US withdrawing last of its embassy personnel from Venezuela
Source: Associated Press
CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) — The United States announced late Monday that it is pulling the remaining staff from its embassy in Venezuela, citing the deteriorating situation in the South American nation.
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced the decision... Pompeo said the remaining diplomats would be out of Venezuela by the end of the week...
... President Nicolas Maduro said on national television Monday night that progress had been made in restoring power in Venezuela. He also said two people who were allegedly trying to sabotage power facilities were captured and were providing information to authorities, though he gave no details.
Guaido, who heads the opposition-controlled congress, and the United States say Maduro’s claims that the U.S. sabotaged the power grid with a “cyberattack” are an attempt to divert attention from the government’s own failings...
Read more: https://apnews.com/07e2f8abb3a64506a91d11dfd69e86cc
Reuters simultaneously reports:
... Guaido called for a halt in shipments of oil to Maduro’s political ally Cuba, which has received discounted crude from Venezuela for nearly two decades. The deals have drawn scrutiny from the opposition and its allies abroad as Venezuela’s economic crisis worsened.
“We ask for the international community’s cooperation to make this measure effective, so that the oil the Venezuelan people urgently need to attend to this national emergency is not given away,” Guaido said.
U.S. National Security Advisor John Bolton backed the measure, writing on Twitter that, “insurance companies and flag carriers that facilitate these give-away shipments to Cuba are now on notice.” He did not specify any measures the U.S. government may take...
https://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-venezuela-politics/venezuela-congress-declares-state-of-alarm-over-blackout-idUKKBN1QS1XG
And Agence France Presse also this morning in Europe informs us that:
... Guaido, in a speech to the National Assembly which he leads, said "tomorrow at three o'clock in the afternoon, all of Venezuela will be on the streets" to protest against Maduro...
... US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced Washington is withdrawing all its remaining personnel from the US embassy in Caracas. All non-emergency staff were ordered to leave on January 24.
"This decision reflects the deteriorating situation in #Venezuela as well as the conclusion that the presence of US diplomatic staff at the embassy has become a constraint on US policy," Pompeo wrote on Twitter...
https://www.afp.com/en/news/3954/venezuelas-guaido-calls-new-rally-lawmakers-declare-alarm-doc-1ee27o17
For background on the three Agency newswires quoted above, see here:
The key role played by these agencies means that Western media often report on the same topics, even using the same wording. In addition, governments, military and intelligence services use these global news agencies as multipliers to spread their messages around the world.
A study of the Syria war coverage by nine leading European newspapers clearly illustrates these issues: 78% of all articles were based in whole or in part on agency reports, yet 0% on investigative research. Moreover, 82% of all opinion pieces and interviews were in favor of the US and NATO intervention, while propaganda was attributed exclusively to the opposite side...
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Judi Lynn
(160,515 posts)I don't know if Pompeo is deliberately throwing propaganda or if he really is that stupid.
Venezuela made agreements long before Chavez was elected to supply oil to poor countries in the region at discounted prices. LONG ago:
Mexico and Venezuela renew San Jose Accord
Aug 03, 2004 02:00 AM
Mexico and Venezuela renewed the San Jose Accord whereby the two oil producing nations supply a total of 160,000 bpd of crude to 11 Central American and Caribbean nations at discount prices.
The document was signed simultaneously in Mexico and Venezuela by Presidents Vicente Fox and Hugo Chavez, according to a joint communique.
The San Jose Accord came into existence on Aug. 3, 1980, and it has never been suspended. The countries that benefit from the special crude prices are Barbados, Belize, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Nicaragua, Panama and the Dominican Republic, the communique noted.
The pact also establishes "a cooperation mechanism to promote the economic and social development of the beneficiary nations."
The cooperation accord finances social-economic development projects in the participating nations, as well as trade of goods and services by Mexican and Venezuelan firms.
Mexico and Venezuela each provide half of the total 160,000 bpd of the crude sold at discount prices.
Source: EFE
http://gasandoil.com/news/ms_america/ea01e3458a946efa00efd8fbb79b33c0
At some time, Chavez was elected and brought Cuba on board.
How many times did some schmuck in the US bellow that Venezuela was sending "give-away shipments" to other countries back then? Not so many times...
ArizonaLib
(1,242 posts)They think they are entitled. The oil execs pushing them know exactly everything about the legalities and politics. The Republicans don't care about any of it. They don't care about embarrassing our country. I hope with social media, ruining south and central american countries comes to a stop. It is evil. There are no leftists there to fight and there never were - just civilians advocating for democratic reforms. Every time we support right wing causes, the 'leftist' references start up by the media.
Mc Mike
(9,114 posts)but yet he's still screaming that he wants a Nobel Peace prize.
yaesu
(8,020 posts)but what would they do when they got there? They do have corporate puppets protesting but the majority of the people would fight the yankee nazis if they tried to push US fascism down their throats.
Farmer-Rick
(10,154 posts)Even the opposition has been pocketing millions of US tax payer funds to keep up the...well...the opposition.
Never make fun of a stupid US president then call yourself socialist. The US and our mob connected oligarchs will make you suffer for it.
EX500rider
(10,837 posts)Price controls during rampant inflation making the shelves bare of food.
Over printing money causing the million % inflation.
Ridiculous multi-level currency controls ensuring no dollars to buy imports.
Confiscation of foreign property driving off investment.
Firing competent oil workers and substituting lackeys, ensuring oil production drops.
Failing to diversify the economy from oil.
Failing to invest in electrical infrastructure resulting in rolling blackouts.
Pricing gas so low it's all black marketed to neighboring countries.
Why would they pay for that and why would the govt do it for them?
GatoGordo
(2,412 posts)Apologists for Chavismo don't care. Facts annoy them.
They care about the Revolution.
Farmer-Rick
(10,154 posts)No one really cares about Chavez anymore.
It's all about the money. The capitalists, the ones born to wealth and privilege, have it and they don't want you poor folks to get it. We, the masses or people, the workers, the majority, allow a handful of rich people to manipulate and abuse us and then some get so brainwashed that they cheer them on. So, cheer on the destruction of yet another South American country that dared to be NOT capitalist. But you and I will be all the more poor for it.
Venezuela, like Chile, will not do well by this destruction of their government, mark my words.
GatoGordo
(2,412 posts)Please tell me about your conversations with Venezuelans!
I talked with my in-laws in Villa de Cura (near Maracay) last night, for the first time in nearly a week. They sure as F*CK care about Chavez and what his special project, Bolivarian Socialism has done to what was once the economic envy of Latin America. The whole country is in a shitstorm, with widespread looting and violence. It is unsafe to go out in the day light now.
Does your pal Max Blumenthal tell his adoring listeners that the colectivos, Chavistas version of Brown Shirts are now controlling access to NON-POTABLE water and extorting people at gunpoint who want to get it? And that Maduro's jack booted thugs, the GNB/PNB are just standing by and watching it occur? Hell no... Max and Greg Palast are telling the adoring Marxists that Venezuela is awash in consumer goods at high end grocery stores, and that vast parades of red-shirts regularly gather to sing hymns to Chavez.
FWIW, the "masses" in Venezuela are referred to as El Pueblo. And El Pueblo has had enough of the fat POS Maduro and his Castroist puppetmasters.
Farmer-Rick
(10,154 posts)A handful of people admire his accomplishments and there is a group who admire his memory. But he has become a bludgeon used by the right wing in identy politics to destroy progress and tear down Venezuela.
Everything you complain about has been carefully orchestrated by right wing billionaires. I'm surprised you fall for their propaganda.
Farmer-Rick
(10,154 posts)All those problems you mentioned can, and are, manipulated daily by the deep pockets of oligarchs, king, CEOs and mobsters everywhere.
The uber rich have been propagandizing, creating hate and discontent and manipulating the masses since the beginning of civilization. Keep telling yourself you need a rich king, oligarch, master, boss, capitalist or mobster to tell you what to do and you will keep gettng the same crappy world.
EX500rider
(10,837 posts)Are you saying Chavez/Maduro are taking bribes to ruin their economy with bad policies? Because they are the ones enacting them.
Farmer-Rick
(10,154 posts)like toothpaste and toilet paper. They don't like workers, they don't approve of Unions. They are afraid that the mass of people will find out they don't need the Koch brothers for anything and may take away their stolen loot. They want people to shut up, work for cheap and buy their products.
When they realize socialism may give the masses of people ideas that may lessen their profits, they attempt to disrupt and punish those people who offer up those ideas. So, they up the price of products they monopolize, they stop shipment of products that will inconvenience the most people, they pay off people to repeat their propaganda. Then they convince their uber rich friends to do the something.
And then you spread lies and propaganda far and wide. Look at how Russia influenced the election of Traitor Trump. Do you really think rich US oligarchs like the Koch brothers can't do very similar things in Venezuela? And most of the time the Koch brothers don't even use their own money to do it. They use our tax dollars.
Yeah, manipulating people into believing lies and turning a country into a criminal enterprise ain't as difficult as you think.
EX500rider
(10,837 posts)When I am down in Latin America there are lots of local brands on the shelves. Of course not in Venz because the govt has ruined their economy and no one can get enough dollars for imports thanks to govt currency controls.
Farmer-Rick
(10,154 posts)Stop and think.
EX500rider
(10,837 posts)The US alone has 64 companies making TP and 53 for toothpaste:
https://www.manta.com/mb_35_E026D02Z_000/tissue_paper
https://www.thomasnet.com/products/toothpaste-86570504-1.html
Farmer-Rick
(10,154 posts)Here's another
https://www.investopedia.com/insights/companies-owned-koch-brothers/
You make the mistake of thinking just because the products' manufacturer isn't Koch Industries then the Kochs don't own it. They own so many products that it is impossible to totally boycott them. It is very difficult to track all their holdings because they use shell companies.
EX500rider
(10,837 posts)Farmer-Rick
(10,154 posts)How very trusting
EX500rider
(10,837 posts)
Blue_Tires
(55,445 posts)GatoGordo
(2,412 posts)The FANB is thoroughly infiltrated by the G2, Cuban intelligence. (this occurred after the 2002 coup attempt) Any talk of a coup to the wrong person gets a bullet to the back of the head, or a lifetime sentence to Ramos Verde, or worse, SEBIN's Helicoide.
The problem now is that Vlad is running out of money to spread around to his corrupt hierarchy. Its a matter of time before HE gets a bullet.
Farmer-Rick
(10,154 posts)Just ask who keeps any president in power when their opposition constantly attacks them. There may have been some election rgging like in the US. But it wasn't as bad as the right wing wants you to believe.
As a pro Trump liberal told me once "Someone voted for him."
Blue_Tires
(55,445 posts)harsh suppression of political dissent, murder, press censorship, arbitrary imprisonment without trial, no medicine available and eating out of dumpsters??
Interesting...
friendly_iconoclast
(15,333 posts)Trump is merely his Spy vs. Spy opposite number.
Unfotunately, this Prohiasian standoff threatens to become even nastier, thanks to the two malicious fools
who are purportedly in charge of their respective governments.
There's a certain type that will issue excuses for the most obvious thugs, as long as said thug
proclaims an anti-American line.
The apologias tend to disappear after their hero of the moment fucks up, as see Robert Mugabe and/or Daniel Ortega...
Farmer-Rick
(10,154 posts)Remember the chants, "drain the swamp? "
At least some Magats thought they voted for good things.
EX500rider
(10,837 posts)Maduro was polling in the 20% range and yet won 64% of the vote..lol
The makers of the voting machines even said the results were tampered with.
Official voter turnout figures 46.07% (official)
17.32–25.8% -independent and opposition est
The majority of popular leaders of the MUD and other members of the opposition could not apply for the elections because of administrative and legal procedures and were disqualified from participating in the presidential elections by the government.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2018_Venezuelan_presidential_election
Farmer-Rick
(10,154 posts)Maybe Russia should fund opposition groups in the US to stop all the rigging?
EX500rider
(10,837 posts)....and moved up the elections....and disqualified other popular parties from running.....and promised food to the starving to vote for him.....and made you scan a govt ID card that shows how you voted.....and hacked the voting machines to add a few million votes......yes, then it would be just the same.
Farmer-Rick
(10,154 posts)But the facts don't agree with you.
And oh by the way, W did jail several political opponents, hacked the voting machines, put up road blocks to voting with ID laws, promised war and millions to the uber rich in excessive tax breaks that caused an economic collapse.
So tell me again how Russia shouldn't meddle in our elections but it is okey dokey for us to meddle in Venezuela.
