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Documents reveal early U.S. dealings with Venezuela's Chavez
McClatchy Newspapers ^ | 12/08/07 | PABLO BACHELET

Posted on 12/08/2007 10:09:06 PM PST by Enchante

The U.S. government eagerly reached out to Venezuelan presidential candidate Hugo Chavez in 1998 and moved quickly to denounce a rumored coup plot against the man who's become one of the Bush administration's archenemies, newly declassified State Department documents obtained by McClatchy Newspapers reveal.

State Department officials initially appeared dazzled by Chavez's oversized persona and his promise for sweeping reforms, and seemed sincere in their efforts to help him, the documents show. Some of those overtures drew positive responses from Chavez, who said he wanted U.S. help in fighting corruption and drug trafficking....

...A Jan. 20, 1999, cable setting the scene for a meeting between Chavez and President Bill Clinton a week later said that Chavez's proposals for democratic and constitutional changes could become a model for other nations.

(Excerpt) Read more at ledger-enquirer.com ...


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Foreign Affairs; Government; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: 1992; 1998; 19980922; 199810; 19981021; 199812; 19981202; 19981223; 1999; 199901; 19990120; andrespastrana; billclinton; cable; caldera; chavez; clinton; columbia; communism; enemywithin; hugochavez; johnmaisto; maisto; pastrana; perez; rafaelcaldera; rubenrojasperez; state; statedepartment; statedept; venezuela
What a surprise -- Bill Clinton kissed the ugly butt of Hugo Chavez and protected him, yet Chavez did not turn out to be quite the humane suck-up that our naive socialists in the Dept. of State expected....
1 posted on 12/08/2007 10:09:08 PM PST by Enchante
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To: Enchante

Just like Fidel Castro...


2 posted on 12/08/2007 10:10:56 PM PST by Paradox (Politics: The art of convincing the populace that your delusions are superior to others.)
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To: Enchante

This is part of the thing that makes Chavez’s statements about “The US wants to kill me” so bizarre, if we had wanted Mr. Chavez “dead” he would have been killed during the failed counter coup attempt...


3 posted on 12/08/2007 10:18:46 PM PST by padre35 (Conservative in Exile/ Isaiah 3.3)
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To: Enchante

Clinton’s a brown noser


4 posted on 12/08/2007 10:18:54 PM PST by Cinnamon
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To: Cinnamon

and according to Andrew Young a Brown hoser


5 posted on 12/08/2007 10:36:54 PM PST by stan_sipple
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To: Enchante
Of course the US (Clinton) kissed his butt.

It’s about Hemispheric integration. The Term “democractic” is very different to the State Department than Caracas. The US was on the verge of a FTA and then Chavez pissed on it. Oh that didn’t make Washington very happy. Never make Washington angry.

6 posted on 12/08/2007 10:48:31 PM PST by endthematrix (He was shouting 'Allah!' but I didn't hear that. It just sounded like a lot of crap to me.)
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To: Enchante

File for later use.


7 posted on 12/08/2007 11:02:57 PM PST by Atchafalaya
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To: Enchante
State Department officials initially appeared dazzled by Chavez's oversized persona and his promise for sweeping reforms,

The State Dept. is so inept it is still dazzled by Mugabe.

8 posted on 12/08/2007 11:25:49 PM PST by VeniVidiVici (No buy China!!)
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To: Paradox
Just like Fidel Castro...

You beat me to it! Yes, this is exactly like Fidel Castro. Will we ever learn?

9 posted on 12/08/2007 11:26:47 PM PST by burzum (None shall see me, though my battlecry may give me away -Minsc)
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To: Enchante

What’s the difference between the clintonistas and chaveztistas political ideology?
nothing, nothing at all.


10 posted on 12/09/2007 12:08:55 AM PST by JohnLongIsland
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To: burzum

You beat me to it! Yes, this is exactly like Fidel Castro. Will we ever learn?

Not until our State Department is turned inside out and completely revamped.


11 posted on 12/09/2007 4:30:37 AM PST by Recon Dad (Marine Spec Ops Dad)
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To: Enchante

So now we know. Carter did it for the Iranian mullahs and Clinton did it for Chavez.


12 posted on 12/09/2007 5:26:56 AM PST by libstripper (AVE)
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