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Castro, Chavez Attending Brazilian Inauguration - "Jan. 1 is no longer a Cuban monopoly"
yahoo.com ^ | January 1, 2003 | ALAN CLENDENNING, AP

Posted on 01/01/2003 2:59:12 AM PST by Cincinatus' Wife

BRASILIA, Brazil - Cuban leader Fidel Castro arrived Tuesday in Brazil to attend the inauguration of Luiz Inacio da Silva, the country's first leftist president in 40 years.

Castro, dressed in trademark green uniform, was driven in a motorcade to a Brasilia hotel amid tight security.

"I am happy to be in Brazil, and happy to say that Jan. 1 is no longer a Cuban monopoly," Castro told reporters. Jan. 1 is the anniversary of the Cuban revolution that brought Castro to power.

A serious leg infection kept Castro out of sight in Cuba for nearly two weeks in December, but he showed no difficulty walking as he entered the hotel.

Silva takes over Wednesday for outgoing president Fernando Henrique Cardoso in an inaugural ceremony expected to attract presidents from at least six other Latin American countries and 100,000 or more Brazilians.

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez was also expected to attend. But the four-week-old strike in Venezuela aimed at ousting him was expected to delay him.

Earlier this month, Chavez said until the last minute that he would attend an economic summit in Brasilia, but never showed up.

Silva, a 57-year-old former union leader, will govern Latin America's largest country and counts Castro and Chavez among his friends.


TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism; Crime/Corruption; Culture/Society; Foreign Affairs; Front Page News; Government; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: castro; chavez; communism; latinamericalist; silva
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To: Cincinatus' Wife
Cuban President Fidel Castro waves to photographers upon arriving at his hotel in the Brazilian capital of Brasilia, December 31, 2002. Castro attended the inauguration of Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva as Brazil's first working class president on New Year's Day and said an infected insect bite on his left leg, which had made him limp and forced him to rest, was healing well and giving him no more trouble. Photo by Paulo Whitaker/Reuters
21 posted on 01/01/2003 8:47:32 PM PST by dennisw
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To: Cincinatus' Wife
From left to right, the Prime Minister of Sweden, Goran Persson, Cuban leader Fidel Castro, South African President Thabo Mbeki and Chilean President Ricardo Lagos applaud during the swearing in ceremony of Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva in Brasilia, Brazil, Wednesday, Jan. 1, 2003. (AP Photo/Fernando Llano)
Wed Jan 1, 5:28 PM ET

From left to right, the Prime Minister of Sweden, Goran Persson, Cuban leader Fidel Castro (news - web sites), South African President Thabo Mbeki and Chilean President Ricardo Lagos applaud during the swearing in ceremony of Brazilian (news - web sites) President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva in Brasilia, Brazil, Wednesday, Jan. 1, 2003. (AP Photo/Fernando Llano)

22 posted on 01/01/2003 8:48:58 PM PST by dennisw
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To: PhilDragoo; All
No replacement was named immediately, but sources told the Herald that Reich's principal deputy, J. Curtis Struble, a career Foreign Service officer, would fill the job in the interim.

Transcript of House Western Hemipshere Subcommittee Hearing, October 10, 2001***(J. Curtis Struble, Deputy Assistant Secretary, Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs, U.S. Department of State)…………….. Further south, in what is known as the tri-border area, where Argentina, Brazil, and Paraguay converge, we see the longstanding presence of Islamic extremist organizations, primarily Hizballah and, to a lesser extent, the Sunni extremists group of al Gamaat, IG, and Hamas. These organizations are involved in fundraising activities and proselytizing among the large expatriate population from the Middle East that lives in the tri-border area and also on Venezuela's Margarita Island. These organizations engage in document forgery, money laundering, contraband smuggling, and weapons and drug trafficking. Hizballah is the prime suspect behind the 1992 bombing of the Israeli Embassy in Buenos Aires and the 1994 bombing of the Argentine Israel Mutual Association community center. These attacks were characterized by the same faceless cowardice that we saw on September 11, and they remain unsolved to this day, although I am pleased that the trial in the 1994 bombing is now underway in Buenos Aires. We hope the perpetrators will at last be brought to justice.

……………..In the tri-border area of Argentina, Brazil and Paraguay, Middle East terrorist organizations such as Hamas and Hizballah train terrorists and conduct fundraising activities in an area which has a growing population of Middle Eastern and South Asian immigrants. Funds raised in the tri-border area are sent directly to the Middle East to support the operation of these organization, possibly even the planning and execution of terrorist acts. I have no doubt that funds raised in the tri-border area have made it to the pockets of Al Qaeda and Osama Bin Laden. Afghanistan produces 75 percent of the world's heroin. The Taliban reaps tremendous profits from such trade and use them to sponsor Osama Bin Laden and other terrorists. As Americans, we must recognize that fighting the war on drugs is tantamount to fighting the war on terrorism. Every time an American boy buys cocaine or heroin, they are directly funding the terrorists who are responsible for the deaths of over 6,000 innocent Americans.

Today, the Subcommittee on Western Hemisphere will hear from a distinguished panel of official witnesses who will provide us with important testimony about the type of terrorist organizations operating in our hemisphere, the links between international terror and drug trafficking, and the efforts of the OAS and its member states to help our nation win the war on terrorism. While I have no doubt that these panelists will provide the Subcommittee with excellent testimony, I am profoundly troubled that Otto Reich has yet to be confirmed as the Assistant Secretary of State for Western Hemisphere Affairs. At this time, the President needs to have his nominee confirmed and in place to fight both drug trafficking and terrorism in Latin America.

……………..Mr. STRUBLE. There are large expatriate populations in a number of areas in Latin America. The tri-border region has been mentioned before. There is also Santa Margarita Island in Venezuela, the Colon Free Trade Zone in Panama, and then a number of others throughout the hemisphere. We are quite concerned about the possibility or in some instances the certainty of financial transactions from these areas supporting terrorist groups in the Middle East. Mr. Mack alluded before to the efforts of INL over a number of years to give countries the tools, help them develop the tools, and work multilaterally in this hemisphere to control money laundering through more effective sharing of financial transaction information.****

23 posted on 01/02/2003 12:15:27 AM PST by Cincinatus' Wife
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To: Tailgunner Joe
Bump!
24 posted on 01/02/2003 12:15:57 AM PST by Cincinatus' Wife
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To: Frank_2001
Bump!
25 posted on 01/02/2003 12:16:42 AM PST by Cincinatus' Wife
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To: Tailgunner Joe
Would-be Tyrants just LOVE Existing Tyrants, don't they?! Oughtta be the United Nations motto 'cuz it shore 'nuff is the UN's Raison d'etre, "legitimizing" MurderousTyrantThugs, that is!!

FReegards...MUD

26 posted on 01/02/2003 4:58:02 AM PST by Mudboy Slim
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To: Cincinatus' Wife; Luis Gonzalez
The friends of my Enemy are my Enemy...Chavez, yer MEAT!! da Silva, yer MEAT!! Castro, fear the red dot on yer forehead, ol' man!!

FReegards...MUD

27 posted on 01/02/2003 5:01:09 AM PST by Mudboy Slim
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To: Mudboy Slim
Bump!
28 posted on 01/02/2003 7:04:38 AM PST by Cincinatus' Wife
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To: PhilDragoo; Poohbah; Mudboy Slim; Cincinatus' Wife; shanec
Hugo Chavez is apparently eligible for the Bush Doctrine if the report from a couple days about a donation to al-Qaeda ago is accurate.
29 posted on 01/02/2003 7:11:28 AM PST by hchutch
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To: hchutch
"Hugo Chavez is apparently eligible for the Bush Doctrine"

Good!! Chavez makes me sick to my stomach...MUD

30 posted on 01/02/2003 7:20:30 AM PST by Mudboy Slim
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Comment #31 Removed by Moderator

Comment #32 Removed by Moderator

To: hchutch
Hugo Chavez is apparently eligible for the Bush Doctrine if the report from a couple days about a donation to al-Qaeda ago is accurate.

I have my doubts about it, because requires Chavez to blab to people whom he has no particular reason to trust with such information.

33 posted on 01/02/2003 9:28:08 AM PST by Poohbah
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To: Poohbah
Here's the link:

http://www.militaresdemocraticos.com/articulos/en/20021231-01.html

It looks like these folks had a lot to lose by turning on Chavez. And some of the stuff they say about Chavez supporting FARC by providing safe havens is similar to stuff Carlos Castano, head of the AUC, was saying earlier.

At this point, I'd have to say Chavez is dirty.
34 posted on 01/02/2003 9:43:58 AM PST by hchutch
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To: hchutch
It looks like these folks had a lot to lose by turning on Chavez.

My point is that Chavez would have to be unusually chatty with certain people who were NOT in the real inner circle in order for these folks to learn anything.

It wouldn't surprise me to learn Chavez wants to support al-Qaeda. But this story is a little too neatly tied together for my taste.

35 posted on 01/02/2003 9:48:20 AM PST by Poohbah
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To: Paulus Invictus
Is the Admin even worried? I see nothing being done to counter this threat.

He was elected democratically. That's why you don't SEE anything being done to counter it.

This'll be handled covertly. If he took power in a military coup we could be more overt about it. But since he was elected fair and square we have to at least pretend to accept the people's will.

36 posted on 01/02/2003 9:54:41 AM PST by keepvotin
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To: All
It wouldn't be long before some of the people of Brazil turn against this new guy just like they have in Venezuela...my prediction based on human nature...
37 posted on 01/02/2003 10:01:50 AM PST by rpage3
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To: Poohbah
Yeah, the package does seem neat.

Still, the guy who flies Chavez's personal aircraft (Venezuela's version of Air Force One), probably went through a crapload of security screenings. That's pretty close to "inner circle", IMO.
38 posted on 01/02/2003 10:03:57 AM PST by hchutch
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To: hchutch
That's pretty close to "inner circle", IMO.

Close only counts in horseshoes, hand grenades, and atomic bombs :o)

39 posted on 01/02/2003 10:12:47 AM PST by Poohbah
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To: Poohbah
LOL.

Still, we've got confirmation of what Castano was claiming earlier. But if this al-Qaeda thing is true...
40 posted on 01/02/2003 10:38:08 AM PST by hchutch
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