Posted on 12/20/2002 1:25:13 AM PST by Cincinatus' Wife
The Bush administration's public call for early presidential elections bolstered the opposition, agitated the president and indirectly undermined a pro-government but moderate representative's constitutional amendment proposal for early elections. Chavez is loath to appear in concert with a U.S. policy torn between oil interests and a thinly veiled preference for regime change. The recalcitrant opposition refuses to wait for August, when a binding referendum on Chavez's rule can be held. So again Venezuela faces civil war or dialogue. With hesitant and muted diplomacy from the United States and fruitless mediation efforts led by the Organization of American States, the former is more likely. ***
Other businesses are being affected indirectly. Dr. Martínez says he just got off the phone with a manager at a major Venezuelan bank who is unable to transport money because he can't find diesel fuel for the trucks. "All segments of the economy are feeling it very strongly, in spite of what the government says," he says. "They know that this is very critical." As more and more shops shut down in support of the strike, worried residents are stocking up on groceries and other necessities. To prevent hoarding, Chávez yesterday ordered military officials to seize any vehicle delivering gas or food. Opposition leaders claim they are allowing enough basic supplies through their blockades to meet the population's needs. But there is talk of power outages in parts of Caracas. And every day there are protests and marches in the streets.
Ricardo Hausmann, an economics professor at Harvard University and former Venezuelan planning minister, says the situation was inevitable. The economy has been in a tailspin since Chávez took power in 1998, contracting 15 percent - a full 7 percent of that coming this year alone. "This is completely unprecedented for us," he says, "because essentially we have a president who's trying to lead a country in a radical course for which he has no mandate: destroying the economy and a sense of shared values." Mr. Hausmann says it's hard to imagine a resolution to the crisis with Chávez remaining in power. He believes the president, in true Latin American fashion, wants to be overthrown rather than beaten at the ballot box. ……..***
Starve the innocents for petty political gain. Yeah, these people are much better than Chavez.
If Chávez is ousted, however, it will not be because he is a brutal dictator. He may enjoy sparring with the United States -- after the election of Lula, he declared that Brazil would join Cuba and Venezuela in forming "an axis of good" -- but in the four years since he took office, his "revolution" has had more to do with de Tocqueville than Marx. Efforts to redistribute wealth have been few. Opposition political parties, as well as the press, operate freely in Venezuela, and the federal police -- once among the most feared forces in South America -- have not hindered even those advocating outright rebellion.Yeah, he really runs a dictatorship. Unlike what the mob in the street desire. Does no one know even basic history anymore?
...
It is this charge of repression that most infuriates Chávez's supporters. Not a single leader of the April coup, they note, is in jail, even though some of them continue to openly advocate his overthrow.
Chavez arms street thugs and turns them loose to shoot old women, young girls and men. Yeah, he's a real prince.
Yeah yeah yeah, and he throws Kuwaiti babies from their incubators as well, I am sure.
Americans are so gullible...
A child waits for his grandfather outside a grocery store after buying Coca-Cola in Maracaibo in western Venezuela, Thursday, Dec. 19, 2002, on the 17th day of a general strike seeking the ouster of President Hugo Chavez. The store had just received the soft drinks and limited customers to two bottles each. Strike leaders have claimed they are providing enough basic goods to meet the population's needs even as they demand that stores, banks and businesses close and block highways to stop transport. (APPhoto/Ana Maria Otero)
Are you 10? We didn't seek to deny Saddam's rule in Iraq. We invaded to get him out of Kuwait. Period. And those most gung-ho for US military action told enormous lies to trick the Americans to an emotional response.
The specter of more political violence loomed as rivals filled Caracas' streets. On Thursday, at least 27 people were wounded when National Guard troops fired rubber bullets and tear gas at anti-Chavez demonstrators in the seaside city of Barcelona. The oil strike is part of a general work stoppage - now in its 19th day - aimed at ousting Chavez, who strike organizers claim has wrecked the economy and polarized the nation.
Chavez discussed the Venezuelan situation by telephone with Iranian President Mohammad Khatami, according to Opecna, the official news agency of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries. Khatami said he hoped Chavez would be able to "put the existing problems behind him, with wisdom and patience, and with the help of the Venezuelan people," the report said.
Carlos Ortega, leader of Venezuela's main labor federation, said the walkout would continue. He referred to Chavez as a "dictator" and "criminal" and called for more protests on Friday. The walkout has cut oil exports from the world's fifth-largest oil exporter - and a key U.S. supplier - by 90 percent, and propelled global prices above $30 a barrel. Gasoline shortages were acute.
Angelina Martino, president of the Association of Gasoline Retailers, said 70 percent of gasoline stations in the Caracas area were empty. Most filling stations turned away motorists. At others, there were lines blocks long. Some motorists waited in line for more than six hours. In the western state of Tachira, authorities limited gasoline purchases to just over three gallons. State oil company president Ali Rodriguez insisted the government was working to guarantee gasoline supplies for "many days."
Energy Minister Rafael Ramirez broke into regular TV broadcasting Thursday night to appeal to the oil workers to obey the court ruling, saying the strike represented "sabotage without precedent in the history of our country." Felix Rodriguez, the oil company's production director, argued that the strike threatens national security. Venezuela is losing $40 million a day in oil export income and could be forced to tap into its $15 billion worth of foreign reserves. "We won't go to work until the government decides to hold new elections," dissident PDVSA executive Alfredo Gomez told The Associated Press.
Venezuelan and foreign tankers are idle, refineries are closed or operating at minimum levels and crews and dock workers are refusing to handle oil and non-oil cargos. In Washington, U.S. Secretary of State Colin said Thursday the United States has presented some ideas to mediators for solving the crisis and expressed concern about the possibility of widespread violence.
Three people were killed and 28 wounded on Dec. 6 when unknown gunmen opened fire on an opposition rally. Strike leaders are demanding early elections, which Venezuela's constitution does not allow, or Chavez's resignation. The constitution says a recall vote may be held halfway into Chavez's term, which would be in August. Chavez has refused the demands, but there were signs of a possible settlement. A group of pro-Chavez lawmakers proposed a constitutional amendment allowing for elections next year, El Nacional newspaper reported. The amendment would cut the president's term from six to four years, said pro-Chavez lawmaker Guillermo Palacios. Chavez's popularity has plunged since his 1998 election and 2000 re-election but according to VenEconomy magazine still enjoys some of the highest approval ratings among Latin American leaders. His base is Venezuela's poor, who comprise 80 percent of the 24 million people. [End]
A country with millions of rich people must be a great country.
Millions of rich people putting their lives on the line and marching unprotected from Chavez' thugs.
Chavez is the best example of the Peter Principle.
He was competent enough to run the initial presidential campaign and constitutional change.
He is very incompetent running the country.
Just sad.
In 1998, I gave him the benefit of the doubt, since I thought he was a Tony Blair-clone, leftist on his rhetoric but center/right on his policies.
Unfortunately, he has shown to possess a tin ear for governing acuity.
You claim that Chavez should stay because he was democratically-elected, but you deny the democratic protests that are literally staring you in the face.
He was recently rebuked by his hand-picked Supreme Court for taking over Caracas police.
The moron wrote the book "How to Make Enemies and Alienate People."
The fact that his own judicial appointees, his own military appointees, and his own allies and friends are turning against him show you how heavy-handed he's been.
During my college years, I met several Venezuelans, two of them were Chavez' supported and voted for him.
Both of them have e-mailed me about their disillusion with Chavez. Both of them are out there marching against him.
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