Posted on 05/30/2007 12:54:17 PM PDT by 300magnum
Facing one of its most serious crises, the government of Venezuela continues to use tear gas and rubber bullets against tens of thousands of pro-democracy demonstrators in the streets of Caracas.
President Hugo Chavez sent troops into the streets of his nation's capital to quell protests over the closure of Radio Caracas Television (RCTV), one of the last major sources of media opposition to his government.
The government accuses RCTV of violating broadcasting regulations, while critics say Chavez simply wants to silence a vocal opponent of the regime. Chavez on Wednesday turned his sights on another, smaller opposition news channel, Globovision, calling it an enemy of the state and accusing it of misreporting the RCTV story.
With the closure of RCTV, Chavez directly or indirectly controls almost all major sources of information in Venezuela, leaving many in that country fearing that he is following in the footsteps of his mentor and close friend, Fidel Castro, who has ruled Cuba since 1959.
U.S. Rep. Connie Mack (R-Fla), a member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee and a Chavez critic, issued a statement voicing concern about the latest developments.
Mack said the suppression of RCTV placed the people of Venezuela "just a heartbeat away from living under a complete and total dictatorship." The State Department and nations around the world also expressed dismay.
Chavez's "21st century socialism" demands adherence by more than just the media, however. One of his key goals is the transformation of education from a "capitalist" to "socialist" form of instruction.
Two weeks ago, as the government moved to take RCTV off the air, Education Minister Adan Chavez - the president's brother - declared that education has now been "transformed" from a "colonial model" to one "assuring the consolidation of the Socialist Republic of Venezuela," the widely read El Universal daily reported.
All that is regarded as "capitalista" - capitalist - has been discarded or denounced. Adan Chavez said capitalism propagates "excessive consumerism, strife and enslavement."
Chavez's critics have also condemned what they term the "politicization" of the armed forces. The government requires military personnel to take an oath to "the fatherland, socialism, or death," El Universal quoted the leader of a prominent anti-Chavez group as saying.
Cesar Perez Vivas, leader of the Parliamentary Democracy Forum, said the government was violating the country's constitution by demanding a political oath from members of the military.
In the early years of Chavez's tenure, the military was a major source of opposition to Chavez and his policies, and some elements in the armed forces were active in a short-lived revolt against Chavez in 2002.
Critics say the oath suggests that the military, like the education system, is being "transformed."
The United States is directly impacted by the actions of Chavez. Venezuela is the fifth largest producer of oil in the world, and one of America's major suppliers. Analysts say Chavez is also seeking to export his ideas across Latin America and counts the presidents of Ecuador and Bolivia as close allies.
Ian Vasquez, Director for Global Economic Liberty at the Cato Institute, said Wednesday that while he did not know whether the current demonstrations would spread, he was pessimistic about the ability of the opposition to affect Chavez's actions.
Although what Chavez has done was "highly unpopular," Vasquez said, dissent would "make little difference in changing Chavez's policies."
Vasquez said he saw "no light at the end of the tunnel" as Chavez has been able to concentrate almost total power in his hands.
Democracy has "ceased to exist" in Venezuela, and the military, once a center of opposition, is now "completely under the control" of Chavez and his supporters, he argued.
Eric Watnik, spokesman for the State Department's Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs, described the protestors as "supporters of free expression" and pointed to an official State Department statement released on Tuesday.
Watnik said he could not comment on the situation in the Venezuelan military or on the possible impact on gas prices of the crisis.
Tuesday's statement called on the Venezuelan government to abide by its international commitments and reverse its policies. "Freedom of expression is a fundamental human right and it's an essential element of democracy anywhere in the world," it said.
Leftwing communist regimes just always have bad luck in picking their leaders. Commies are about 100 for 100 in picking evil ruthless dictators. If only liberals could find that one honest commie leader that would lead them to the promise land.
“the government of Venezuela continues to use tear gas and rubber bullets against tens of thousands of pro-democracy demonstrators...”
That George Bush really is a rascally fellow, isn’t he? He obviously put these demonstrators up to it.
That's "tens of thousands of pro-democracy demonstrators in the streets of Caracas."
I think so too. If/when Chavez turns the military loose on the protesters.
Which he intends to replace with: poverty, repression and enslavement.
“Adan Chavez said capitalism propagates “excessive consumerism...”
Al “Commie” Gore should like this. Maybe he can run down there with a flamethrower and burn a few protesters into carbon.
Too many people considered Chavez a sort of hero to the people.
That idea is now dead. Chavez killed it himself.
I'd really like to believe that was true. The DUmmies are calling RCTV a tool of the CIA, and the tens of thousands of protestors are being mislead by CIA operatives according to the loonies. There's a dangerously large segment of our population that'll believe that, aided by the pandering moonbat politicians and the MSM regurgitating DNC talking points. Chavez called Bush the devil, you know he's got to be a great man!
I'm just waiting for the MSM to call the protestors "freedom fighters"...but I think they reserve that honorary title for Hamas, Hezbollah, and the like. Sorry. I'm feeling a little cynical.
Paging General Pinochet.....
(NO sarcasm intended)
- John
I’m not convinced the army has the stomach to do much more than they are doing now. From what I read, there is a lot of reluctance among the rank and file of the military to turn this into a full-scale slaughter.
The DUmmies are being torn asunder over Chavez. There are the ones who are seeing the light versus the blind Chavez loyalists who will NEVER see him for what he really is.
"Venezuelan demonstrator gives a flower to a riot police officer during a protest against the decision by President Hugo Chavez to take the country's oldest television channel, Radio Caracas Television (RCTV), off the air and replace it with a state-run channel to promote his socialist programs, in downtown Caracas May 29, 2007." REUTERS/Francesco Spotorno (VENEZUELA)
About a third of the DUmmies see him as Castro-lite. And that's way more than a few years ago. But you can still see his apologists spinning away over there.
It will be interesting to see just how long they hang on.
I’m not sure that the likes of Danny Glover, Cindy Sheehan, etc. have conscience enough to squirm.
They individually may all feel a momentary pang - and then they’ll mentally file it away.
Rubber bullets eh?
So the leftisits at McCarthur Park in L.A. want to sue the L.A.P.D. while our idiot mayor is on his knees pleading for forgiveness from the illegals for using rubber bullets- meanwhile Chavez fires rubber bullets over there and it’s “OK”.
BTW, Chavez’ fingerprints are all over the illegal marches here.
The lefties in this country didn't squirm with Uncle Joe, so why would they squirm with Chavez?
Lesson for today: Never elect a convicted felon to high office.
This is a ridiculous argument for the Left to use.
Even if this was true -- the worst mistake a leader can make is to muzzle the opposition. This is a "liberal" principle.
“...and Chavez will be doing some things that will make Danny Glover and other squirm.”
I doubt it will bother Danny Glover or the other elitist liberal scum.
And the media will convieniently and characteristically forget how much Glover and company love this totalitarian POS...
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