Bush's hawks making way to Latin America, too

THE Bush White House can't seem to help itself. Even as it appears ready to swoop down on Iraq, it is also elevating hawks to new perches on the Latin American branch.

The White House announced on Jan. 9 that it will name Otto J. Reich to the position of the National Security Council's special envoy to Latin America -- a position that was specially created for him after his recess appointment as assistant secretary of state for the Western Hemisphere expired. The move will keep the highly controversial Reich in government and does not require Senate confirmation.

Under the Reagan administration, Reich headed the Office of Public Diplomacy, which aimed to create public support in the United States for the Nicaraguan anti-Sandinista rebels, also known as the Contras. Congress later closed down the office because a comptroller's report found that the office engaged in "prohibited, covert propaganda activities" during the Iran-Contra affair.

Then as a lobbyist, Reich's consulting firm pushed for the sale of fighter jets to Chile, which contradicted U.S. policy of opposing the sale of sophisticated weapons to Latin America. Reich also helped draft the 1995 Helms-Burton Act, which allows lawsuits against foreign companies doing business in Cuba. This act benefited one of Reich's top clients, Bacardi & Co.

As assistant secretary of state for the Western Hemisphere, Reich reportedly communicated with Venezuelan coup leaders in the days before the overthrow of democratically elected President Hugo Chavez last April. Though the Bush White House quickly retracted its story following Chavez's reinstatement, Reich's actions came under bipartisan fire.

Sen. Richard Lugar, R-Ind., head of the Foreign Relations Committee, and other Republican leaders declined to back him. In an op-ed last year, former Costa Rican President and Nobel Peace Prize-winner Oscar Arias argued that "appointing someone of Reich's ideological stripe and experience would be a real setback in hemispheric cooperation."

To fill Reich's spot, the Bush administration is planning to nominate Roger F. Noriega, a former aide to ultraconservative Sen. Jesse Helms. The ideological cousin of Reich, Noriega is currently the U.S. representative to the Organization of American States. "There are a number of individuals with a great deal more stature and strong bipartisan support who could do this very important job," a spokesman for Sen. Chris Dodd, D-Conn., told The New York Times.

The reorganization of Bush's Latin America team does not bode well for the region. The constitutional crisis continues to boil over in Venezuela, a civil war is under way in Colombia, the Argentine economy is struggling after its collapse, and new presidents have taken office in Ecuador and Brazil.

The appointment of two Cold War relics is deeply troubling. Reich and Noriega are hard-liners who view the region through an outdated polarized lens. Their hawkish policies can only hurt the United States abroad at a time when we should be seeking cooperation.

Ruiz is co-producing The Sixth Section, a documentary that follows the organization efforts of undocumented Mexican workers in upstate New York.

Here and abroad, the Left falls all over dictators that turn their countries into wastelands.

Hugo Chavez - Venezuela

Fidel Castro - Cuba

Latin America deserves a top-notch U.S. envoy *** Unfortunately, a closer look at his credentials shows that, like Otto Reich - whom Bush wisely decided not to re-nominate to the post of assistant secretary of state for Western Hemisphere affairs - Noriega is not the diplomat the White House needs in the region. As the senior aide to former U.S. Sen. Jesse Helms, R-N.C., Noriega actively promoted his boss' xenophobic, anti-Communist and anti-Cuban agenda. Moreover, he hasn't hesitated to offend some foreign diplomats. For instance, Noriega publicly accused Mexico's Foreign Minister Jorge Castañeda - who just announced his resignation - of anti-U.S. prejudices. This is a critical time in Latin America. Besides the turmoil in Argentina, Colombia and Venezuela, nations like Brazil and Ecuador have elected populist presidents who may not always see eye to eye with Washington.***

The president's other face (Hugo Chavez)***Mr. Chavez was democratically elected with an overwhelming majority in 1998. This mandate allowed him -- through several referendums -- to dissolve Congress, create a Constitutional Assembly that drafted the current constitution, and to be elected once again -- as first president of the newly christened "Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela."

But democratic legitimacy demands consistently playing by the rules. And once re-elected, Mr. Chavez revealed his true nature: the former paratrooper head of the failed military coup d'état of 1992. Soon showing a total disregard for democratic institutions, he moved to gain a stronghold on the country's legislative and judicial systems, and to involve the military in a myriad of civilian affairs, even selling food at cost on the streets.

The President has systematically harassed the media, intimidated his opposition, and alienated critical sectors of Venezuelan society, such as the Church, businesses, the middle class, civilian organizations and NGOs -- those who now march in the streets calling for his ouster. His violent speeches are loaded with diatribes against "them." Anyone who is not a loyal supporter is accused of being a fascist, sometimes in scatological terms. (Despite his claims, Mr. Chavez's "little blue book," as he calls the constitution, does allow for civil disobedience; Article 350 should grant the general strike legitimacy.)

The LIBERAL media is certainly on the side of communist dictators and those who disparage Cuba Americans.

Shores fires inspector for remarks on Cubans *** ''What I said was that since the parade is no more, the Cubans did not support revitalizing it,'' he said. ``But the way he rearranged my words made me look like a total bigot.'' As for Esher's belief that his rights were violated, the American Civil Liberties Union says he may have a point. 'People should be judged on their abilities to perform their job, not on what the city manager, in a startling admission, says are `unfortunate comments' to a journalist,'' said Howard L. Simon, executive director of the ACLU's Florida chapter.

While Esher's comment may have been offensive, it was made during a casual conversation to a high-profile writer about his recent column, and shouldn't be the basis for dismissal, Simon said. DeFede, who says the remarks in the column were accurate, said Esher's comments, while offensive, were not unusual in South Florida.***

I see that they're slowly starting to catch up and get nervous, now that their hero Chavez is having trouble.

I'd bet money Jimmy Carter guided Chavez's call for this pro-communist rally.

Supporters bussed into Caracas - government finances pro-Castro march *** While the government tried to paint the rally as a spontaneous offering of support for a beloved leader, the marchers arrived on hundreds of buses from around the nation, apparently financed by the government despite a crippling strike that has sapped the country of gasoline and $4 billion. ''This march shows there is gasoline -- the government has it,'' opposition negotiator Rafael Alfonzo said. ``All Venezuelans paid for this march. It came out of our pockets.''

Asked who paid just how much for Thursday's demonstration, a presidential spokesman said, ''That's impertinent. That's not informing,'' and hung up. José Vegas, a city administrator from Barranca, insisted that nobody received ''one cent'' from the government. The buses from his city, he said, were paid with ``personal money of the mayor and his friends.''

An alliance of business, labor and oil interests declared strike here Dec. 2, believing the work stoppage would bring Chávez to his knees. But while the strike was a tremendous blow to the currency and the state oil company Petróleos de Venezuela, Chávez remains in office as gas lines grow and the economy remains at a standstill. Although polls show the president's approval ratings are low -- 30 percent -- his supporters are zealous believers in his ``Bolivarian revolution.''***

I'd bet money Jimmy Carter guided Chavez's call for this pro-communist rally.

Wouldn't surprise me. What's really revolting is that my local paper, the Gainesville Sun (a NY Times paper) totally ignored the much bigger earlier anti-Chavez marches and gave this government-organized charade lots of coverage, with the headline, "300,000 turn out to support Chavez." "Turn out" indeed! To have to read this stupidity first thing in the morning was nauseating. Barf.

On the good side, Mary Anastasia O'Grady had another excellent piece about Venezuela in the Wall Street Journal today. I don't have subscriber's access to the on-line site or I'd post it. If anybody else does, perhaps they could put it up. She's an excellent analyst of Latin American issues.

Chavez warns "fascist oligarchs" and threatens to pull broadcast licenses of TV stations *** Chavez claims the ideology of his so-called "Bolivarian Revolution," is based on the thoughts and writings of Venezuela's 19th century independence hero Simon Bolivar. "It's easy to call the opposition fascist, coup-plotting and terrorist when it is obvious you are the only one who doesn't respect the constitution," strike leader Juan Fernandez countered. The march marked the 45th anniversary of the fall of the country's last dictator, Marcos Perez Jimenez, and came a day before Friday's first meeting in Washington of the "Group of Friends," six nations that have offered to help Venezuela find a way out of its crisis. The meeting will consider two plans presented this week by former U.S. President Jimmy Carter to end the strike and hold early elections.

Venezuela's Supreme Court this week rejected on a technicality a move to hold a nonbinding referendum on Feb. 2 on whether Chavez should quit.

Chavez said late Wednesday he welcomed international help but warned against outside intervention in Venezuela's internal affairs. He urged the group - Brazil, Chile, Mexico, Portugal, Spain and the United States - to recognize that his is an elected government and to not give equal weight to what he calls an "undemocratic" opposition. Opposition leaders contend Chavez's leftist policies have damaged business and scared away foreign investment. They called the strike on Dec. 2 to force him from office. The work stoppage has damaged the oil industry in Venezuela, the world's fifth-largest exporter and a top supplier to the United States.

The strike has affected world oil prices, and cost the government $4 billion in lost revenue. The state news agency Venpres quoted Ali Rodriguez, president of the state owned oil monopoly Petroleos de Venezuela S.A., as saying most blue-collar workers and half of administrators had returned to work. Rodriguez also said crude production has surpassed 1 million barrels per day. Fedepetrol, Venezuela's largest oil workers union, insisted 17,000 of its 20,000 workers remained on strike. Striking executives, meanwhile, said Venezuela had raised oil production to 812,000 barrels per day. Pre-strike production was about 3.2 million barrels per day. ***

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