Venezuela Dominates Preliminary Discussion at 35th General Assembly of OAS

[sintax]

35th General Assembly of the OAS
Venezuela Dominates Preliminary Discussion at 35th Generaly Assembly of the Organization of American States


Sunday, Jun 05, 2005

By: Jonah Gindin—Venezuelanalysis.com


Ft. Lauderdale, Fl.,—Downtown Ft. Lauderdale was on lock-down, yesterday, as ambassadors, delegates, and journalists arrived as part of the thirty-fifth regular session of the general assembly of the Organization of American States (OAS).  The general assembly, which will be chaired by US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, opens today and will last until Tuesday.  The last time the US hosted an OAS general assembly was in Atlanta, Georgia in 1974.  The security presence is especially large because of an anticipated address by President George W. Bush, who is expected to join the assembly on Monday.

Yesterday afternoon, OAS Secretary-General José Miguel Insulza, Assistant-Secretary General Luigi Enaudi, and US ambassador to the OAS John Maisto held a joint press conference, introducing the general themes of the upcoming meetings and fielding questions from the press.  Though the summit’s two major themes are “Delivering the Benefits of Democracy,” and “A Voice for Civil Society” at the OAS, yesterday’s press conference was dominated by questions about Venezuela.

In an interview with the Miami Herald yesterday, Rice argued that “Venezuela is not the dominant issue in American relations with Latin America.”  Yesterday’s press conference suggested otherwise, however.

In fact, so many journalists asked about Venezuela—primarily representatives of Venezuelan print and media, as well as journalists from US newspapers that cater to South Florida’s large Carribean community—that Secretary-General José Miguel Insulza was forced to point out that there are other countries in the region, and that the general assembly “was not a meeting about Venezuela.”

http://www.venezuelanalysis.com/news.php?newsno=1645

[peacetalksforall]

1. Good - keep the eyes and ears on Venezuela. We didn't 'see or hear'

Guatemala, Nicaragua, El Salvador, Chile in time. There was virtual silence and blindness in comparison with our developing knowledge about Venezuela. When the U.S. went in to manipulate other countries in Latin America in past decades...we were ignorant. Everyone thought whatever Henry was involved in was OK. Everyone thought that whatever exiled Cubans were helping with was OK.

We know better. We didn't know enough before the atttempted coup of Chavez, but with improved knowledge of how the U.S. intends to take over the world, oil country by oil country, and with the help of a very good documentary, we are smarter and the other countries are as well.

Now we just have to get the eyes turned back to Haiti and the murder that is still going on, plus the support that all the big names in the U.S. are giving former terrorists to run Haiti. And we can't forget the cooperation the French gave the U.S. in the removal of Aristede.

[Spazito]

2. LOL gotta love that Condi!

First she makes a point of singling out Venezuela many times in trying to paint a negative picture of Chavez but, now that the heat is on, she says:


"Rice argued that “Venezuela is not the dominant issue in American relations with Latin America.”


I would suggest to Ms. Rice one should be careful what they ask for, they just might get it ala Venezuela being the main focus and not in a way in which favors Ms. Rice's constant haranguing.

[Judi Lynn]

3. Hope this organization will learn to stand on its own feet

and become the democratic organization it SHOULD be, rather than a puppet show controlled by right-wing American interests.

It's time Latin America and the Caribbean islands finally got a chance to claim the very independence they fought to gain for so very, very long. Our sick Republican presidents have no right to override the choices they make for themselves. None whatsoever.

And that includes the covert destabilization _Bush is conducting by funneling millions and millions of American tax dollars into countries to bribe people with power to do his bidding.

Time to clean up our act and let these people live in peace for once.

[Robbien]

4. Protests have shut down the city of LaPaz for the last two weeks

and there is a report the oil production has been seized and shut down in Bolivia. Its been reported Bush/Rice wants to force that funny democracy regulation on the OAS using the crises in Bolivia as the reason it is urgently needed. But this article leads one to believe the mainstream press has no clue. Good.