an exceptional work regarding the economic matter,” he said.

PSUV, an alternative for socialism

On December 17th 2006, the Venezuelan president argued that “for this new era, we need a political structure not at the service of parties and colors, but at the service of the people and the Revolution.”

Therefore, he expressed that “We need a party, not a word search with which we would be lying to ourselves and deceiving the people.”

Thus, according to Lisandro Pérez, parish council chairman of the 23 de Enero (in Caracas ) and leader of the PSUV Battalion from that area, political parties in the fourth republic always began in privileged and elite groups.

“The Venezuelan revolutionary process has initiated the change for the creation of a party which comes from the opinion of the community and the daily debate of Venezuelans, from the bolivarian groups and with the only condition of being socialists and revolutionaries,” added Pérez.

Furthermore, he indicated that the bolivarian socialism starts in the union of
all the sides of society.

“At the Soviet socialism, only the Soviet party set the standard. In ours, the standard is set by the communal councils and, besides, as revolutionaries, we respect private property. It involves the meaning of individual. Human matter is top priority in our socialism.”

The party's promoter commission estimates that the board of directors of the political organization might be designated before March 10th.

Likewise, the president of the PSUV Promoter Commission, Jorge Rodríguez, indicated that in order to select the members of the national board of directors, each of the delegates who attended to the party's congress on February 23rd will present a series of applicants who might form the board.

In the process of electing the PSUV national authorities will take part the five representatives of each of the 14,318 socialist battalions previously
conformed.

The deputy spokespeople from the socialist battalions are also called for the electoral process, which means an electorate of around 100 thousand applicant to
militants.

The election of the board of directors, as it occurred with the registration of applicants to PSUV militants, will count with the collaboration of the National
Electoral Council (CNE) as well.

ALBA TV, herramienta para la organización popular

2008-02-26T10:38:00.001-08:00

ALBA TV, herramienta para la organización popular

Alba TV es un proyecto para la integración desde los pueblos, desde los movimientos sociales, desde las comunidades que junto a las televisoras comunitarias del continente articulamos las luchas populares contra el imperialismo, por la construcción y fortalecimiento de la identidad del sur, y para impulsar las transformaciones políticas, económicas y culturales hacia el socialismo.

Alba TV se inicia con dos objetivos:

1. Creación de un canal comunitario internacional
Una señal satelital que pueda ser descargada por cada TV comunitaria, movimiento social o comunidad específica. Que funcione como cartelera de lucha, como herramienta articuladora de los pueblos, como herramienta para la formación y como herramienta creativa que pueda desarrollar identidad y sentimientos socialistas.

2. Creación y fortalecimiento de televisoras comunitarias del continente
Se hace necesario fortalecer la televisoras comunitarias existentes, crear nuevas televisoras comunitarias en el continente y dar la batalla por la democratización del espectro radioeléctrico. Alba TV nace como un proyecto descentralizado, crecerá a medida que crezcan y se fortalezcan las televisoras comunitarias. Con la ayuda de formadores del continente se realizarán talleres de formación en producción audiovisual, y se llevará a cabo un acompañamiento técnico y jurídico para la instalación de tv comunitarias.

Alba TV no es solo una televisora, es un proyecto de articulación comunicacional de los movimientos sociales de Amércia Latina y el mundo. Es un espacio de debate político e ideológico para la transformaciones necesarias en nuestro sur, es un espacio de articulación.

A través de Alba TV podremos pasar de la lucha local y reivindicativa de las televisoras comunitarias, de las comunidades, de los movimientos sociales a una lucha política, por la conquista del poder de los pueblos del mundo, sin perder el contacto necesario y trabajo de base requerido. Actuando localmente, a través de la televisora comunitaria, en el marco de una articulación internacional fortalecida por Alba TV, podremos aglutinar fuerzas para romper las cadenas del capitalismo y el imperialismo.

***
ALBA TV, a tool for popular oganization

Alba TV is a project to integrate peoples, social movements, and communities together with community television stations of the continent, in order to connect the popular struggles against imperialism, to construct and strengthen an identity of the south, and to impel the political, economic and cultural transformation towards socialism.

Alba TV begins with two objectives:

1. The creation of an international community television channel
A satellite signal that can be downloaded by every community television station, social movement or specific community. That it function as a sign of struggle, as a tool connecting the people, as a training tool, and as a creative tool to develop socialist identities and feelings.

2. The creation and strengthening of community television stations across the continent
It is necessary to strengthen community television stations that already exist, to create new community television stations, and to fight for the democratization of the radio-electric spectrum. Alba TV was born as a decentralized project and will grow only to the extent that the community television stations grow and are strengthened. With the support of people from across the continent, training workshops in audio visual production will be given and technical and legal support will be provided in order to set up community television stations.

Alba TV is not only a television channel, it is a project of communicatory connection of social movements of Latin America and the world. It is a space of political and ideological debate for the necessary transformation of our south; it is a space of connection.

Through Alba TV we can move from the local revindicating struggles of community television, communities, and social movements, to a political struggle for the conquest of the power of the people of the world, without loosing the necessary and required contact and work of the base. Acting locally through community television, in an international integrated framework strengthened by Alba TV, we can bring together forces to break the chains of capitalism and imperialism.

***
ALBA TV, un outil pour l'organisation populaire.

Alba TV est un projet prévu pour l'intégration des peuples, des mouvements sociaux, des communautés et, ensemble avec les télévisions communautaires du continent, nous articulons les luttes populaires contre l'impérialisme, pour la construction et le renforcement de l'identité du Sud, et pour promouvoir les transformations politiques, économiques et culturelles vers le socialisme.

Alba TV a deux objectif:

1.La création d'un canal communautaire international.
C'est un signal satélite qui peut être téléchargé par chaque TV communautaire, mouvement social ou Communauté spécifique, qui fonctionne comme une plate forme de lutte, comme outil articulateur des peuples, comme outil pour la formation et comme outil créatif nécessaire au développement du sentiment d'identité et aux sentiments socialistes.

2.La création et le renforcement des télévisions communautaires du continent.
Il est nécessaire de fortifier les télévisions communautaires existantes, de créer de nouvelles télévisions communautaires dans le continent, et de se battre pour la démocratisation du spectre radioélectrique. Alba TV naît d'un projet décentralisé, qui évolura au fur et à mesure qu'évoluront et se renforceront les télévisons communautaires. Avec l'aide des formateurs du continent s'effectuera des ateliers de formation en production audiovisuelle, et un accompagnement technique et juridique, pour l'installation de TV communautaires, sera mené à bien.

Alba TV n'est pas seulement un télévision, c'est un projet d'articulation communicationnelle des mouvements sociaux d'Amérique Latine et du monde. C'est un espace de débat politique et idéologique pour les transformations nécessaires de notre Sud, c'est un espace d'articulation.

À travers d'Alba TV nous pourrons passer de la lutte locale et revendicative des télévisions communautaires, des Communautés, des mouvements sociaux, à une lutte politique, par la conquête du pouvoir des peuples du monde, sans perdre le contact nécessaire et le travail de base requis. En agissant localement, à travers la télévison communautaire et dans le cadre d'une articulation internationale fortifiée par Alba TV, nous pourrons concentrer des forces pour rompre les chaînes du capitalisme et l'impérialisme.

ALBA TV, herramienta para la organización popular

2008-02-26T10:38:00.000-08:00

Why Cuba Will Never Go Back

2008-02-26T08:38:00.001-08:00

Why Cuba Will Never Go Back
Watching the US Presidential Campaign from Havana
By FIDEL CASTRO

That Tuesday there was no fresh international news. The modest message I wrote to the Cuban people on Monday, February 18, was widely and easily disseminated. As from 11 o'clock in the morning I started to receive concrete news. The previous night I had slept like never before. I had a clear conscience and I had promised myself a vacation. The days of tension, awaiting the proximity of February 24, had left me exhausted.

Today I will not say a single word about persons very dear to me in Cuba and in the world who in many different ways expressed their emotions. I also received a great number of opinions collected in the streets through reliable methods, which almost without exception and in a very spontaneous way conveyed the deepest feelings of solidarity. Someday I shall discuss that issue.

Right now I am focusing on the adversary. I enjoyed watching the embarrassment of every United States presidential candidate. One by one they all felt compelled to exact urgent demands from Cuba to avoid the risk of losing a single vote. Anyone could have thought that I was a Pulitzer Prize winner interviewing them on very sensitive political and even personal issues for the CNN from Las Vegas, a place where the logics of the games of chance prevails, and that should be humbly visited by anyone running for President.

Fifty years of blockade seemed too little to the favorites. Change! Change! Change! They all cried in unison.

I agree. Change! But, inside the United States. Cuba changed long ago and will now follow a dialectical path.

We will never go back to the past! Cries our people.

Annexation! Annexation! Annexation! Responds the adversary. That is what it really means when it speaks about change.

José Martí, unveiling the secret of his silent struggle, denounced the voracious and expansionistic empire that his brilliant intelligence had discovered and described more than one century after the enactment of the revolutionary Declaration of Independence of the Thirteen Colonies.

The end of a historical period is not the same as the beginning of the end of an unsustainable system.

All of a sudden, the weakened European powers, allied to that system, are exacting the same demands. In their opinion, the time has come to dance to the music of democracy and freedom, which since the times of Torquemada, they never really knew.

The colonization and neo-colonization of entire continents, from which they get energy, raw materials, and cheap labor, are a moral discredit to them.

An illustrious Spanish personality, once an impeccable socialist and minister of Culture, who for some time now and even today has been advocating for the war and the use of weapons, is the synthesis of sheer nonsense. Kosovo and its unilateral declaration of independence are now hunting them as an impertinent nightmare.

In Iraq and Afghanistan, men of flesh and blood wearing the United States and NATO uniforms continue to die. The memories of the USSR, which disintegrated in part because of the interventionist adventure in Afghanistan, are chasing the Europeans like a shadow.

Bush senior endorses McCain as his candidate, while Bush junior declares in some country of Africa -where man originated yesterday and which is a martyr continent today- where no one knows what he was doing, that my message was the beginning of the road towards freedom in Cuba, that is to say, the annexation decreed by his government in a huge and thick text.

The day before, TV networks from all over the world showed a group of state-of-the-art bombers performing spectacular maneuvers, giving full guarantees that any bombs could be launched, that the aircraft that carried them will not be detected by radars, and that this will not be considered a war crime.

A protest raised by some important countries had to do with the imperial idea of testing a new weapon under the pretext of avoiding the possible fall on the territory of a foreign country of a spy satellite, one of the many artifacts that the United States has put into the planet orbit for military purposes.

I had thought not to write a reflection at least in 10 days, but I had no right to remain silent for so long. We need to open ideological fire against them.

I wrote this on Tuesday at 3:35 pm. Yesterday, I reviewed it and I will deliver it today, Thursday, in the afternoon. I have begged that my reflections be published on the second page or any other of our newspapers, never on the front page, and that brief summaries of them should be published in other media in case they are long.

I am now fully devoted to the effort of casting my full-slate vote in support of the Presidency of the National Assembly and the new State Council, as well as on the right way to do it.

I thank all readers for having waited so patiently.

Brazil expects that Parliament approves Venezuela's entry into Mercosur in two months

2008-02-26T08:19:00.000-08:00

Brazil expects that Parliament approves Venezuela's entry into Mercosur in two months
ABN 22/02/2008

Brazilia, Feb 22 ABN.- The Brazilian Chancellor, Celso Amorín, said that he hopes that the Brazilian Parliament approves in a couple of months the protocol of adhesion of Venezuela into the Southern Common Market (Mercosur), formed by Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay.

'The Congress was on vacation for a time before Christmas,' he said and added, 'I hopes that this issue will be solved soon,' Amorín said in a interview published today by the Argentinian newspaper Clarín, in Buenos Aires.

The Chancellor, who travel with Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva in an official visit to Argentina, said that his country, ' is actively working in order to prove that Brazil wants an alliance with Venezuela, there are no reasons to be afraid and we expect the full adhesion of Venezuela into the Mercosur.'

He stated: 'I don't want to put a deadline due to it would means to put a deadline to the Congress; however, in a couple of moths, maybe two months or one. I really expect that in two months, it will be approved.'

The Venezuela's protocol of adhesion was signed on Julio 4th, 2006, by the Presidents. However, it must be approved by the Parliaments of the four partners founders of the bloc to come into effect. Argentina and Uruguay have already approved it.

Sandino: “I will not surrender and here I wait for you”

2008-02-26T08:11:00.000-08:00

Sandino: “I will not surrender and here I wait for you”
ABN 22/02/2008
Caracas,

Caracas, Feb 21 ABN (Lena Jahn).- His slogan was “Free nation or death.” He talked on behalf of justice, of a sovereignty which “must not be discussed, but defended with gun in hand.” He died as a rebel in order to “not live as a slave”. In his words, always pronounced in the context of the nationalist struggle, he left the irrefutable trace of the spirit that drove him: freedom.

Following these precepts lived Augusto Cesar Sandino; a farmer, patriot and revolutionary man called the “General of free men” due to his iron resistance to the US military presence in Nicaragua and to his constant effort to achieve the peace in his land.

This heir of Liberator Simon Bolivar validated the Monte Sacro Oath (the oath Simon Bolivar undertook while upon Italy's Monte Sacro) in his Political Manifesto, issued on July 1927 in Nueva Segovia mountains, in which he swore to the nation and history that his sword would defend “the national propriety” and that it would be “redemption for the oppressed.” And so was it. Plenty of blood had to run, including his; but so was it.

Treason to the redeemer

What started as a civil war among liberal and conservative groups, further on took a different meaning and turned into a war among patriots and US invaders, who due to their meddling policy started to take over Nicaraguan strategical lands, so the internal political combat was put aside.

Unity gave strength: more than six thousand men and some women -headed by Sandino- made up the Army for the Defense of the National Sovereignty, which defeated many times the US marines, who were not used to fight at the thick rainforest. On January 1^st 1933, the invader forces abandoned Nicaraguan lands, without eliminating or capturing their enemy, and far from it, defeating him.

Once the US marines retired, Sandino sent a peace proposal to the new liberal president, Juan Bautista Sacasa, which he accepted. On February 2^nd 1933, the war officially ended up and the Sandinista army was disarmed, except for a shelter group of 100 people. Those days, Anastasio Somoza Garcia -chief director of the Nicaraguan National Guard, an army trained, equipped and financed by the United States and commanded by officials of this country- desired to take over the total control of the country, an objective only feasible with the physical disappearance of that one who offered his life in order to give back the sovereignty of the country, by principle inherent to it.

On February 21^st 1934, Sandino and his father, Sofonias Salvatierra (Minister of Land) and generals Estrada and Umanzor, attended a dinner at the Presidential Palace, invited by Sacasa. After the dinner, the
vehicle in which they traveled was stopped and a corporal on guard, who was actually a disguised major, drove them up to the El Hormiguero jail.

Sandino, Estrada and Umanzor were taken to a mountain called La Calavera, in Managua, and around 11 in the night, the battalion watching over the prisoners opened fire and killed the three generals.

The following day, soldiers from the National Guard destroyed the cooperatives established by Sandino and killed or made prisoners its inhabitants.

Two years later, Anastasio Somoza García, who affirmed to have received orders from US ambassador Arthur Bliss Lane to kill Sandino, took the power of the country and overthrew President Sacasa.

Moved by the Latin American unity

Augusto Sandino considered Simon Bolivar as one of those spirits who guide humanity. This was affirmed by Ramon Belausteguigoitia, Basque journalist who had the opportunity to interview the Nicaraguan leader on February 1933.

“Bolivar's great dream is still in perspective. The great ideals, all the ideas, go through conception and improvement stages until achieving its realization. I do not know when all of this can be achieved, but we
will keep uniting the stones,” said Sandino to answer a question made by Belausteguigoitia, in which he asked him about his movement and the conviction he had regarding the Spanish-American ideals.

In fact, the thread of his action always answered to a very nationalist motivation; besides, he always worked with a expansionist and unifier great spirit, considering Latin America as a whole. Completely inspired by the bolivarian thought, “Plan for the Realization of Bolívar's Supreme Dream' is an example of Sandino's fervent desire to materialize a dream.

The ambassador of the Nicaraguan Republic to Venezuela, Ramon Leets, explains that, according this plan, it was conformed a permanent assembly. This assembly would carry out periodic lectures with representatives specifically from the denominated Latin American Nationality, rejecting other nations' meddling, in order to establish an alliance among Latin and Caribbean nations to achieve the sovereignty of these territories. It would also be constituted the Latin American Court of Justice and an Army for the defense and to sustain such sovereignty.

Likewise, Leets indicates Carlos Aponte, a Venezuelan who performed as lieutenant colonel at the Army for the Defense of the National Sovereignty, might have taken part in the writing of the document presented by Sandino. He also says that Gustavo Machado, Aponte's compatriot who introduced the Marxist thought in Venezuela during the first decades of the XX century, was close collaborator of the Nicaraguan revolutionary leader.

Among proclaims and verses

“The bigs would say I am too small for the work I have undertaken, but my insignificance is overwhelmed by the pride of my patriot heart,” said Sandino in his Political Manifesto. Almost all his essays, charged of great literary aesthetic, show huge sensitivity and express one of its main muse: poet Ruben Dario.

Ode to Roosevelt, a work which verses severely condemns the US meddling policy, was one of the main Sandino's inspirations.

“Bolivar and Ruben Darío were decisive for Sandino, they highly influenced in his actions,” affirmed the Nicaraguan ambassador, who thinks that nationalism and socialism were the trends which shaped his ideology.

“His main objective was to take out the US invaders, which placed him in a nationalist position; but, at the same time, he worked with the people and for their benefit, which made him a socialist man,” Leets added.

Sandino himself said once at an interview with Belausteguigoitia, different words but with the same meaning, “This movement is national and anti imperialist. We keep the freedom flag for Nicaragua and for the whole Hispanic America. Thus, on the social field, this is a people's movement and we promote a sense of progress in social aspirations.”

For Sandino's compatriots and for the whole Latin America, his example is his best legacy. Loyalty to the nation and tireless fight were the people's banner on century XXI, which keep united on the complete conquest of their sovereignty. In other words, to always answer as the Nicaraguan leader answered to Gilbert Hatfield, US captain who asked him to lay down his weapons and give up, “I will not surrender and here I wait for you (...) I am not afraid of you; I count with the patriotism of those who accompany me. Nation and Freedom.”

Translated by Felitza Nava

ALBA Bank formed as alternative to IMF and World Bank

2008-01-31T08:54:00.000-08:00

Summit of the Bolivarian Alternative (ALBA) Concludes in Venezuela
ALBA Bank formed as alternative to IMF and World Bank

The 6th Summit of the Bolivarian Alternative for Latin America (ALBA), a joint Venezuelan-Cuban initiative based on fair trade as an alternative to the U.S.-sponsored Free Trade Area of the Americas, concluded in Caracas on Saturday with the founding of a new Bank of ALBA and the signing of a series of economic and social agreements between the member nations. The Dominica also became the newest country to join the regional fair trade bloc.Commenting on the launch of the new financial institution, Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez said that it breaks with capitalist concepts and is a political instrument for social and economic development. ALBA, "as its name indicates, is an alternative to the global capitalist model, a concept of a geo-economic, geopolitical, social, cultural and ideological space that is in construction," he added.Chavez also emphasized the importance of the incorporation of the Dominica into ALBA. saying, "despite the globalized media bombardment... it shows that an alternative continues growing and consolidating itself."In the face of this initiative, the Free Trade Area of the Americas proposed by the United States, "is a cadaver," Venezuela's Ambasador to Cuba, Ali Rodriguez Arraque commented.With initial financing of more than $1 billion, the Bank of ALBA, aims to promote projects of economic integration and infrastructural development as well as progress in social, educational, cultural and health programs in the member nations. It also aims to eliminate the economic weaknesses of these countries and eradicate economic asymmetries as a result of the process of financial globalization Venezuelan economist, Jesús Faría explained.Unlike other financial institutions such as the World Bank or the IMF, the Bank of ALBA will not impose loan conditions and will function based on consensus of all members. The summit agreed to a two tier mechanism for democratic decision making in the Bank, a Ministerial Council and an Executive Direction, with a rotating presidency of the member nations.Also attending the summit were presidents Evo Morales (Bolivia); Daniel Ortega (Nicaragua); vicepresident of Cuba, Carlos Lage; Prime Ministers, Roosevelt Skerrit of Dominica; Baldwin Spencer of Antigua and Barbuda; and Dr. Ralph Gonsalves of St. Vincent and the Grenadines, as well as representatives of Ecuador; San Cristóbal and Nieves; Honduras; Haití; and Uruguay.Referring to the economic crisis in the United States, Lage stressed the importance of the unity of the peoples and the formation of the Bank of ALBA, saying that Latin America should prepare itself for a "post-dollar and multi-polar world" with institutions and markets less dependent on the United States.Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega also spoke of the importance of reducing greenhouse gas emissions and made a call to industrialized and developed countries to "cease with the capitalist model" that every day weakens the planet. "The capitalist model is exhausted, it is unsustainable,"he said.ALBA delegate and Minister for the Social Investment Fund in Nicaragua, Nelson Artola, said that through agreements signed in the framework of ALBA, "the supply of oil by Venezuela has allowed us to attend to the energy emergency that Nicaragua inherited from 16 years of neoliberal governments that left blackouts and chaos in the national economy."Nicaragua and Venezuela also signed an accord for cooperation in social programs, including the construction of eight Centers for Child Development in Nicaragua as the beginning of a program to reintegrate the country's 47,000 street kids.The three day summit involved a series of meetings, including the Political Commission of ALBA, the Finance Ministers of ALBA, the Technical Financial Commission of the Bank of ALBA, a meeting of ALBA Ministers, as well as a summit of social movements from the member nations.In addition to the formation of the Bank of ALBA, the leaders of Bolivia, Cuba, Dominica, Nicaragua and Venezuela, signed a political declaration in which they announced their support for Bolivia and its process of democratic changes.They also ratified a plan to promote cultural exchange through the creation of "ALBA Houses," which Jose González, president of the ALBA House in Caracas said, "will serve as centers for creativity, artists, cultural promoters, social movements - to generate a movement that allows the knowledge of values that at times are not recognized because the mechanisms of the market are not interested in them." Other agreements for security and food sovereignty among the member countries and the proposal to form an ALBA energy company were also made.The closing act of the 6th ALBA Summit was held in the Latin American School of Medicine, where for the past six months 395 students from Latin America and the Carribean have been studying an introductory course on Medical Science as part of the educational program of ALBA.

Antonini's case is a CIA operation

2008-01-30T08:27:00.000-08:00

“The operation (of Antonini Wilson's suitcase) itself was a CIA (Central Intelligence Agency) operation”, said Luis Bilbao, Argentinean journalist and Director of the America XXI magazine, regarding the suitcase with 800 thousand dollars' case that was seized by Argentinean authorities to the businessman Guido Antonini Wilson. During an interview offered to the program En Confianza, broadcast by the television state-owned channel Venezolana de Television (VTV), Bilbao stated that as part of his research on this case, the first hypothesis he developed about this case is that the operation was thought by the North American Central Intelligence Agency. “Since the first moment I posed my first hypothesis, I knew the operation was a CIA's plan. I do not have any doubt of it”. Another hypothesis, which also involves the CIA, is that Antonini Wilson is an agent of that agency and that inside Argentinean Government there are people working for the CIA, he commented. He added that there are a lot of dark elements which indicates a direct intervention of the CIA in this case, for example the way the things happened, the already known friendship between the Wilson and the Venezuelan former President Carlos Andrés Pérez, whose name appears at the CIA lists as a collaborator. Regarding this last issue, Bilbao reminded that “everybody” knows that Carlos Andrés Pérez since 60s is part of the CIA's payroll. This was confirmed by Philip Agee, a former CIA agent, in his book where he published “all the names of the Latin American politicians and leaders that were part of the payroll. Carlos Andrés Pérez was among them”. The Argentinean journalist reported that the suitcase operation and its consequences are part of a CIA conspiracy, which tries deliberately to brake the stability, first, of the Venezuelan Government, and second, but not less important, the Argentinean Administration. Regarding the alleged statements of Moisés Maionica pleaded guilty in both charges, Bilbao stressed that these statements are pretty confusing, because Maionica, said he was innocent at the start of the trial, “one month later he says he is guilty”. Bilbao noted that the CIA made things for sure to make Maionica admit his alleged guilt and that it is very possible that during this month he was tortured, at least psychologically, to make him change his declaration. He also said that this case has to be studied in deep.

5,000 tons of food was seized during 2008

2008-01-30T08:26:00.000-08:00

Caracas, Jan 29 ABN.- Around 5000 tons of food has been seized during year 2008, as part of the operative Food Sovereignty Plan carried out by the National Guard and other organisms of the Venezuelan State, The plan is aimed at struggling against contraband and hoarding. The announcement was made Tuesday by general commander of National Guard (GN, by its Spanish acronym)), Fredy Alonso Carrión, along with the supreme command of the GN. Carrión said that the exactly quantity of seized food until January 29 is 4,939,000. The GN policemen always act within the framework of the law; they did not expropriate the food from their owners, they obliged the owners to sell the food to the Venezuelan people. Most of the food was seized in warehouse located in Táchira and Zulia states, near to Colombia border. Among the food items were: rice (900,000 kg.), powder milk (335,000 Kg), sugar (up to 946,000 Kg.) chicken (up to 159,000 Kg.), pre-cooked white corn meal (687,000 Kg.), vegetal oil (14,500 liters), and pasta (93,000 Kg.) among other products. Carrión said that they will continue indefinitely spreading this kind of operatives in all the country, especially in the frontier, in order to counteract the effect of speculation and shortage, caused by the food hoarding and contraband.

Chávez to pay honors to José Martí in Santiago de Cuba

2007-12-19T10:05:00.000-08:00

The President of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, Hugo Chávez Frías, will visit Santiago de Cuba, Cuba, to pay honors the top Cuban pro-independence leader, José Martí, after participating at the IV Petrocaribe Summit, which will be carried out at Cienfuegos.

The information was made known by the Ambassador of Venezuela to Cuba, Alí Rodríguez Araque. It is expected as well that Chávez will visit the Moncada Barracks, which was a military building at the 50s and the assault on it, led by Fidel Castro, marked the start of the Cuban Revolution, which would succeed on January, 1959.

José Martí was born in La Havana on January 28, 1853. He was a poet, thinker, politic activist, and at the end of his days, he was a pro-independence fighter. He is considered the father of the Cuban motherland and, because his actions and his writings, he is also considered an ideological leader of Cuba. Martí dies fighting at Dos Ríos on May 19, 1895. His remains, after several problems, were carried to Santiago de Cuba and placed at a pantheon – specially designed for this purpose- on June 30, 1951. The remains of Cuban patriots like Carlos Manuel de Céspedes and Frank País also rest in Santiago. Céspedes (1818-1874) was a lawyer who started the anti-colonial fight. In the middle of the war against Spain, in 1869, he was appointed as the President of the Republic on Arms.

He is reminded by his strength when one of his sons is captured by the Spaniards in 1870 and then he was executed by a firing squad, because Céspedes refused to surrender. Hs strong revolutionary personality was a landmark among land-owners, who gave him the nickname of the Father of the Homeland. Frank País (1934-1957) was a student leader who fought against the dictatorship of Fulgencio Batista. He was part of the July 26 Movement led by Fidel Castro. The police killed him at the streets of Santiago de Cuba on July 30, 1957. He was only 22 years old. The killing triggered a wave of protests nationwide and constituted a decisive event to boost the Cuban Revolution.

By other hand, the action known as the assault to the Moncada’s Barracks was the first armed insurrection of Fidel Castro. It took place in 1953, even if its military objective failed and dozens of Cubans were killed in cold blood under the orders of Batista’s dictatorship, it shocked Cuba and sew the revolutionary ideas, which was necessary to keep the armed fight started in 1868 by Cubans against the Spaniard colonialism. After Cuban revolution’s victory, Moncada was transformed into a school city and it was renamed “School City July 26”.