Posted on 01/04/2006 4:48:54 PM PST by 1rudeboy
CARACAS, VENEZUELA - Bolivian President-elect Evo Morales, fresh from a visit with Fidel Castro, launched a world tour Tuesday by joining with Venezuela's President Hugo Chávez in a denunciation of free-market economics — a sign of the growing relationship among the three leftist leaders.
Notably, the tour includes stops in Spain, France, Belgium, South Africa, China and Brazil — but not Washington. Morales' spokesman says he was not invited.
Arriving in Caracas aboard a Cuban jetliner, Morales said he and Chávez were uniting in a "fight against neoliberalism and imperialism."
The Venezuelan leader received him with full military honors as well as hugs and smiles. Crowds of leftist, pro-government supporters cheered as Morales and Chávez arrived at the National Pantheon in downtown Caracas, then headed to a private meeting at Miraflores Palace.
Morales is on the first leg of a trip apparently meant to explore the future of Bolivia's vast natural gas holdings — the second largest in South America — which the president-elect says he wants to nationalize.
It also is designed to show that the coca-growing protest organizer has the presidential grit to hold his own on the world stage and tackle the deep problems of his country, including poverty and political instability.
In praising Castro and Chávez, he established Washington's fiercest Latin American critics as his models.
Chávez referred to the three leftist leaders as "an axis of good" — a play on President Bush's reference to North Korea, Iran and prewar Iraq as the "axis of evil."
Just back from communist Cuba — Morales met on Monday with U.S. Ambassador David Greenlee. Representatives of both sides declined to give details.
ping
Right on, Comrade.
The legacy of Jimmy Carter lives on.
I want FAIR trade, not FREE trade.
Big Difference.
9 governmental elections in Central and South America this year. The left is expected to increase their strength in all of them. Not a good trend.
Don't forget that Chavez and Co. are also scheduled to go to Russia to get weapons and ideological backing.
Blame our "Friends" from Russia and China.
Spy
An example of Chavez spreading his influence to the Caribbean area.
http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/news/html/20060102t230000-0500_95862_obs_chavez_to_lend____b.asp
Look for that to happen more in the future.
Yes, he's spreading the money all over the continent. Bought hundreds of millions of Argentina bonds etc. etc. About 2 months ago I subscribed to Google news alerts, subject Venezuala. A real eye opener to see what a dangerous fellow Chavez is. Yesterday, he referred to Jews as Christ killers.
The companies that are invested there are about to lose, bit time.
The people themselves already lost, when they backed down from Morales' mobs.
They are talking secession, but if they didn't have the nerve to fight Morales when he was just a thug, they aren't going to have the nerve to fight him once he's installed in the presidential palace.
The United States has never lost a decision or paid a penny under an investor-state arbitration panel under NAFTA or any other international trade or investment agreement. Moreover, if a panel ever did rule against the United States, it would have no authority to order the government to modify any law, regulation or practice. See CAFTA Article 10.26.1 (limiting awards to monetary damages and restitution of property only).Source: Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (.pdf file)
But the libertarians told me that cocaine should be legal because that's free trade. Are you telling me that it's actually red communists who want cocaine to be legal?
You'll have to ask a libertarian.
Don't discount the whole "USA as the big, bad bogeyman" technique. When you live in a hopeless, corrupt, poverty-stricken society, it's easier to blame somebody else for keeping you down.
It makes perfect sense to me. He opposes free trade because he wants to discourage any business that competes with the narcotics racket he's running.
Wow, that really does explain it. Does that mean that protectionists also oppose free trade because they want stop any competition with their corrupt mafia-run unions?
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