Protests by Venezuela's Opposition Continue in Middle-Class Areas

[Say_What]

Quite different than the USSA corporate press reports.

<clips>

Caracas, Venezuela. Mar 2 (Venezuelanalysis.com).- Throughout the day on Saturday, Sunday, and Monday, small groups of opposition protesters took to the streets and erected barricades to block traffic in several different middle class and upper middle class neighborhoods in Caracas. Local police officials kept away from the protests while National Guard troops attempted to clear the streets for through traffic.

The result were numerous confrontations between national guard and protestors, in which protestors attacked with rocks, Molotov cocktails, home made rockets, and in some cases even with gunfire. The National Guard responded with large amounts of tear gas and shotgun fire with plastic shrapnel. Numerous individuals were wounded, including protestors, guard troops, and some journalists.

Opponents of Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez are protesting to put pressure electoral authorities into approving a recall referendum on the President's mandate.

Opposition leaders, such as the Juan Fernandez, the leader of last year’s oil industry shut-down, said, “The only way there will be peace in Venezuela is if the National Electoral Commission decides that there will be a presidential recall referendum.”

http://www.venezuelanalysis.com/news.php?newsno=1209


Tens of thousands of Venezuelans march to support President Hugo Chavez in Caracas, Venezuela, Sunday, Feb. 29, 2004. The vertical sign reads 'No to Yankee meddling.' (AP Photo/Leslie Mazoch)

[Guy Whitey Corngood]

1. Stop posting this propaganda.

Our more enlightened DUers have told us that the Venezuelan "people" have had enough. Don't pay any attention to the fact that Chavez's enemies are the wealthy elites.

[rudeboy666]

2. yes

"Don't pay any attention to the fact that Chavez's enemies are the wealthy elites."

Agree.

However, that does not necessarily mean that there could not be legitimate opposition to Chavez or some of his policies. In a democracy, even a Chavez should not be accepted blindly.

Still, I grant that the situation is too unstable(the attempted coup, etc.) to separate legitimate from illegitimate opposition.

[Guy Whitey Corngood]

5. That goes without saying. Nothing or no anyone should be accepted blindly.

If people are against him that's fine too. They can take care of it at the ballot box. But whatever legitimate opposition there is should distance themselves from the shysters that are trying to get back into power to continue screwing the poor. I'm sure lots of people for one reason or another may be against the president. That's their business. But in this country we would never accept a foreign power financing a movement to oust a president or even bush for that matter. Why should it be expected from others? There were plenty of abuses by the Venezuelan government before Chavez came to power. Funny how many of these people didn't protest then. I've asked them myself and all I get is blank stares and name calling about being a commie.

[Freddie Stubbs]

4. Nothing to worry about if it only the wealthy elites who oppose Chavez

The referendum to racall Chavez will only succeed if a majority of voters are convinced that he must go. If it is only a small minority that wants this, there is little chance of it happening.

[Guy Whitey Corngood]

6. These are the same people who own the networks and all media.

They shape opinion and manipulate footage and images to further their agenda. Do you trust our media? Do you think we have nothing to worry about this coming November? Do you think that Al Gore the actual elected president had nothing to worry about in 2000? Just wondering.

[Freddie Stubbs]

9. I believe that people are smart enough to make up their own minds

The 2000 was election was Gore's to lose. Gore lost for one reason: the voters didn't like him. He tried to be someone who he wasn't, but could not pull it off.

[Guy Whitey Corngood]

12. Are they really?

Is that why 70% believed the bullshit about WMDs and that Bush is honest? Are you interested in buying some swampland I have for sale in Florida? People get their "information" from TV and radio. If that information is biased their opinions will be as well. Are you going to dispute that?

PS I hope that scumbag James Carville will decide to stop cooperating with the white collar criminal elements in the opposition. It really makes the Democrats look even worse.

[Say_What]

14. "Gore lost for one reason: the voters didn't like him." - WTF ???

Man, you need to do your homework. Here's a start:

<http://www.gregpalast.com/columns.cfm?subject_id=1&subject_name=Theft%20of%20Presidency>

[Guy Whitey Corngood]

16. I'm so dumb I still think he got the most votes out of any candidate ever

in a presidential election including Reagan. He also won the electoral college if Florida had not been "fixed". But I guess he wasn't robbed, no not at all.

[Cheswick2.0]

17. that makes no sense freddie... more people voted for Gore

Your insistance that people didn't vote for him because they didn't like him makes no sense. Gore is not President because the media was used as a tool to manipulate the masses into believing it was okay for Bush to refuse a vote recount and that we are too imature to wait while the real results were calculated.

Chavez is the popularly elected leader and we want him out because he thinks Oil profit should benefit the people (a kind of socialist idea). Bush (and unfortunately many democrats)prefers to put oil gentry in power and share the wealth with them rather than trust poor people to know what is best for their own country.

[bemildred]

3. As long as they stay in their own neighborhoods

and don't annoy normal citizens, why shouldn't they be
allowed to protest? I don't think rioting should be the
way to decide if a recall referendum is held, though.

[rman]

7. is anyone saying they are not allowed to protest?

erecting barricades and firing guns is another matter.

[bvar22]

8. I've been to Caracas

The middle class and wealthy are a small minority.

[Guy Whitey Corngood]

10. I'm not even going to say that each and every single person protesting

is wealthy or whatever. But I will say that regular every day citizens in any country are very easy to manipulate. Shit, we see it here every day. Venezuelan TV owned by Cisneros and other coup plotters is nothing but shit. It makes ours look like the highest standards achievable in media. They get nothing but tits and ass, stupid racist/clasist soap operas and sensationalist infotainment. I know it sounds just like here but trust me it's even worse. So it does worry me when I hear every day people repeating what they see on TV. I've even talked to people that hate Chavez but can't tell me why.

[Say_What]

11. Hundreds of Thousands of Venezuelans Protested in Caracas Against U.S. Int

<clips>

The streets of Caracas were a sea of red on Sunday, February 29, 2004, as thousands of pro-Chávez supporters demonstrated their anger at U.S. intervention in Venezuelan affairs. Recently declassified documents available for public viewing on www.venezuelafoia.info evidence millions of dollars of financing by the U.S. government to various sectors of the Venezuelan opposition. After President Chávez announced the discovery of this substantial U.S. support for the notoriously undemocratic opposition in Venezuela two weeks ago on his Sunday show, “Hello Mr. President”, Venezuelans have been in an uproar, demanding the U.S. stop intervening in Venezuela’s domestic affairs.

“Mr. Bush is not even the legitimate president of the United States because he stole the elections”

President Chávez addressed hundreds of thousands of his supporters late Sunday afternoon, insisting that the Bush Administration respect Venezuela’s democracy and his presidency. “Mr. George W. Bush is in the White House as a result of electoral fraud committed against the people of the United States…he is not even the legitimate president of the U.S. because he stole the elections”, proclaimed Chávez as the crowd applauded and expressed its approval. The Venezuelan leader called on his constituents to respect the people of the United States and he urged U.S. citizens to “demand their government respect neighboring nations and peoples in the Americas.”

Chávez spoke directly about the important relationship Venezuela shares with the United States, economically and socially, and specifically pointed out that Venezuela has key interests and investments in the U.S. “We have strong interests in the United States which include…8 refineries that employ thousands and thousands of North Americans,” he reminded the crowd as he also assured that if the U.S. were to embargo these Venezuelan companies, the same could happen in Venezuela to U.S. interests.

http://www.venezuelanalysis.com/news.php?newsno=1208

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[bushisanidiot]

13. Hmm.. How Many Coup Attempts Worldwide since George W. Dumbass Stole

office?

the only way conservatives know how to gain power is to steal it!

[Say_What]

15. COUPS are US standard operating procedure

Here's some background on it--it's been happening regularly since the early 1950s.

<clips>

America's Allies
THE FRIENDLY DICTATORS
Meet the Friendly Dictators - three dozen* of America's most embarrassing "friends", a cunning crew of tyrants and corrupt puppet-presidents who have been rewarded handsomely for their loyalty to U.S. interests.

Traditional Dictators seize control through force and often are self-styled "Generals." Constitutional Dictators hold office through voting fraud or severely restricted elections and are frequently mouthpieces for the military juntas which control the ballot boxes. Both types of dictators are covered here, along with a few tyrannical kings. but don't look for "enemy dictators" (communists and the like) in this set of cards. These are America's allies, strange and undemocratic as they may be.

Friendly Dictators often rise to power through bloody CIA-backed coups and rule by terror and torture. Their troops may receive training or advice from the CIA and other U.S. agencies. "Anti-communism" is their common battle cry and a common excuse for political repression. They are linked internationally through extreme right-wing groups such as the World Anti-Communist League (see card 17). Strong Nazi affiliations are typical - some have been known to dress in Nazi paraphemalia and quote from Mein Kampf, while others offer sanctuary for actual Nazi war criminals.

Friendly Dictators usually grow rich, while their countries' economies go down the drain. U.S. tax dollars and U.S. backed loans have made billionaires of some; others are international drug dealers who also collect CIA paychecks. Rarely are they called to account for their crimes.

http://home.iprimus.com.au/korob/fdtcards/Cards_Index.html