U.S. turned to Venezuela for help, ambassador says

[NNN0LHI]

http://www.columbiatribune.com/2005/Sep/20050910News014.asp

WEBSTER GROVES (AP) - The United States did not officially ask Venezuela to increase fuel supplies after Hurricane Katrina, but some Bush administration officials turned to the oil-rich neighbor for help despite the countries’ uneasy relations, Venezuela’s ambassador to the United States said yesterday.

They "were telling us they need help," Bernardo Alvarez said yesterday during a visit to Webster University in this St. Louis suburb. "We understand that."

With 12 percent of Gulf Coast refineries down, Venezuela’s infusion of 1 million barrels of gasoline - in addition to its normal shipments - "will make a real and immediate impact" to ease hurricane-related energy problems, Alvarez said. The first shipment will leave Venezuela on Wednesday and should arrive at the Gulf Coast in four to five days, he said. snip

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, whose close relations with Cuban President Fidel Castro puts him at odds with the United States, also authorized the release of as much as $5 million in humanitarian relief. The money is being sent to the American Red Cross at the request of U.S. officials, Alvarez said.

[Judi Lynn]

1. So they secretly, off the record, turned to the man they want to murder.

How odd is that?

From the article:

Chavez’s aid offers also came with a criticism of the U.S. government for failing to evacuate the victims before disaster struck.

But Venezuela’s offer of mobile clinics; rescue, safety and evacuation specialists; power generators; and water-cleansing machines has not been accepted Alvarez said.
(snip/...)

It's always so much easier for MEpublican pResidents to overthrow or plot to assassinate people who are more popular with their countries than they are, than to simply deal with them like grown-ups. Sad, isn't it?



_Bush walking by Chavez, _Bush dancing with Ricky Martin.

[tkmorris]

2. It takes a certain gall, does it not?

To Chavez credit it doesn't sound as if he hesitated at all. He amazes me with his political acumen. He makes just the right move, every time.

[cliss]

6. At this juncture,

I'm wondering what the US policy will be. Once the Gulf Coast gets cleaned up, will they go back to attacking him at every opportunity, like calling him "Dictator, strongman, Firebrand"?

What about Pat Robberson. Will he shut his big mouth now?

The world must see this, and shake its head in disbelief. We're governed by clowns.

[MasonJar]

3. This might be a political move, but I think that a lot of what he does

in Venezuela is not only politics. Just because our illustrious (not) leader decides things based only on politics, does not mean all presidents/etc. do.

[madmom]

4. Hey just had a thought....

since this oil will be "mixed" with the other oil, and we won't be able to tell who's oil we're using, maybe we can get the followers of robertson to boycott oil products.If they aren't using it for their Hummers and SUVs maybe they can lower the price so normal people can afford to drive to work. How will they justify using this oil without saying "what I meant to say was..."?

[Judi Lynn]

7. Speaking of Robertson, I've read he owned a refinery in California

several times. I've read that the air around the place was so toxic it actually peeled the paint off cars,and that the people in the neighborhood (all poor, of course) were known to publically hang Robertson in effigy.

It could be people like Robertson are encouraged to say the things publically which the _Bush people want the public to hear, but which would not be accepted coming from them. His remark, coming from a "minister," might serve to predispose his flock to easily accept a political killing of a world leader.

[Javaman]

5. Hmmm, I wonder what old patty robinson will think of this, huh?

[0007]

8. Yikes!! 'ya mean junior and the boys and the freepers will have

eat a little bit of humble pie.

Pat Robertson would eat a bowl of maggots in he thought there was money in it.

[Mika]

9. But but BUT BUT!! HE'S A FRIEND OF (((GASP))) FIDEL CASTRO!!!!!!

Oh my god. OH my GOD. OH MY GOD!! He's a friend of FIDEL CASTRO!!

Say no more.

;)



Amazing that almost every AP/UPI/Knight Ridder/MSNBCNNFAUXGOP article mentions this. :crazy:




The axis of evil good.

[Judi Lynn]

11. Yes, they always have to slip into every article.

They decline the opportunities to mention he is ALSO very close to many OTHER Latin American Presidents.

[Rex]

10. The man they want to assassinate gives then aid and comfort.

Remember that you lurking freeptards! Your boy Boosh BEGGED Chavez for some help under the table, but nooooooooooo he would never betray your loyalties! Aid and comfort from the enemy!?!?! Critical thinking time, trolls!

[Piotr]

12. There is at least some humility

in accepting the help of a country at odds with you during situations like this.

It has been most unlike the Vargas disaster in Decemeber 1999, when the Clinton administration offered aid and relief to Venezuela and was refused by the Chavez administration.

[Judi Lynn]

13. Interesting seeing your name here again. Someone by that name,

also from Caracas, a Chavez-hater, left after a short visit. He fought like a man possessed to give Chavez a black eye here, but it just didn't sell.

Here's a Chavez thread in which he participated which I found in a search:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=103x104886#110909

[Piotr]

14. You might also want to include this thread:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Talk:Venezuela#Dictatorship.3F. You've done me a favor by posting that link.

Did you finish reading all the threads? Why did you stop answering after a while? Now what do you think of that, of Chávez refusing US aid during the Vargas disaster of December 1999?

Have I ever said that I hate Chávez, anywhere? People like you, mostly foreigners who claim to know something about something they do not, and who could not seemingly display their ignorance any more clearly, make me very angry, which is why my posts may at times seen as impatient. I have gone to great pains to make sure my posts are acceptable. But you would not accept any information contradicting any of your views, no matter who they came from. You seem to believe what you believe on an irrational level rather than a rational one. So why do you not simply stop with the "I don't believe the person who wrote that" stance and actually start reading what they write? If you want to base information on a matter of who has more authority to write something about something, then I could simply say: "I have more authority than you to write about Venezuela's situation, because I've lived my entire life thus far under the Chávez regime, the Caldera regime, have had access to sources you couldn't imagine, to books written by people you don't even know, to footage you couldn't get, speak and write Spanish (it's my first language), was born in Venezuela, am descended from Venezuelans who could and can tell me firsthand of their experiences, can talk to other Venezuelans who can tell me of their own experiences, have firsthand experience of my own, some of it recorded, can speak and write English better than you, know words you don't, would most of the time rather read a text and criticize it than simply dismiss it if I don't agree with it,..."... and so on. But I don't make use of that as a justification of what I write in my posts. Instead, when I write, it's with the certitude that what I describe can be backed up by just about anyone else with similar or greater experience and knowledge of the situation. You would do well to go to Venezuela and confirm all that I've posted regarding Venezuela.