Bush, Chavez clash on trade - violence mars opening of hemispheric summit (Chavez salutes Sheehan)

San Diego Union-Tribune ^ | November 5, 2005 | Finlay Lewis

[Cincinatus' Wife]

MAR DEL PLATA, Argentina – President Bush pressed his free trade agenda on Friday at the opening session of a hemispheric summit in the face of a challenge by Venezuela's leftist leader Hugo Chavez and street violence by anti-American protesters. The disagreement between Bush and Chavez over trade unfolded against the backdrop of a daylong protest that turned from peaceful to unruly and lawless by evening as about a thousand rock-throwing militants burned an American flag and threw a gasoline bomb that ignited a blaze in a downtown bank at this seaside resort of 600,000.

Argentine police responded with tear gas and rubber bullets as they contained the unrest to about a six-block area less than a mile from the luxury hotel where the American president and the leaders of 33 other nations met in the opening session of a two-day Summit of the Americas. The purpose of the summit is to devise strategies for reducing poverty, promoting economic growth and advancing the cause of political reform.

The unrest grew after Chavez delivered a two-hour address to a crowd of about 10,000 at a local soccer stadium. The throng enthusiastically embraced the Venezuelan leader's anti-American rhetoric, which included a salute to anti-war protester Cindy Sheehan, the mother of a soldier killed in action in Iraq and the focal point of a domestic anti-war movement.

With a six-story banner of the martyred Cuban revolutionary Che Guevara serving as a backdrop, Chavez declared, "Only united can we defeat imperialism and bring our people a better life."

Later, the Venezuelan president joined Bush and other leaders at the opening session of the two-day summit just as the protests began turning ugly.

Bush listened pensively as the summit's host, Argentine President Nestor Kirchner, criticized the American administration for backing International Monetary Fund policies that Kirchner blamed for his country's economic collapse five years ago.

He urged Bush to exercise "responsible leadership" in the hemisphere.

Earlier Bush praised Kirchner's leadership for restoring economic growth to his country. He also said that Kirchner's success should strengthen Argentina's hand in loan negotiations with the IMF, an institution many regional critics consider too closely allied with Washington's favored policies.

Bush's woes extended beyond the criticism from Kirchner and Chavez. When he took questions from American reporters he was asked not about hemispheric matters but about the political woes he left behind back in Washington. It was the first time the president had fielded questions in the week since his administration was hit with the indictment of Vice President Dick Cheney's chief of staff.

Bush deflected those questions and tried, instead, to focus on the hemispheric issues on the summit agenda – the same issues Chavez proclaimed he was here to defeat.

Chavez arrived at this seaside resort city in the morning to declare that a proposed hemisphere wide trade deal strongly backed by the Bush administration is "dead," adding, "We are going to bury it here. We are here to change the course of history."

As Chavez was arriving, Bush was promoting his trade agenda at small sessions of other Latin American leaders, many of whom disagree with Chavez and support Bush's trade aims.

But the protesters were solidly with Chavez.

The demonstrations began early with the downtown streets ringing with chants of "Fascist Bush! You are the terrorist" and "Get out, Bush."

Despite the later spasm of violence, the demonstrations appeared smaller and less threatening than the protests at the last summit in 2001 in Quebec City, Canada, or the huge and deadly anti-globalization riots that paralyzed Genoa, Italy, later that year during a summit of the world's major industrial powers.

"It is not easy to host all these countries," acknowledged Bush, as he and Kirchner appeared briefly before reporters following a morning meeting between the two leaders. "It's particularly not easy to host, perhaps, me."

They took no questions, while Latin American reporters said that Kirchner, also a populist critic of American policies both in Iraq and in the hemisphere, used the Spanish word for "raw" to describe the session. Bush characterized it as "good, honest discussion."

In a brief question-and-answer session with reporters later, Bush said he would be civil in anticipation of a possible face-to-face meeting with Chavez during the two-day summit.

"I will, of course, be polite. That's what the American people expect their president to do, is to be a polite person," Bush said.

As negotiators haggled over a draft declaration, Bush met in the morning with the leaders of Central American and Andean countries – minus Venezuela – to discuss improved trade ties with the United States.

Few details have emerged about the precise plans that will be offered by the summit on Saturday at its concluding session for tackling poverty and strengthening economic growth in the region.

However, free trade has emerged as a flash point dividing Bush not only from Chavez but also for different reasons from Argentina and, particularly, Brazil. While the Venezuelan leader dismisses free trade as a ploy to benefit the rich, the latter two nations are balking at a so-called Free Trade Area of the Americas unless the United States agrees to open its markets more fully to agricultural imports.

There were some signs, however, of progress on the FTAA, an idea originally broached at the first hemispheric summit 11 years ago but lately sidetracked while global trade negotiators haggle over the issue of agricultural subsidies.

Mexican President Vicente Fox said that 29 of the 34 nations at the summit would like to bring an FTAA to a conclusion. The holdouts are Brazil, Argentina, Venezuela, Paraguay and Uruguay. With the exception of Venezuela, all the holdouts are members of a regional trade bloc known as Mercosur.

The FTAA also received a vote of confidence from Salvadoran President Tony Saca, who said, "Today we are not attending the burial of the FTAA in this summit. We, the majority of the presidents have come here to reiterate our firm resolve and commitment to free trade, to an economic opening and to programs that generate employment."

With the FTAA in abeyance in recent years, Bush has followed a parallel strategy of negotiating free trade deals with the Central American countries and a three-nation bloc from the Andean region – Colombia, Peru and Ecuador.

He has consistently argued that expanded trade offers the best opportunity for raising living standards and incomes across the region.

Tom Shannon, assistant secretary of state for the Western Hemisphere, told reporters, "It's become clear as the negotiations have moved forward that there is significant support within the region for ... a (FTAA)."

However, he also insisted, "It is important to understand that this is not a meeting about trade ... This is a meeting about leaders from the democratic states in the Americas getting together to discuss common problems, common values and try to construct common responses that ... deliver the goods to the people."

[Cincinatus' Wife]

Video at source.

_________________________________

Also, from the Washington Post:

Retired Argentine soccer star Diego Maradona will be on the streets of the beach resort town leading protesters whose anti-Bush fervor he has fueled on his popular talk show, "a Noche del 10." Cindy Sheehan will join him, demonstrating against the war in Iraq that took the life of her son. She is scheduled to speak at an anti-summit gathering known as the People's Summit. Sheehan will be followed at the podium by none other than Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, who no doubt will rail against the corrosive effects of U.S. imperialism in Latin America and praise his 21st century socialist revolution. Source

AP

[NickatNite2003]

LOL! Qhat a preening pig.

We should call him 'Ms Piggy'.

[YOUGOTIT]

The criminals are with Chavez. Chavez is a left-wing fascist who with his buddy Castro would like to establish a Communist dictatorship throughout South America.

These are not protesters they are criminals who should be dealt with as violent criminals. Why are they still allowed to fire bomb and destroy property. The police should use real bullets not tear gas.

[Paige]

And people lambasted Pat Robertson for his remarks on Chavez! This is a mess and totally out of control Fighting for freedom in the Middle East and the Communist are taking over South America. Gosh, I miss President Reagan!

[Rome2000]

Make no mistake about it.

This little bastard is our enemy.

He must be taken out.

Free men will piss on his grave.

---

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[LRS]

My local radio station, which carries Rush's show, still uses ABC for their national news. Their news gal had a giddiness to her voice as she reported how President Bush was being booed, while there were cheers for "Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, who conservative Evangelist Pat Robertson wants assassinated" (not the exact quote, but pretty much correct). Yeah. No bias in that report (extreme sarcasm)!

I've gotten quite use to ABC radio's garbage over the years, but that was just too much.

[speedy]

I love the description in this article of Che Guevera as a "martyr." Doesn't that imply that he was killed for some noble cause? Wouldn't "murderer" be a more accurate term. Seems as if you absolutely have to be human scum to get a job in the media.

[libertylover]

But the protesters were solidly with Chavez.

I'm sure that's true, because the Bush supporters were at work busily trying to build a better life for themselves, their families, and their countrymen.

[Cincinatus' Wife]

Bump!

[HHKrepublican_2]

rock-throwing militants....MILITANTS?? lol gotta love to hate liberals!

[AIC]

Why not start a boycott of all gasoline stations that have
Chavez's gas?
There's plenty of gas stations around to get gas from instead of from his gas.
Let our demonstration and boycott show him why it's a
good idea to get along with us and quit calling us names and booing us.

[OldFriend]

Just love the South American street. They're screaming theyh don't want trade they want cash from us!

[yoe]

Arrest Sheehan when she returns to this country as a traitor to America, in this instance she crossed the line of protester to joining the enemy in a foreign nation - treason is the crime of disloyalty to one's nation OR A person who betrays the nation of their citizenship and/or reneges on an oath of loyalty and in some way willfully cooperates with an enemy, is considered to be a traitor.

Cindy Sheehan is one of the many terrorist hiding in plain view in the United States using funds to travel from terrorist organizations. She threatens my freedom, my loved ones, the military and my country – should she come to my door I will protect myself.

[Unam Sanctam]

Sometimes G. Bush is just too nice. I just wish he some of the spirit of Tony Blair, who immediately can speak out and justify his policies regardless of what anyone says.

[Accygirl]

But Cindy Sheehan MUST be the center of attention and on the news everyday 'cause she's the most importantest person in the whole world. I swear the only person who I've seen lose any itty, bitty shred of credibility they had faster than her was Howard "The Hulk" Dean.

[Thunder90]

Why won't the MSM call it for what it is... A Communist Revolution?

[counterpunch]

But the protesters were solidly with Chavez.

When have protesters not been on the side of communists?
I think a lot of times seeing this same scenario played out time and time again can be irksome for many of us, though it really shouldn't be.
They are protesting in no small part because they are outside of power. I would much rather see liberals and leftists protesting in the streets than conservatives. Just remember: we are and will continue to be on the winning side, and they will always just be protesters. They will continue to protest because their demands will continue to be ignored, dismissed, mocked, and ridiculed, but never considered or implemented.

 

[Cincinatus' Wife]

Bump!!

[Terriergal]

Don't patronize Citgo.

Got this in email this morning:

Cindy Sheehan & Chavez


Venezuela Dictator Vows To Bring Down U.S. Government

Venezuela government is sole owner of Citgo gasoline company

Venezuela Dictator Hugo Chavez has vowed to bring down the U.S. government.

Chavez, president of Venezuela, told a TV audience: "Enough of imperialist aggression; we must tell the world: down with the U.S. empire. We have to bury imperialism this century."

The guest on his television program, beamed across Venezuela, was Cindy Sheehan, the antiwar activist. Chavez recently had as his guest Harry Belafonte, who called President Bush "the greatest terrorist in the world."

Chavez is pushing a socialist revolution and has a close alliance with Cuban dictator Fidel Castro.

Regardless of your feelings about the war in Iraq, the issue here is that we have a socialist dictator vowing to bring down the government of the U.S. And he is using our money to achieve his goal!

The Venezuela government, run by dictator Chavez, sole owner of Citgo gas co. http://www.citgo.com/AboutCITGO.jsp

Sales of products at Citgo stations send money back to Chavez to help him in his vow to bring down our government.

Take Action

Please decide that you will not be shopping at a Citgo station. Why should U.S. citizens who love freedom be financing a dictator who has vowed to take down our government?

Very important. Please forward this to your friends and family. Most of them don't know that Citgo is owned by the Venezuela government.

Got this in email this morning:

Cindy Sheehan & Chavez


Venezuela Dictator Vows To Bring Down U.S. Government

Venezuela government is sole owner of Citgo gasoline company

Venezuela Dictator Hugo Chavez has vowed to bring down the U.S. government.

Chavez, president of Venezuela, told a TV audience: "Enough of imperialist aggression; we must tell the world: down with the U.S. empire. We have to bury imperialism this century."

The guest on his television program, beamed across Venezuela, was Cindy Sheehan, the antiwar activist. Chavez recently had as his guest Harry Belafonte, who called President Bush "the greatest terrorist in the world."

Chavez is pushing a socialist revolution and has a close alliance with Cuban dictator Fidel Castro.

Regardless of your feelings about the war in Iraq, the issue here is that we have a socialist dictator vowing to bring down the government of the U.S. And he is using our money to achieve his goal!

The Venezuela government, run by dictator Chavez, sole owner of Citgo gas co. http://www.citgo.com/AboutCITGO.jsp

Sales of products at Citgo stations send money back to Chavez to help him in his vow to bring down our government.

Take Action

Please decide that you will not be shopping at a Citgo station. Why should U.S. citizens who love freedom be financing a dictator who has vowed to take down our government?

Very important. Please forward this to your friends and family. Most of them don't know that Citgo is owned by the Venezuela government.