Posted on 11/21/2002 8:14:47 AM PST by Cincinatus' Wife
Edited on 07/12/2004 3:59:06 PM PDT by Jim Robinson. [history]
CARACAS, Venezuela - Bolivarian Circles, the Cuban-inspired neighborhood vigilante groups charged with protecting the populist revolution of President Hugo Chavez, are being armed with weapons diverted from the military, according to army officers.
The increased firepower raises the risk of violence between them and anti-Chavez groups who have marched almost daily to protest the president's order last week to fire the chief of the Caracas city police and place his forces under the control of the national guard.
(Excerpt) Read more at washtimes.com ...
A new constitution written by Chávez supporters requires all schools to teach ``Bolivarian principles'' ---- a code phrase for Chávez's brand of leftist populism ---- and the pro-Chávez majority in the legislative National Assembly is preparing a bill laying out the exact curriculum.
Last month, the president issued Decree 1011, creating a corps of ``itinerant inspectors'' empowered to close schools and fire teachers that don't follow government-set procedures and standards.
``Political commissars,'' Agudo called them. Jaime Manzo, head of the national teachers' union, called it ``a sword hanging over the head of any teacher who refuses to sing Chávez's praises in the classroom.''
Parents' groups and the teachers' union have appealed to the Supreme Court to block the decree and submitted to the assembly an alternate education reform plan that guarantees a ``pluralist education'' and bans ``partisan politics'' from the classroom.
New history texts for fourth- and sixth-graders published in 1999 praised Chávez's coup attempt and branded as ``corrupt oligarchies'' the two parties that ruled Venezuela since the late 1950s, Democratic Action and COPEI.
Chávez has also greatly expanded a system of paramilitary classes in public high schools that had long been on the books but were seldom held, portraying them as ``the founding stones of the new Venezuelan man.''
``He is promoting militarism, infecting texts with viruses that foster class hatreds ... and speak against globalization and privatization,'' Raffalli said in an interview.
Chávez recently signed a deal with Cuba under which Havana will train Venezuelan teachers and provide educational materials, and Education Minister Hector Navarro last year approved a nationwide essay competition on the life of Argentine-born Cuban revolutionary Ernesto ``Ché'' Guevara. [End Excerpt] [End Excerpt]
Venezuela Now Almost a Cuban Satellite [Full Text] An inflamatory story in Cuba's government-backed Granma newspaper laid bare the increasingly tightening relationship between Havana and the government of Venezuela's President Hugo Chavez.
Commenting on a May 30th anti-Castro demonstration in front of the Cuban embassy in Caracas and a similar one in Miami in front of the Venezuelan consulate, Granma's correspondent unwitttingly revealed how close Chavez's Venezuela has come to becoming a Cuban satellite.
"In the case of the documents that unite Caracas and Havana, there is a wide range of cooperation including public health and sports, covering 3,000 Cuban trainers," the Granma story revealed. "The Links have promoted bilateral exchanges, through which governors, politicians, youth delegates and trade unionists, among others, have visited our country, and ours have visited theirs."
In addition, swarms of Cuban medical personnel have arrived in Venezuela and all but taken over the nation's medical care services.
Granma ranted and raved against the anti-communist movement in Venezuela, attacking those who chanted "Death to Communism" and saying that this "was the worn-out, hysterical cry, despite the fact that thousands of Venezuelans are benefiting from the care provided by Cuban medical personnel in Venezuela."
"Cuba and Venezuela are united by strong ties and joined by history," the story concluded. "Those who wish to break those ties have already wracked their brains trying to destroy the Cuban Revolution. Those who choose the path of counterrevolution opt for hate; in contrast, Cubans and Venezuelans have the antidote of solidarity, as it was demonstrated in Caracas on May 31." [End]
Chavez security chief alleges FARC links[Excerpt] I am resigning because I disagree with the DISIP's policy of providing security to Colombian guerrillas ... this policy is more than just irregular, it approaches treason to Venezuela given the innumerable deaths, kidnappings and other crimes for which these groups are responsible in our country."
Egui Bastidas said 90 percent of his fellow officers "obey orders but do not agree with them" and called on President Hugo Chavez to reverse his policy of tacit support for the rebels.
"All the peace negotiations there are over and open confrontations between the guerrillas and the Colombian government have begun. Are they going to carry on letting them cross over into Venezuelan territory?" Egui Bastidas asked.
The former DISIP official called on the Armed Forces to issue a statement about their view of the Chávez government's alleged support for the Colombian guerrillas.
Egui Bastidas also made a number of revelations about DISIP activities in recent months. He said the Venezuelan security service had collected personal information about all serving military officers and had also tried to smear opposition figures, such as Alberto Pena, the mayor of Metropolitan Caracas.
The official said he was also concerned at the growing role of Russian and Cuban security advisers in Venezuela.
Egui Bastidas said he had experienced "the direct participation and the attempts at indoctrination by the Russian and Cuban intelligence services, who have direct and virtually unlimited access within the Helicoide (DISIP's headquarters building)."
The official's lawyer, former DISIP Secretary-General Joaquin Chaffardet, said around 100 members of the Cuban intelligence services are currently operating in Venezuela.
The new allegations would, if proven, further strain the already difficult relationship between the United States and Venezuela. [End Excerpt]
Naw, Chavez, the Bolivarian Circles, and the Cuban military agents are all in Venezuela to support democracy, peace, and warm puppies.
Secondly, Venezuela provides a healthy percentage of the world's oil production, including that of which is consumed by the US. On a strategic level we don't need any greater reliance on middle-eastern oil.
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