Venezuela May Ask U.S. Envoy to Leave

[cal04]

President Hugo Chavez warned Thursday that the U.S. ambassador could be asked to leave the country if he continues ''meddling in Venezuela's affairs.''

The outspoken Venezuelan leader lashed out after William Brownfield said U.S. companies and investors must receive a fair price for their shares of Venezuela's largest telephone company when it is nationalized.

''If you continue meddling in Venezuela's affairs, first of all, you are violating the Geneva agreements and getting yourself involved in a serious violation and could ... be declared a persona non grata and would have to leave the country,'' Chavez.

Earlier Thursday, Brownfield told local Union Radio the planned takeover of CA Nacional de Telefonos, or CANTV, should proceed ''in a transparent, legal manner'' and that Venezuela's government must offer ''fair and quick compensation to the people who are affected or the owners.''

http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/world/AP-Venezuela-US.html?_r=1&oref=slogin

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

1. Again?

Didn't they already leave after an egging of some sort?

[Say_What]

7. You're thinking of Charles Shapiro,

who hosted a reception at his home for the *opposition* during which time there was someone with a puppet imitating Chavez. (see article below)

Prior to Shapiro was Donna Hrinak who was temporarily recalled to Washington “for consultation". This was during the time that Chavez incensed Washington with his comment that “terror should not be fought with terror.” On her return to Caracas she voiced strong displeasure with Chávez’s remarks, called in the foreign minister for an “explanation,” and showed notable sympathy for Venezuela’s opposition. When Hrinak later commented that “the changes in Venezuela should be democratic,” Venezuelan publisher Teodoro Petkoff quipped that when the U.S. embassy calls for democratic changes, “the accent is not on democracy but on the changes.” Shapiro replaced her in February of 2002, two months before the US-failed coup.

<clips>

Venezuela has accused US ambassador Charles Shapiro of "personal irresponsibility" after a comedian satirised President Hugo Chavez at a reception at the ambassador's home.

The male comedian dressed as TV journalist Marta Colomina and performed with a puppet dressed to look like Mr Chavez.

"I cannot conceive of any other ambassador accredited to Venezuela who would stoop to this level," Vice-President Jose Vicente Rangel told the country's Globovision television station.

He added that his criticism was directed at the ambassador personally, and was not intended to signal a break in relations with the US.

"Despite Mr Shapiro, we want good relations with the United States, with its government and with its people," Mr Rangel said.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/3034659.stm

[goforit]

2. The beat goes on (ladidadida)...the beat goes on (ladidadida)

[Skink]

3. Isn't it about time for another coup?

we can't punish him with these below market value oil prices for to long.

[originalpckelly]

12. "below market value oil prices for to long"

:rofl:

:crazy:

[0007]

16. With Bernnie baby living next you can count on it!

[Rage for Order]

4. Seems like a reasonable request by the US envoy

Meddling? Okay then.

[struggle4progress]

6. Brownfield was "Political Adviser to the Commander-in-Chief, U.S. Southern Command" in Panama

when the US attacked in 1989. He was a political officer in El Salvador 1981 - 1983, a period when US-supported death squads were murdering folk there link . Immediately prior to Brownfield's assignment as Ambassador to Venezuela, the US had supported a failed coup attempt against Chavez link .

Looking only at Brownfield's record in Venezuela over the past few years, one might merely think he had a tin ear and limited diplomatic abilities, but in context it's pretty clear that he makes regular efforts to provoke the government there.

[On the Road]

11. It's Meddling if There's a Threat Behind It

and the context is that the US would support a coup in a second if Bush saw the way clear.

Otherwise, I agree with you.

[unkachuck]

5. when governments....

....sell public assets to capitalists it's usually a long, drawn-out process which results in pennies-on-the-dollar for the public treasury, due to bargin-basement prices....

....but when governments nationalize private assets they need to pay "fair and quick compensation" to the capitalists using inflated prices....

....could somebody please explain this?

[originalpckelly]

13. Even if you believe in nationalizing companies...

the principles at work would be the same as those with eminent domain. Would you want a government to take land from people without compensation?

[happydreams]

14. The double standard unkachuck refers to.

The capitalists should get what they paid for it at best. Then there should be deductions for any costs the government had to pay for litigation against the company in its history in the country.

If that principle was applied the government in many cases would be able to seize the property and send any parent company a bill.

[High Plains]

17. They should pay the companies...

...whatever the companies claimed the stuff was worth at tax time.

[Vidar]

8. Good. Throw out the American spies & bankers as well.

[Solo_in_MD]

9. Surely Chavez is not that incoherent

[David__77]

10. Hope they maintain a tight cordon around the embassy and its assets.

Their meddling is outrageous. Doubtless they're spying and committing all kinds of crimes. Keeping the public lens focused on their actions, however, will provide a great political service. The people of Venezuela are smart and support their country against its enemies.

[happydreams]

15. Brownfield is a tool of the Cisneros Crime Family.

...The only thing I found strange and extremely disturbing was a news report on Venevision which talked about a meeting between Ricardo Cisneros (from the Cisneros Group, the largest media group in Latin America and owners of Venevision) and William Brownfield, US ambassador to Venezuela. This meeting happened at Venevision headquarters in Caracas on December 15, 2004 in the company of the president of Venevision.

Brownfield stated that he is very happy with the way Venevision operates and their professionalism … and that the US government fully supports Venevision....


http://www.vheadline.com/printer_news.asp?id=23984



See discussion here.
http://upload.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=102&topic_id=2217335&mesg_id=2217352

Cisneros linked to Aryan Brotherhood:

References to Cisneros crime family nearly cleaned from Internet search engines. I did find this reference. Check out the link to Aryan Brotherhood

Prison and gangs - The New Mexican Mafia (Eme), the Aryan Brotherhood and other groups have become notorious for drug dealing and cold-blooded killings, behind bars and on the outside.

New Eme, especially, is blamed by Phoenix police for more than 25 murders in the past five years. The organization has a "blood-in, blood-out" code, meaning that one must commit serious violence to join and suffer mayhem or death to resign.

Two years ago, authorities arrested several New Eme members in a conspiracy to kill state prisons chief Terry Stewart. Those charges did not stick, but top gang leaders were arrested last year with members of the related Cisneros crime family in a monster drug case.

The problem: Prison gangs were born behind bars and flourish there, so incarceration is hardly an antidote. In fact, although much of New Eme's leadership is in custody, police say the organization remains effective at killing witnesses, compromising lawyers and dealing drugs.

The Aryan Brotherhood, meanwhile, is considered a major factor in Arizona's flourishing methamphetamine market. This year, prison officials released records alleging that Brotherhood leaders also were conspiring to kill Stewart.


http://www.azcentral.com/specials/special01/articles/cr...



See Cisneros with Poppy:

http://upload.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=102&topic_id=2217335&mesg_id=2217437

[ohio2007]

18. They say every diplomatic action has an exact and opposite

reaction. Will the ambassador to the U.S. be asked to leave in kind?

sure.