Meanwhile in Venezuela

You may recall that there was an opposition march on Friday in Caracas that might have spelled big trouble. The background, if you haven't been reading YWA, is that Hugo Chavez was elected to the presidency in a truly landslide victory in 1998. The elite powers who had been in control of the government were not ready to relinquish power. With the help of the American government (which is strongly anti-Chavez, a leftist anti-FTAA leader), the opposition has mounted various attempts to remove Chavez from the presidency, including a failed coup d'état in 2002. (Please have a look at my previous posts on Venezuela and my ongoing current articles webpage for more information.)

Yesterday, La Belle Soeur and I had the great luck of being able to view a screening of a documentary that was made concerning the failed coup. Therefore, I have some background information with which to discuss the following article from today's edition of Vheadline.com.

In a strongly worded message to the opposition-loaded print & broadcast media, President Hugo Chavez Frias says "We are on alert! Venezuela is not going to put up with any more deception, we won't allow ourselves to be burned any more ... we will have to impose the Constitution and the law and you are obliged to respect it and if you don't you will have to suffer the consequences."

First of all, the documentary (The Revolution Will Not Be Televised) was made by obviously sympathetic Irish film makers. All the shots were live, however, and the "facts" presented indisputable. The reason the "revolution" was not televised is that five of six television stations were owned by opposition members - essentially what amounts to the long-standing ruling class of elites in Venezuela, who made their profits and livelihoods draining the state's oil profits and denying any government voice to the majority of the country's people - the 80% of the population that has lived in poverty. The one state owned television channel was forcefully taken over in the attempted coup. Venezuelans therefore had only the news presented by opposition-controlled news services. And those services simply did not report when throngs of citizens, together with the presidential palace guard (a division of the army) retook the palace and reinstated Chavez, the democratically elected leader of the country.

I was impressed with the way the guards and Chavez' cabinet handled the situation. The opposition had arranged a coup, using the members of the elite class (upper and middle classes) without their understanding of what was planned (and still they don't get it) to take the palace and create the illusion of Chavez supporters as a murdering horde. The fact, as shown by the documentary, is that the pro-Chavez group were fired on by snipers. They were the ones who were killed. And yet, the opposition TV news broadcast that it was the pro-Chavez group who had fired on and killed the opposition marchers.

At any rate, the coup leaders (High Army and industry tycoons) took the palace and threatened to blow it up unless Chavez resigned. He would not do so, but in a compromise, he allowed himself to be taken prisoner. Once again, the TV news broadcast that he had resigned. The coup leaders then went on to set up a new government, in spite of the fact that Venezuela still had an elected president, now a prisoner at some unknown location. His cabinet members went into hiding to avoid the same fate.

When the "revolution" occured 48 hours later, and Chavez was reinstated, the group then controlling the palace were gathered up and told that they were considered free people with all the rights of any Venezuelan citizen. Quite a stunning move, in my mind, considering who they were dealing with. In his return speech, Chavez appealed to all the members of the oppostion. He said he was sorry that he could not change their minds, but he asked them to respect the constitution and the will of the people.

The opposition usurper president, Pedro Carmona, went to Miami. (Miami seems to be a favored spot of ex-dictators and despots.) Another of the officials also went to the U.S. Others stayed in Venezuela and have continued to organize against Chavez.

I was thinking while watching the film that there would be some extra precautions taken to prevent another coup. And I suppose there have been. For Chavez now to declare that there will be consequences suffered for not upholding the constitution, I think is absolutely understandable. These people were allowed to go free the first time. They have been given the chance to work within the laws of the constitution. To choose to continue to overthrow the government by violent or extralegal means is an affront that cannot go unanswered.

Chavez Frias says intelligence services had uncovered an opposition conspiracy to launch a new coup d'etat attempt but that he had been able to act quickly to thwart the attempt ... he warns that troops are on standby to take over opposition-controlled private television stations if they encourage violence or conspiracies against his democratically-elected government ... "we were ready, on Friday, to take them off the air ... the armed forces are ready to take down your antennas on my given order."

Notice that he does not simply take over the privately owned television stations which are constantly pouring out lies and invectives against him. Only if they encourage rebellion. This is the man that Washington is calling a terrorist supporter and a despot. The opposition, which actually did act in a despotic manner, has our support. Perhaps we will demand a little more truth when the time comes to "liberate" Venezuelans.

Chavez also warned the US administration and the CIA to quit meddling in Venezuela's domestic political affairs ... he says he has clear evidence that the United States has been funding a raft of opposition moves to overthrow his government before and after the USA-backed April 2002 coup which saw USA-puppet dictator Pedro Carmona Estanga in power for just two days before he was kicked out of office for dissolving parliament, the judiciary and the constitution in one fell swoop.

Chavez Frias insists that there has been clear evidence of USA complicity with the latest would-be coupsters and says he had had advance warning of their intentions to spark a violent insurrection this weekend ... he again warns that the Bush 2 administration welcomed anti-government rebels with open arms in Washington D.C. to plan acts of violence aimed at putting in place a USA-led dictatorship in Venezuela for at least the next 15-20 years.

Chavez Frias has called on the Army and security services as well as Venezuelan patriots to be on guard 24/7 against whatever attempt is made to drag Venezuela back into violence ... "I have the security that, with the movements, the communications counter-offensive and the international efforts we have made, we will deactivate any plan which a group of persons has elaborated to set the country on fire again ... their plans are live, active ... but we will remain alert for every move."

"We have come to a point in time where what we must do is to impede the media from allowing themselves to be converted into principal focuses for the conspiracy ... I am not going to allow it to happen again ... we are ready to taken them off the air at any moment, day or night ... it is my responsibility under the law as Head of State. Globovision and Venevision have returned to the same path, but they should not believe that they are dealing with the same Hugo Chavez as in 2002, we will not toleate any more conspiracies against the legitimate government."

"I have no illusions about some of the (Venezuelan) media ... but the reality is the government, the state and the people are winning this war, which really is a historic conflict, without firing a bullet. We want a country where we can all live together, at the same time I insist that the work of those who wish to bring about a civil war in Venezuela is not just limited to our country ... the world around us can see and remember what the US Department of State has said ... this department and the CIA does not know us Venezuelans ...

Referring to evidence that fraud has been committed in the collection of opposition signatures against him, President Hugo Chavez Frias says "we have told the truth and the truth will win in Venezuela and around the world."

Jimmy Carter has recently visited Venezuela as one of a number of international watchdogs to be certain that there is no corruption involved in the opposition's process to recall Chavez. That corruption watch goes both ways. And Carter has made a public statement that the process is being done legally and justly, and that the opposition should stand down and let it proceed according to law. Of course, they are not willing to do so, since they do not have nearly enough signatures to lawfully stage the referendum.

"We are fulfilling this dream to give our people the greatest possible pursuit of happiness ... the Mision Vuelvan Caras (About Face Mission) will shortly begin working to transform community living, it is not just an employment program ... we are working through detail after detail in what will be a pilot plan on the road to La Guaira and we will transform the whole structure and functioning of services and urban spaces."

"We have gained a lot of ground with the organization of community objectives contemplated in the first stage ... people will be able to implement their own seed programs and D.I.Y. building to improve quality of life."

For more information on the new constitution and the Chavez government's aims to bring a voice and basic humanitarian services to all the people of Venezuela, see this previous post.

Meanwhile the President has denounced the on-going media campaign against Venezuela, pinpointing coverage of opposition marches by USA network CNN. "If there is any news against the government CNN will cover it, but if there is anything favorable to the government, they will ignore it. It is very difficult for us to swim against the stream of this negativity against the Bolivarian process, but out new Foreign Minister, Jesus Arnoldo Perez and all our ambassadors are up to the job!"

Besides CNN, President Chavez cited clearly negative information published in the Miami Herald, New York Times and Washington Post which he says is in unison with a larger part of the private media in Venezuela who he says are mainly responsible for the ongoing disinformation campaign aimed at damaging Venezuela's good name.

CNN has been using clips from the privately owned television stations in Venezuela. There is a great propaganda campaign going on here. Because, Venezuela has our oil.

Look for the presidential candidate here who will at the very least make it a priority to wean the U.S. from reliance on foreign oil. That's something even the wingers can get behind.

....but hey, do what you want....you will anyway.