Chavez Camp Accuses U.S. of Pushing for His Recall

[G_j]

http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/asection/la-fg-venez13aug13,1,2573579,print.story?coll=la-news-a_section

Chavez Camp Accuses U.S. of Pushing for His Recall
Some members of groups funded by the National Endowment for Democracy have ties to the 2002 coup leaders. Venezuela votes Sunday.

By Ken Silverstein And Carol J. Williams
Times Staff Writers

August 13, 2004

CARACAS, Venezuela — As this bitterly divided nation approaches a vote Sunday on whether to recall populist President Hugo Chavez, he and his supporters are accusing Washington of interfering in Venezuela's affairs by providing about $2 million to opposition groups.

Grants from the National Endowment for Democracy to more than a dozen organizations over two years account for only a fraction of opposition funding. But because some members of the U.S.-supported groups have ties to the opponents who briefly deposed Chavez in April 2002, the former paratrooper contends that the funding backs another effort to oust him.

"Washington has been financing the opposition with millions, including for this referendum," Chavez said during a news conference Thursday at the presidential palace.

Chavez won the presidency in December 1998, and his rule has polarized this country, one of the world's largest oil producers. After the 2002 coup and a two-month national strike failed, opponents changed strategy to focus on a recall campaign. This spring, they submitted 2.5 million signatures, slightly more than the 20% of registered voters required to trigger a recall.

..more..

[Tempest]

1. Earth to Chavez

Well, DUH!

The U.S. led coup attempt in 2002 should have been his first clue.

[Karenina]

7. HE and informed Venezualans

have known it for quite some time. He just wants to make sure everyone else also clearly sees the bloody and corrupted U.S. "foreign policy outreach."

[Joanne98]

2. The opposition is a bunch of Bushco criminals

I hope this blows up in their evil faces.

[Union Thug]

3. I'm pullin' for ya, Hugo! Give 'em hell!

[bushisanidiot]

4. U.S. tax $ at work to overthrow foreign governments for oil profits

it's what AWOL's regime does best. Next stop, Sudan. Not that i'm against overthrowing that government, but we need to keep our grubby hands off of THEIR oil. It is NOT ours. The united states of america is not supposed to be the country of pirates.

[cal04]

5. Will Venezuela get the Florida treatment?

Hugo Chavez drives George Bush crazy. Maybe it's jealousy: Unlike Mr. Bush, Chavez, in Venezuela, won his Presidency by a majority of the vote. Or maybe it's the oil: Venezuela sits atop a reserve rivaling Iraq's. And Hugo thinks the US and British oil companies that pump the crude ought to pay more than a 16 percent royalty to his nation for the stuff. Hey, 16 percent isn't even acceptable as a tip at a New York diner. Whatever it is, OUR President has decided that THEIR president has to go. This is none too easy given that Chavez is backed by Venezuela's poor. And the US oil industry, joined with local oligarchs, has made sure a vast majority of Venezuelans remain poor.
Therefore, Chavez is expected to win this coming Sunday's recall vote. That is, if the elections are free and fair.

They won't be. Some months ago, a little birdie faxed to me what appeared to be confidential pages from a contract between John Ashcroft's Justice Department and a company called ChoicePoint, Inc., of Atlanta. The deal is part of the War on Terror.

Justice offered up to $67 million, of our taxpayer money, to ChoicePoint in a no-bid deal for computer profiles with private information on every citizen of half a dozen nations. The choice of which nation's citizens on whom to spy caught my eye. While the September 11th highjackers came from Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Lebanon and the Arab Emirates, ChoicePoint's menu offered records on Venezuelans, Brazilians, Nicaraguans, Mexicans and Argentines. How odd. Had the CIA uncovered a Latin plot to sneak suicide tango dancers across the border with exploding enchiladas?
Our team located a $53,000 payment from our government to Chavez' recall organizers, who claim to be armed with computer lists of the registered. How did they get those lists? The fix that was practiced in Florida, with ChoicePoint's help, deliberate or not, appears to be retooled for Venezuela, then Brazil, Mexico and who knows where else.

http://www.workingforchange.com/article.cfm?itemid=17454

[HuckleB]

6. Read that piece the other day. Good stuff.

Shows that it's our President who ought to be "recalled," er impeached.