The ALBA unites its voice against the interference
Today the countries that make up the Bolivarian Alliance for the Peoples of Our America-Peoples Trade Treaty (ALBA-TCP) will raise their voices once again to denounce the interventionist and interventionist attempts against the region
Author: International Writing | international@granma.cu
March 4, 2018 20:03:24
Today, the countries that make up the Bolivarian Alliance for the Peoples of Our America-Peoples Trade Treaty (ALBA-TCP) will raise their voices once again to denounce the interventionist and interventionist attempts against the region.
The meeting, which will be held at the Miraflores Palace in Caracas, will be chaired by Bolivarian President Nicolás Maduro, and will be a platform to show the world the regional unity and support for Venezuela.
The integration mechanism will once again forcefully reject the policies towards Latin America and the Caribbean of US President Donald Trump, as well as those of right-wing governments and their allies in the region.
Likewise, ALBA will denounce the Trump administration's intentions of returning to the Monroe Doctrine, an American interventionist instrument for centuries in Latin America.
On the other hand, the countries that make up the organization will ratify their solidarity with Venezuela, host country of the event. The ALBA-TCP will condemn the unacceptable interference in the internal affairs of the Bolivarian nation by a group of countries in the hemisphere.
He will also reject the decision to withdraw the invitation to the Government of Caracas to participate in the VIII Summit of the Americas, to be held next month in Lima, Peru, as this decision is contrary to the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations and The Proclamation of Latin America and the Caribbean as a Zone of Peace, signed in Havana in 2014 during the II Summit of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States.
CHÁVEZ IN THE HEART OF THE PEOPLES
From Cuba, the legacy of Comandante Chávez will also be remembered, with the celebration of a series of activities called by the Cuban Institute of Friendship with the Peoples (ICAP) and the Embassy of Venezuela in Havana.
In the morning, the University of San Gerónimo will host a political-cultural event under the slogan "Let's sow love in the popular soul"; while in the afternoon, from the headquarters of ICAP, a tribute of remembrance will be paid to Chávez, and solidarity with the Venezuelan Government and people will be reaffirmed before the threats and aggressions of the United States and the Organization of American States (OAS).
For its part, in Venezuela the events will begin early in the Cuartel de la Montaña, in the parish 23 de Enero, in Caracas, where the mortal remains of the Commandant rest. A popular gathering is also planned in the vicinity of the government headquarters.
http://www.granma.cu/mundo/2018-03-04/e ... 8-20-03-24
Google Translator
Venezuela
Re: Venezuela
"There is great chaos under heaven; the situation is excellent."
Re: Venezuela
IS MADURO ON COURSE TO STRENGTHEN HIS COUNTRY’S SOCIALIST REVOLUTION?
Posted by MLToday | Mar 2, 2018 | Other Featured Posts
Is Maduro on Course to Strengthen His Country’s Socialist Revolution?
Morning Star, Editorial Comment
Wednesday
February 28, 2018
Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro’s comment, after
meeting his Communist Party allies, that he had “received
criticism” and appreciated it marks him out as a special
kind of revolutionary leader.
Too many rulers in different forms of society, especially
those used over a period of time to winning mass popular
support, have a tendency to imagine that they are the font
of all wisdom.
Maduro, a revolutionary since his youth and a man who
came to understand the value of collective discussion and
action during his time as a bus driver, retains a willingness
to listen and learn.
The current president, who faces an electoral challenge
in April, was a loyal supporter of Bolivarian revolutionary
leader Hugo Chavez, continuing and extending the Chavista
commissions financed by the country’s oil wealth and
directing pensions and other special allowances, housing,
farmland and health benefits to the poorest Venezuelans.
In the decade from 2004 to 2014, the revolution reduced
poverty by 49 per cent and extreme poverty by a stunning
63 per cent.
These priorities were in stark contrast to the indifference
shown by previous liberal and conservative governments,
which were content to allow the benefits of the country’s
mineral riches to be monopolised by energy transnational
corporations and Venezuela’s comprador bourgeoisie.
But, as the Communist Party (PCV) points out, it is not
possible to build a socialist society by simply sidelining
the bourgeoisie. The economic and political power of this
class has to be broken.
Using oil wealth profits to take people out of poverty
benefits individuals and creates loyalty to the revolution and
its leader, but it doesn’t weaken the grip that the corporate
elite has on the economy and mass media.
The collapse in the oil price to less than half of its previous
value, compounded by an economic blockade imposed
by the US, created real hardship for working people.
It was exacerbated by shortages of essential goods deliberately
engineered by big companies hoarding imports and
refusing to release them.
PCV insistence on moving beyond the current well-meaning
government model to tackling ruling-class wealth and
power by nationalising the finance sector would indicate
that the gloves are now off.
https://mltoday.com/
Posted by MLToday | Mar 2, 2018 | Other Featured Posts
Is Maduro on Course to Strengthen His Country’s Socialist Revolution?
Morning Star, Editorial Comment
Wednesday
February 28, 2018
Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro’s comment, after
meeting his Communist Party allies, that he had “received
criticism” and appreciated it marks him out as a special
kind of revolutionary leader.
Too many rulers in different forms of society, especially
those used over a period of time to winning mass popular
support, have a tendency to imagine that they are the font
of all wisdom.
Maduro, a revolutionary since his youth and a man who
came to understand the value of collective discussion and
action during his time as a bus driver, retains a willingness
to listen and learn.
The current president, who faces an electoral challenge
in April, was a loyal supporter of Bolivarian revolutionary
leader Hugo Chavez, continuing and extending the Chavista
commissions financed by the country’s oil wealth and
directing pensions and other special allowances, housing,
farmland and health benefits to the poorest Venezuelans.
In the decade from 2004 to 2014, the revolution reduced
poverty by 49 per cent and extreme poverty by a stunning
63 per cent.
These priorities were in stark contrast to the indifference
shown by previous liberal and conservative governments,
which were content to allow the benefits of the country’s
mineral riches to be monopolised by energy transnational
corporations and Venezuela’s comprador bourgeoisie.
But, as the Communist Party (PCV) points out, it is not
possible to build a socialist society by simply sidelining
the bourgeoisie. The economic and political power of this
class has to be broken.
Using oil wealth profits to take people out of poverty
benefits individuals and creates loyalty to the revolution and
its leader, but it doesn’t weaken the grip that the corporate
elite has on the economy and mass media.
The collapse in the oil price to less than half of its previous
value, compounded by an economic blockade imposed
by the US, created real hardship for working people.
It was exacerbated by shortages of essential goods deliberately
engineered by big companies hoarding imports and
refusing to release them.
PCV insistence on moving beyond the current well-meaning
government model to tackling ruling-class wealth and
power by nationalising the finance sector would indicate
that the gloves are now off.
https://mltoday.com/
"There is great chaos under heaven; the situation is excellent."
Re: Venezuela
US State Dept.: “We want elections in Venezuela now, unless we’re not guaranteed a win, in which case they’re illegitimate”
05 Mar 2018 RICARDO VAZ
[img]
With presidential elections announced in Venezuela, the US State Department moved quickly to declare that the contest was illegitimate and that its results would not be recognised. But less than a year ago the tune was quite different, as a cursory look through State Dept. briefings and press releases will show. We also examine how political developments from the past year have led to the current scenario, and how US demands for “free and fair” elections are not only arrogant and hypocritical but also misleading.
We begin by taking a look at what the US State Department was constantly saying less than a year ago. We could equally document the statements of the OAS and its secretary Luis Almagro, the Venezuelan opposition, US-allied regional governments, or the mainstream media. But it is easier to just go to the source. Sadly, when it comes to Venezuela, none of the mainstream actors and media will deviate from the State Department.
As violent opposition protests raged on in the Spring of 2017, there were repeated calls for immediate elections:
“President Maduro […] should hold elections as soon as possible.” (March 29)
“We call for the government of Venezuela to […] hold elections as soon as possible” (March 30)
“We […] echo the Venezuelan people’s calls for prompt elections” (April 10)
“We call again upon the Government of Venezuela to […] hold prompt elections” (April 18)
“It’s the Venezuelan people who should decide Venezuela’s future, which is why we once again call on the Venezuelan authorities to promptly hold free, fair, and transparent elections.” (May 2)
“…what people are asking for today, which is for national presidential elections to restore legitimacy to whomever might rule Venezuela moving forward.” (May 30)
“The United States has joined with a growing number of courageous democracies in our region to urge the Venezuelan Government to hold free elections” (June 20) (1)
US officials were adamant that elections were the only legitimate way forward.
“How is legitimacy defined in a democracy? Through elections.” (May 30)
“At the end of the day, it’s all about consensus. It’s about finding a way forward for Venezuelans to depolarize their situation, and the best way to do that is through elections.” (May 30)
“Venezuela needs consensus. It needs a genuine consensus or at least a legitimate path forward. That’s what elections provide.” (June 19)
So what happened since then to make the US no longer believe that elections should be held tomorrow? Maduro made a bold gambit of calling elections for a Constituent Assembly to solve the country’s problems. The Venezuelan opposition decided not to participate and vowed to stop those elections from taking place. They miserably failed, and on July 30 over 8 million people voted in what was a remarkable show of strength by chavismo.
From that point both the opposition and the US were trapped, unable to move on from their blunder. And soon cracks started to open. After months of violent protests claiming that the “dictatorship” was about to be overthrown, the opposition then turned to its supporters and asked them to go and vote in regional elections. The result was a disaster, with chavismo winning 18 out of 23 states. The opposition could not muster more than the usual vacuous claims of fraud, and then (mostly) boycotted the December municipal elections, which resulted in a chavista sweep of over 90% of the municipalities.
With the political momentum on its side, the government decided to schedule presidential elections for April 22. According to Jorge Rodríguez, head of the government’s delegation in the Dominican Republic dialogue, this date was agreed with the opposition MUD representatives. But with opposition figures more discredited than ever the US decided to pre-emptively unrecognise the vote, simply because an opposition victory is far from guaranteed.
Henri Falcón registering his candidacy with the electoral authorities (Photo: Correo del Orinoco)
In the end the main opposition parties followed suit in boycotting the election, but former Lara governor Henri Falcón broke ranks and registered as a candidate. The MUD promptly expelled him, and the US allegedly threatened him with sanctions to stop him from running. Ironically, as a former chavista, Falcón might be the ideal “moderate” opposition candidate to attract the votes of disaffected chavistas. But the imperial masters are past hedging their bets, they are all-in for regime change.
After talks with Falcón and the forces backing him, the vote was postponed to May 20. The MUD doubled down on their position that “there are no opposition candidates” in this election, and up to now there has been no reaction from the State Dept.. At the same time it is hard to read this as anything but a move to further sideline the MUD after they backed out of the dialogue to stick to the hardline coming from Washington.
“Free and fair” elections
We should also take a moment to refute the US assertions about elections not being “free and fair” and the presence of international observers. The “free and fair” demand means to discredit all previous electoral processes, whose results did not please the US. Nevertheless, as many people outside the mainstream media have explained, the Venezuelan voting system is as hard to fool as it gets. In all the elections where the opposition decided to take part they got to place their observers in every voting centre. Tens of thousands of audits took place to match the electronic and paper tallies, witnessed and approved by these opposition observers, and there has not been a single allegation of tampering with the vote count (2).
We could argue that the government makes use of state resources in its political campaigns. While this would hardly be exclusive to Venezuela, we should contend that the opposition has also made use of government resources, they just happened to come from the US government through its array of NED and USAID “democracy promoting”, “civil society building” programs, and that is just the overt part of it. Complaints about media coverage are also absurd when private media has the largest share of viewership and circulation and is overwhelmingly against the government, to say nothing about international media.
The demand for international monitoring is, at best, very dishonest from the State Department. First of all, despite the opposition walking away at the 11th hour, Maduro vowed to implement what had been agreed in the Dominican Republic dialogue, which included an open invitation for international observers to come to Venezuela for the upcoming election.
But that is not to say that previous elections did not have international observers. Organisations such as the Latin American Council of Electoral Experts (CEELA) have been present and endorsed the procedures, as well as other observers from multiple countries, Latin American and otherwise. The problem is that they do not dance to the tune of the US State Department.
Opposition leader Julio Borges and OAS secretary General Luis Almagro (Photo: Primero Justicia)
It is absurd to claim that the presence of the OAS is a boost for fairness and transparency. We do not even have to look very far, just take the recent elections in Honduras. Massive, documented fraud allowed Juan Orlando Hernández to revert what was an irreversible trend in favour of his opponent. Having the US empire on your side will allow you to overrule statistics. This was so blatant that even the OAS and EU missions had to raise questions. But in the end Hernández was declared the winner, the State Dept. gave its approval and all these champions of democracy fell in line.
An even more shameful event took place in the Haiti presidential election of 2011. After the first round, the US (through the OAS), simply ordered the Haitian authorities to advance Michel Martelly to the second round, despite him not being one of the two most voted in the first round. They threatened to cut off all aid if this did not happen. So when these officials talk about the OAS as some guarantor of decency, not even they believe it themselves.
Democracy and elections
A small digression: we do not mean to equate democracy with elections like US officials constantly do in the above statements. The Venezuelan leaders have on occasion also fallen for this reductionism. Whether they believe it or not, it is the most obvious way to expose the western hypocrisy on the matter.
This reduction of democracy to voting has been one of the biggest triumphs of capitalist hegemony. People are effectively convinced that their entire political participation should be the single act of marking a cross on a ballot every 4 or 5 years. Politics is thus detached from the rest of society and “commodified” like everything else in capitalism, with campaigns becoming mere advertising shows and the wealthiest literally buying their influence.
The Bolivarian Revolution is revolutionary precisely because it challenged the inevitability of representative politics and opened new spaces for protagonist, participatory democratic experiments. From the communes to workers councils, even to the constituent processes, and despite the natural contradictions that have emerged, we have seen an expansion of democracy in its literal sense – popular power.
President Maduro registered his candidacy surrounded by thousands of supporters (Photo: Venezuelan Ministry for Communications and Information)
Hands Off Venezuela!
In the end it seems like the ideal scenario for the US would be something like the Yemeni model: a single, US-backed candidate on the ballot. With elections coming up this year in key US allied countries (Brazil, Colombia and Mexico), all of which have the potential to bring to power someone less friendly to US interests, the US cannot afford a defeat in Venezuela.
These arrogant, imperial demands that the Venezuelan elections should satisfy are just meant to provide cover for the growing threats and aggression against Venezuela, and the uncritical echo chamber that the media has become on this matter is a crucial asset. With suggestions of an upcoming oil embargo against Venezuela, at this point the goal is clearly to impose as much suffering as possible on the Venezuelans in order to topple the government.
For all its lofty rhetoric, the State Department is not looking out for the well-being of the Venezuelan people. Neither are its Venezuelan and regional puppets, nor the mainstream media, whose positions are simply State Dept. communiques with make-up. Standing up to these shameless imperialist attacks is essential if we wish to stand in solidarity with the Venezuelan poor and working-class, allowing them to freely choose their path, both in the upcoming elections and beyond.
US State Dept.: “We want elections in Venezuela now, unless we’re not guaranteed a win, in which case they’re illegitimate”
05 Mar 2018 RICARDO VAZ
[img]
With presidential elections announced in Venezuela, the US State Department moved quickly to declare that the contest was illegitimate and that its results would not be recognised. But less than a year ago the tune was quite different, as a cursory look through State Dept. briefings and press releases will show. We also examine how political developments from the past year have led to the current scenario, and how US demands for “free and fair” elections are not only arrogant and hypocritical but also misleading.
We begin by taking a look at what the US State Department was constantly saying less than a year ago. We could equally document the statements of the OAS and its secretary Luis Almagro, the Venezuelan opposition, US-allied regional governments, or the mainstream media. But it is easier to just go to the source. Sadly, when it comes to Venezuela, none of the mainstream actors and media will deviate from the State Department.
As violent opposition protests raged on in the Spring of 2017, there were repeated calls for immediate elections:
“President Maduro […] should hold elections as soon as possible.” (March 29)
“We call for the government of Venezuela to […] hold elections as soon as possible” (March 30)
“We […] echo the Venezuelan people’s calls for prompt elections” (April 10)
“We call again upon the Government of Venezuela to […] hold prompt elections” (April 18)
“It’s the Venezuelan people who should decide Venezuela’s future, which is why we once again call on the Venezuelan authorities to promptly hold free, fair, and transparent elections.” (May 2)
“…what people are asking for today, which is for national presidential elections to restore legitimacy to whomever might rule Venezuela moving forward.” (May 30)
“The United States has joined with a growing number of courageous democracies in our region to urge the Venezuelan Government to hold free elections” (June 20) (1)
US officials were adamant that elections were the only legitimate way forward.
“How is legitimacy defined in a democracy? Through elections.” (May 30)
“At the end of the day, it’s all about consensus. It’s about finding a way forward for Venezuelans to depolarize their situation, and the best way to do that is through elections.” (May 30)
“Venezuela needs consensus. It needs a genuine consensus or at least a legitimate path forward. That’s what elections provide.” (June 19)
So what happened since then to make the US no longer believe that elections should be held tomorrow? Maduro made a bold gambit of calling elections for a Constituent Assembly to solve the country’s problems. The Venezuelan opposition decided not to participate and vowed to stop those elections from taking place. They miserably failed, and on July 30 over 8 million people voted in what was a remarkable show of strength by chavismo.
From that point both the opposition and the US were trapped, unable to move on from their blunder. And soon cracks started to open. After months of violent protests claiming that the “dictatorship” was about to be overthrown, the opposition then turned to its supporters and asked them to go and vote in regional elections. The result was a disaster, with chavismo winning 18 out of 23 states. The opposition could not muster more than the usual vacuous claims of fraud, and then (mostly) boycotted the December municipal elections, which resulted in a chavista sweep of over 90% of the municipalities.
With the political momentum on its side, the government decided to schedule presidential elections for April 22. According to Jorge Rodríguez, head of the government’s delegation in the Dominican Republic dialogue, this date was agreed with the opposition MUD representatives. But with opposition figures more discredited than ever the US decided to pre-emptively unrecognise the vote, simply because an opposition victory is far from guaranteed.
Henri Falcón registering his candidacy with the electoral authorities (Photo: Correo del Orinoco)
In the end the main opposition parties followed suit in boycotting the election, but former Lara governor Henri Falcón broke ranks and registered as a candidate. The MUD promptly expelled him, and the US allegedly threatened him with sanctions to stop him from running. Ironically, as a former chavista, Falcón might be the ideal “moderate” opposition candidate to attract the votes of disaffected chavistas. But the imperial masters are past hedging their bets, they are all-in for regime change.
After talks with Falcón and the forces backing him, the vote was postponed to May 20. The MUD doubled down on their position that “there are no opposition candidates” in this election, and up to now there has been no reaction from the State Dept.. At the same time it is hard to read this as anything but a move to further sideline the MUD after they backed out of the dialogue to stick to the hardline coming from Washington.
“Free and fair” elections
We should also take a moment to refute the US assertions about elections not being “free and fair” and the presence of international observers. The “free and fair” demand means to discredit all previous electoral processes, whose results did not please the US. Nevertheless, as many people outside the mainstream media have explained, the Venezuelan voting system is as hard to fool as it gets. In all the elections where the opposition decided to take part they got to place their observers in every voting centre. Tens of thousands of audits took place to match the electronic and paper tallies, witnessed and approved by these opposition observers, and there has not been a single allegation of tampering with the vote count (2).
We could argue that the government makes use of state resources in its political campaigns. While this would hardly be exclusive to Venezuela, we should contend that the opposition has also made use of government resources, they just happened to come from the US government through its array of NED and USAID “democracy promoting”, “civil society building” programs, and that is just the overt part of it. Complaints about media coverage are also absurd when private media has the largest share of viewership and circulation and is overwhelmingly against the government, to say nothing about international media.
The demand for international monitoring is, at best, very dishonest from the State Department. First of all, despite the opposition walking away at the 11th hour, Maduro vowed to implement what had been agreed in the Dominican Republic dialogue, which included an open invitation for international observers to come to Venezuela for the upcoming election.
But that is not to say that previous elections did not have international observers. Organisations such as the Latin American Council of Electoral Experts (CEELA) have been present and endorsed the procedures, as well as other observers from multiple countries, Latin American and otherwise. The problem is that they do not dance to the tune of the US State Department.
Opposition leader Julio Borges and OAS secretary General Luis Almagro (Photo: Primero Justicia)
It is absurd to claim that the presence of the OAS is a boost for fairness and transparency. We do not even have to look very far, just take the recent elections in Honduras. Massive, documented fraud allowed Juan Orlando Hernández to revert what was an irreversible trend in favour of his opponent. Having the US empire on your side will allow you to overrule statistics. This was so blatant that even the OAS and EU missions had to raise questions. But in the end Hernández was declared the winner, the State Dept. gave its approval and all these champions of democracy fell in line.
An even more shameful event took place in the Haiti presidential election of 2011. After the first round, the US (through the OAS), simply ordered the Haitian authorities to advance Michel Martelly to the second round, despite him not being one of the two most voted in the first round. They threatened to cut off all aid if this did not happen. So when these officials talk about the OAS as some guarantor of decency, not even they believe it themselves.
Democracy and elections
A small digression: we do not mean to equate democracy with elections like US officials constantly do in the above statements. The Venezuelan leaders have on occasion also fallen for this reductionism. Whether they believe it or not, it is the most obvious way to expose the western hypocrisy on the matter.
This reduction of democracy to voting has been one of the biggest triumphs of capitalist hegemony. People are effectively convinced that their entire political participation should be the single act of marking a cross on a ballot every 4 or 5 years. Politics is thus detached from the rest of society and “commodified” like everything else in capitalism, with campaigns becoming mere advertising shows and the wealthiest literally buying their influence.
The Bolivarian Revolution is revolutionary precisely because it challenged the inevitability of representative politics and opened new spaces for protagonist, participatory democratic experiments. From the communes to workers councils, even to the constituent processes, and despite the natural contradictions that have emerged, we have seen an expansion of democracy in its literal sense – popular power.
President Maduro registered his candidacy surrounded by thousands of supporters (Photo: Venezuelan Ministry for Communications and Information)
Hands Off Venezuela!
In the end it seems like the ideal scenario for the US would be something like the Yemeni model: a single, US-backed candidate on the ballot. With elections coming up this year in key US allied countries (Brazil, Colombia and Mexico), all of which have the potential to bring to power someone less friendly to US interests, the US cannot afford a defeat in Venezuela.
These arrogant, imperial demands that the Venezuelan elections should satisfy are just meant to provide cover for the growing threats and aggression against Venezuela, and the uncritical echo chamber that the media has become on this matter is a crucial asset. With suggestions of an upcoming oil embargo against Venezuela, at this point the goal is clearly to impose as much suffering as possible on the Venezuelans in order to topple the government.
For all its lofty rhetoric, the State Department is not looking out for the well-being of the Venezuelan people. Neither are its Venezuelan and regional puppets, nor the mainstream media, whose positions are simply State Dept. communiques with make-up. Standing up to these shameless imperialist attacks is essential if we wish to stand in solidarity with the Venezuelan poor and working-class, allowing them to freely choose their path, both in the upcoming elections and beyond.
Notes
(1) “Courageous” is not the first adjective that comes to mind regarding lapdogs
(2) A possible exception is the gubernatorial race in the state of Bolívar last October, where some electoral acts were circulated on social media showing a mismatch with regard to the electronic totals in the CNE website. But, perhaps because it would undermine the other constant claims of fraud, the opposition did not press the case.
Cover photo: Anti-imperialist mural in Caracas (Photo: Venezuelanalysis)
https://www.investigaction.net/en/us-st ... egitimate/
Notes
(1) “Courageous” is not the first adjective that comes to mind regarding lapdogs
(2) A possible exception is the gubernatorial race in the state of Bolívar last October, where some electoral acts were circulated on social media showing a mismatch with regard to the electronic totals in the CNE website. But, perhaps because it would undermine the other constant claims of fraud, the opposition did not press the case.
Cover photo: Anti-imperialist mural in Caracas (Photo: Venezuelanalysis)
https://www.investigaction.net/en/us-st ... egitimate/
05 Mar 2018 RICARDO VAZ
[img]
With presidential elections announced in Venezuela, the US State Department moved quickly to declare that the contest was illegitimate and that its results would not be recognised. But less than a year ago the tune was quite different, as a cursory look through State Dept. briefings and press releases will show. We also examine how political developments from the past year have led to the current scenario, and how US demands for “free and fair” elections are not only arrogant and hypocritical but also misleading.
We begin by taking a look at what the US State Department was constantly saying less than a year ago. We could equally document the statements of the OAS and its secretary Luis Almagro, the Venezuelan opposition, US-allied regional governments, or the mainstream media. But it is easier to just go to the source. Sadly, when it comes to Venezuela, none of the mainstream actors and media will deviate from the State Department.
As violent opposition protests raged on in the Spring of 2017, there were repeated calls for immediate elections:
“President Maduro […] should hold elections as soon as possible.” (March 29)
“We call for the government of Venezuela to […] hold elections as soon as possible” (March 30)
“We […] echo the Venezuelan people’s calls for prompt elections” (April 10)
“We call again upon the Government of Venezuela to […] hold prompt elections” (April 18)
“It’s the Venezuelan people who should decide Venezuela’s future, which is why we once again call on the Venezuelan authorities to promptly hold free, fair, and transparent elections.” (May 2)
“…what people are asking for today, which is for national presidential elections to restore legitimacy to whomever might rule Venezuela moving forward.” (May 30)
“The United States has joined with a growing number of courageous democracies in our region to urge the Venezuelan Government to hold free elections” (June 20) (1)
US officials were adamant that elections were the only legitimate way forward.
“How is legitimacy defined in a democracy? Through elections.” (May 30)
“At the end of the day, it’s all about consensus. It’s about finding a way forward for Venezuelans to depolarize their situation, and the best way to do that is through elections.” (May 30)
“Venezuela needs consensus. It needs a genuine consensus or at least a legitimate path forward. That’s what elections provide.” (June 19)
So what happened since then to make the US no longer believe that elections should be held tomorrow? Maduro made a bold gambit of calling elections for a Constituent Assembly to solve the country’s problems. The Venezuelan opposition decided not to participate and vowed to stop those elections from taking place. They miserably failed, and on July 30 over 8 million people voted in what was a remarkable show of strength by chavismo.
From that point both the opposition and the US were trapped, unable to move on from their blunder. And soon cracks started to open. After months of violent protests claiming that the “dictatorship” was about to be overthrown, the opposition then turned to its supporters and asked them to go and vote in regional elections. The result was a disaster, with chavismo winning 18 out of 23 states. The opposition could not muster more than the usual vacuous claims of fraud, and then (mostly) boycotted the December municipal elections, which resulted in a chavista sweep of over 90% of the municipalities.
With the political momentum on its side, the government decided to schedule presidential elections for April 22. According to Jorge Rodríguez, head of the government’s delegation in the Dominican Republic dialogue, this date was agreed with the opposition MUD representatives. But with opposition figures more discredited than ever the US decided to pre-emptively unrecognise the vote, simply because an opposition victory is far from guaranteed.
Henri Falcón registering his candidacy with the electoral authorities (Photo: Correo del Orinoco)
In the end the main opposition parties followed suit in boycotting the election, but former Lara governor Henri Falcón broke ranks and registered as a candidate. The MUD promptly expelled him, and the US allegedly threatened him with sanctions to stop him from running. Ironically, as a former chavista, Falcón might be the ideal “moderate” opposition candidate to attract the votes of disaffected chavistas. But the imperial masters are past hedging their bets, they are all-in for regime change.
After talks with Falcón and the forces backing him, the vote was postponed to May 20. The MUD doubled down on their position that “there are no opposition candidates” in this election, and up to now there has been no reaction from the State Dept.. At the same time it is hard to read this as anything but a move to further sideline the MUD after they backed out of the dialogue to stick to the hardline coming from Washington.
“Free and fair” elections
We should also take a moment to refute the US assertions about elections not being “free and fair” and the presence of international observers. The “free and fair” demand means to discredit all previous electoral processes, whose results did not please the US. Nevertheless, as many people outside the mainstream media have explained, the Venezuelan voting system is as hard to fool as it gets. In all the elections where the opposition decided to take part they got to place their observers in every voting centre. Tens of thousands of audits took place to match the electronic and paper tallies, witnessed and approved by these opposition observers, and there has not been a single allegation of tampering with the vote count (2).
We could argue that the government makes use of state resources in its political campaigns. While this would hardly be exclusive to Venezuela, we should contend that the opposition has also made use of government resources, they just happened to come from the US government through its array of NED and USAID “democracy promoting”, “civil society building” programs, and that is just the overt part of it. Complaints about media coverage are also absurd when private media has the largest share of viewership and circulation and is overwhelmingly against the government, to say nothing about international media.
The demand for international monitoring is, at best, very dishonest from the State Department. First of all, despite the opposition walking away at the 11th hour, Maduro vowed to implement what had been agreed in the Dominican Republic dialogue, which included an open invitation for international observers to come to Venezuela for the upcoming election.
But that is not to say that previous elections did not have international observers. Organisations such as the Latin American Council of Electoral Experts (CEELA) have been present and endorsed the procedures, as well as other observers from multiple countries, Latin American and otherwise. The problem is that they do not dance to the tune of the US State Department.
Opposition leader Julio Borges and OAS secretary General Luis Almagro (Photo: Primero Justicia)
It is absurd to claim that the presence of the OAS is a boost for fairness and transparency. We do not even have to look very far, just take the recent elections in Honduras. Massive, documented fraud allowed Juan Orlando Hernández to revert what was an irreversible trend in favour of his opponent. Having the US empire on your side will allow you to overrule statistics. This was so blatant that even the OAS and EU missions had to raise questions. But in the end Hernández was declared the winner, the State Dept. gave its approval and all these champions of democracy fell in line.
An even more shameful event took place in the Haiti presidential election of 2011. After the first round, the US (through the OAS), simply ordered the Haitian authorities to advance Michel Martelly to the second round, despite him not being one of the two most voted in the first round. They threatened to cut off all aid if this did not happen. So when these officials talk about the OAS as some guarantor of decency, not even they believe it themselves.
Democracy and elections
A small digression: we do not mean to equate democracy with elections like US officials constantly do in the above statements. The Venezuelan leaders have on occasion also fallen for this reductionism. Whether they believe it or not, it is the most obvious way to expose the western hypocrisy on the matter.
This reduction of democracy to voting has been one of the biggest triumphs of capitalist hegemony. People are effectively convinced that their entire political participation should be the single act of marking a cross on a ballot every 4 or 5 years. Politics is thus detached from the rest of society and “commodified” like everything else in capitalism, with campaigns becoming mere advertising shows and the wealthiest literally buying their influence.
The Bolivarian Revolution is revolutionary precisely because it challenged the inevitability of representative politics and opened new spaces for protagonist, participatory democratic experiments. From the communes to workers councils, even to the constituent processes, and despite the natural contradictions that have emerged, we have seen an expansion of democracy in its literal sense – popular power.
President Maduro registered his candidacy surrounded by thousands of supporters (Photo: Venezuelan Ministry for Communications and Information)
Hands Off Venezuela!
In the end it seems like the ideal scenario for the US would be something like the Yemeni model: a single, US-backed candidate on the ballot. With elections coming up this year in key US allied countries (Brazil, Colombia and Mexico), all of which have the potential to bring to power someone less friendly to US interests, the US cannot afford a defeat in Venezuela.
These arrogant, imperial demands that the Venezuelan elections should satisfy are just meant to provide cover for the growing threats and aggression against Venezuela, and the uncritical echo chamber that the media has become on this matter is a crucial asset. With suggestions of an upcoming oil embargo against Venezuela, at this point the goal is clearly to impose as much suffering as possible on the Venezuelans in order to topple the government.
For all its lofty rhetoric, the State Department is not looking out for the well-being of the Venezuelan people. Neither are its Venezuelan and regional puppets, nor the mainstream media, whose positions are simply State Dept. communiques with make-up. Standing up to these shameless imperialist attacks is essential if we wish to stand in solidarity with the Venezuelan poor and working-class, allowing them to freely choose their path, both in the upcoming elections and beyond.
US State Dept.: “We want elections in Venezuela now, unless we’re not guaranteed a win, in which case they’re illegitimate”
05 Mar 2018 RICARDO VAZ
[img]
With presidential elections announced in Venezuela, the US State Department moved quickly to declare that the contest was illegitimate and that its results would not be recognised. But less than a year ago the tune was quite different, as a cursory look through State Dept. briefings and press releases will show. We also examine how political developments from the past year have led to the current scenario, and how US demands for “free and fair” elections are not only arrogant and hypocritical but also misleading.
We begin by taking a look at what the US State Department was constantly saying less than a year ago. We could equally document the statements of the OAS and its secretary Luis Almagro, the Venezuelan opposition, US-allied regional governments, or the mainstream media. But it is easier to just go to the source. Sadly, when it comes to Venezuela, none of the mainstream actors and media will deviate from the State Department.
As violent opposition protests raged on in the Spring of 2017, there were repeated calls for immediate elections:
“President Maduro […] should hold elections as soon as possible.” (March 29)
“We call for the government of Venezuela to […] hold elections as soon as possible” (March 30)
“We […] echo the Venezuelan people’s calls for prompt elections” (April 10)
“We call again upon the Government of Venezuela to […] hold prompt elections” (April 18)
“It’s the Venezuelan people who should decide Venezuela’s future, which is why we once again call on the Venezuelan authorities to promptly hold free, fair, and transparent elections.” (May 2)
“…what people are asking for today, which is for national presidential elections to restore legitimacy to whomever might rule Venezuela moving forward.” (May 30)
“The United States has joined with a growing number of courageous democracies in our region to urge the Venezuelan Government to hold free elections” (June 20) (1)
US officials were adamant that elections were the only legitimate way forward.
“How is legitimacy defined in a democracy? Through elections.” (May 30)
“At the end of the day, it’s all about consensus. It’s about finding a way forward for Venezuelans to depolarize their situation, and the best way to do that is through elections.” (May 30)
“Venezuela needs consensus. It needs a genuine consensus or at least a legitimate path forward. That’s what elections provide.” (June 19)
So what happened since then to make the US no longer believe that elections should be held tomorrow? Maduro made a bold gambit of calling elections for a Constituent Assembly to solve the country’s problems. The Venezuelan opposition decided not to participate and vowed to stop those elections from taking place. They miserably failed, and on July 30 over 8 million people voted in what was a remarkable show of strength by chavismo.
From that point both the opposition and the US were trapped, unable to move on from their blunder. And soon cracks started to open. After months of violent protests claiming that the “dictatorship” was about to be overthrown, the opposition then turned to its supporters and asked them to go and vote in regional elections. The result was a disaster, with chavismo winning 18 out of 23 states. The opposition could not muster more than the usual vacuous claims of fraud, and then (mostly) boycotted the December municipal elections, which resulted in a chavista sweep of over 90% of the municipalities.
With the political momentum on its side, the government decided to schedule presidential elections for April 22. According to Jorge Rodríguez, head of the government’s delegation in the Dominican Republic dialogue, this date was agreed with the opposition MUD representatives. But with opposition figures more discredited than ever the US decided to pre-emptively unrecognise the vote, simply because an opposition victory is far from guaranteed.
Henri Falcón registering his candidacy with the electoral authorities (Photo: Correo del Orinoco)
In the end the main opposition parties followed suit in boycotting the election, but former Lara governor Henri Falcón broke ranks and registered as a candidate. The MUD promptly expelled him, and the US allegedly threatened him with sanctions to stop him from running. Ironically, as a former chavista, Falcón might be the ideal “moderate” opposition candidate to attract the votes of disaffected chavistas. But the imperial masters are past hedging their bets, they are all-in for regime change.
After talks with Falcón and the forces backing him, the vote was postponed to May 20. The MUD doubled down on their position that “there are no opposition candidates” in this election, and up to now there has been no reaction from the State Dept.. At the same time it is hard to read this as anything but a move to further sideline the MUD after they backed out of the dialogue to stick to the hardline coming from Washington.
“Free and fair” elections
We should also take a moment to refute the US assertions about elections not being “free and fair” and the presence of international observers. The “free and fair” demand means to discredit all previous electoral processes, whose results did not please the US. Nevertheless, as many people outside the mainstream media have explained, the Venezuelan voting system is as hard to fool as it gets. In all the elections where the opposition decided to take part they got to place their observers in every voting centre. Tens of thousands of audits took place to match the electronic and paper tallies, witnessed and approved by these opposition observers, and there has not been a single allegation of tampering with the vote count (2).
We could argue that the government makes use of state resources in its political campaigns. While this would hardly be exclusive to Venezuela, we should contend that the opposition has also made use of government resources, they just happened to come from the US government through its array of NED and USAID “democracy promoting”, “civil society building” programs, and that is just the overt part of it. Complaints about media coverage are also absurd when private media has the largest share of viewership and circulation and is overwhelmingly against the government, to say nothing about international media.
The demand for international monitoring is, at best, very dishonest from the State Department. First of all, despite the opposition walking away at the 11th hour, Maduro vowed to implement what had been agreed in the Dominican Republic dialogue, which included an open invitation for international observers to come to Venezuela for the upcoming election.
But that is not to say that previous elections did not have international observers. Organisations such as the Latin American Council of Electoral Experts (CEELA) have been present and endorsed the procedures, as well as other observers from multiple countries, Latin American and otherwise. The problem is that they do not dance to the tune of the US State Department.
Opposition leader Julio Borges and OAS secretary General Luis Almagro (Photo: Primero Justicia)
It is absurd to claim that the presence of the OAS is a boost for fairness and transparency. We do not even have to look very far, just take the recent elections in Honduras. Massive, documented fraud allowed Juan Orlando Hernández to revert what was an irreversible trend in favour of his opponent. Having the US empire on your side will allow you to overrule statistics. This was so blatant that even the OAS and EU missions had to raise questions. But in the end Hernández was declared the winner, the State Dept. gave its approval and all these champions of democracy fell in line.
An even more shameful event took place in the Haiti presidential election of 2011. After the first round, the US (through the OAS), simply ordered the Haitian authorities to advance Michel Martelly to the second round, despite him not being one of the two most voted in the first round. They threatened to cut off all aid if this did not happen. So when these officials talk about the OAS as some guarantor of decency, not even they believe it themselves.
Democracy and elections
A small digression: we do not mean to equate democracy with elections like US officials constantly do in the above statements. The Venezuelan leaders have on occasion also fallen for this reductionism. Whether they believe it or not, it is the most obvious way to expose the western hypocrisy on the matter.
This reduction of democracy to voting has been one of the biggest triumphs of capitalist hegemony. People are effectively convinced that their entire political participation should be the single act of marking a cross on a ballot every 4 or 5 years. Politics is thus detached from the rest of society and “commodified” like everything else in capitalism, with campaigns becoming mere advertising shows and the wealthiest literally buying their influence.
The Bolivarian Revolution is revolutionary precisely because it challenged the inevitability of representative politics and opened new spaces for protagonist, participatory democratic experiments. From the communes to workers councils, even to the constituent processes, and despite the natural contradictions that have emerged, we have seen an expansion of democracy in its literal sense – popular power.
President Maduro registered his candidacy surrounded by thousands of supporters (Photo: Venezuelan Ministry for Communications and Information)
Hands Off Venezuela!
In the end it seems like the ideal scenario for the US would be something like the Yemeni model: a single, US-backed candidate on the ballot. With elections coming up this year in key US allied countries (Brazil, Colombia and Mexico), all of which have the potential to bring to power someone less friendly to US interests, the US cannot afford a defeat in Venezuela.
These arrogant, imperial demands that the Venezuelan elections should satisfy are just meant to provide cover for the growing threats and aggression against Venezuela, and the uncritical echo chamber that the media has become on this matter is a crucial asset. With suggestions of an upcoming oil embargo against Venezuela, at this point the goal is clearly to impose as much suffering as possible on the Venezuelans in order to topple the government.
For all its lofty rhetoric, the State Department is not looking out for the well-being of the Venezuelan people. Neither are its Venezuelan and regional puppets, nor the mainstream media, whose positions are simply State Dept. communiques with make-up. Standing up to these shameless imperialist attacks is essential if we wish to stand in solidarity with the Venezuelan poor and working-class, allowing them to freely choose their path, both in the upcoming elections and beyond.
Notes
(1) “Courageous” is not the first adjective that comes to mind regarding lapdogs
(2) A possible exception is the gubernatorial race in the state of Bolívar last October, where some electoral acts were circulated on social media showing a mismatch with regard to the electronic totals in the CNE website. But, perhaps because it would undermine the other constant claims of fraud, the opposition did not press the case.
Cover photo: Anti-imperialist mural in Caracas (Photo: Venezuelanalysis)
https://www.investigaction.net/en/us-st ... egitimate/
Notes
(1) “Courageous” is not the first adjective that comes to mind regarding lapdogs
(2) A possible exception is the gubernatorial race in the state of Bolívar last October, where some electoral acts were circulated on social media showing a mismatch with regard to the electronic totals in the CNE website. But, perhaps because it would undermine the other constant claims of fraud, the opposition did not press the case.
Cover photo: Anti-imperialist mural in Caracas (Photo: Venezuelanalysis)
https://www.investigaction.net/en/us-st ... egitimate/
"There is great chaos under heaven; the situation is excellent."
Re: Venezuela
Venezuela: High-Level Arrests at PDVSA Refinery for Alleged Graft
Former PDVSA Vice President Jesus Luongo and four others stand accused of embezzling large sums of state funds.
Venezuela's attorney general, Tarek William Saab, announced Tuesday new arrests in an ongoing anti-graft investigation into the country’s oil industry . These arrests are the latest episode in the government’s sweeping anti-corruption campaign, which includes dozens facing charges in state oil company PDVSA as well as other state-run enterprises.
The latest figures apprehended include a former PDVSA executive as well as other top administrators at the Paraguana oil refinery in Falcon state in western Venezuela. According to Saab, four people have been arrested and a warrant issued for a fifth.
“Criminal [PDVSA] administrators colluded with criminal businesspeople to embezzle from the nation,” the top prosecutor declared in a press conference on March 20.
According to Saab, managers at the Paraguana Refining Center signed a “fraudulent” contract with private firm Espidel Espinoza Delgado, CA. for the supply of diesel, with the latter “obtaining a profit of 431,858 percent for the sale of a product that is produced by the very refinery.”
Saab added that the contract, which expired in September 2016, was renewed until November of that year with price markups yielding a profit of six thousand percent.
Among those arrested are former PDVSA Refining, Commerce and Supplies Vice President Jesus Enrique Luongo, Cost Estimate Analyst Keila Gatica, Technical Services and Support Manager Lexy Briceño, and Espidel President Jose Espinoza.
Saab also indicated that an Interpol red alert has been issued for Cost Estimate Superintendent Kheyla Martinez,who reportedly fled the country in December .
All five stand accused of willful embezzlement and criminal association, while Luongo has also been reportedly implicated in the Andorra Bank money laundering scandal allegedly involving former oil czar Rafael Ramirez.
The anti-corruption drive focusing on PDVSA started in the September of 2017, shortly after Saab was appointed as chief prosecutor. Since then, 80 state oil company managers have been arrested , 22 of whom are high-level officers and executives.
The anti-graft probe saw its highest level arrests last November with the apprehension of former oil ministers Eulogio Del Pino and Nelson Martinez. Meanwhile, an Interpol capture order was issued in January for Ramirez, who served as oil minister and PDVSA chief for over a decade.
President Nicolas Maduro has since tapped former National Guard General Manuel Quevedo to head up the embattled state oil company, whose production reached record lows in January at 1.6 million barrels daily, according to the OPEC’s March Oil Report.
Maduro’s battle against corruption has earned him praise among some analysts and observers, but others have speculated that it is merely an electoral maneuver aimed at improving the government’s image and eliminating rivals with potential presidential ambitions such as Ramirez.
Attorney General Saab said that the current criminal cases would be followed by civil ones.
“In addition to the arrest warrants, we have begun to seize the assets derived from these acts of corruption, and we hope that, following definitive rulings on these cases, there will be civil cases aimed at repatriating the money stolen from the nation,” he revealed during Tuesday’s press conference.
https://venezuelanalysis.com/news/13733
Starting to wonder about VA, there's a whiff of liberal here.
Former PDVSA Vice President Jesus Luongo and four others stand accused of embezzling large sums of state funds.
Venezuela's attorney general, Tarek William Saab, announced Tuesday new arrests in an ongoing anti-graft investigation into the country’s oil industry . These arrests are the latest episode in the government’s sweeping anti-corruption campaign, which includes dozens facing charges in state oil company PDVSA as well as other state-run enterprises.
The latest figures apprehended include a former PDVSA executive as well as other top administrators at the Paraguana oil refinery in Falcon state in western Venezuela. According to Saab, four people have been arrested and a warrant issued for a fifth.
“Criminal [PDVSA] administrators colluded with criminal businesspeople to embezzle from the nation,” the top prosecutor declared in a press conference on March 20.
According to Saab, managers at the Paraguana Refining Center signed a “fraudulent” contract with private firm Espidel Espinoza Delgado, CA. for the supply of diesel, with the latter “obtaining a profit of 431,858 percent for the sale of a product that is produced by the very refinery.”
Saab added that the contract, which expired in September 2016, was renewed until November of that year with price markups yielding a profit of six thousand percent.
Among those arrested are former PDVSA Refining, Commerce and Supplies Vice President Jesus Enrique Luongo, Cost Estimate Analyst Keila Gatica, Technical Services and Support Manager Lexy Briceño, and Espidel President Jose Espinoza.
Saab also indicated that an Interpol red alert has been issued for Cost Estimate Superintendent Kheyla Martinez,who reportedly fled the country in December .
All five stand accused of willful embezzlement and criminal association, while Luongo has also been reportedly implicated in the Andorra Bank money laundering scandal allegedly involving former oil czar Rafael Ramirez.
The anti-corruption drive focusing on PDVSA started in the September of 2017, shortly after Saab was appointed as chief prosecutor. Since then, 80 state oil company managers have been arrested , 22 of whom are high-level officers and executives.
The anti-graft probe saw its highest level arrests last November with the apprehension of former oil ministers Eulogio Del Pino and Nelson Martinez. Meanwhile, an Interpol capture order was issued in January for Ramirez, who served as oil minister and PDVSA chief for over a decade.
President Nicolas Maduro has since tapped former National Guard General Manuel Quevedo to head up the embattled state oil company, whose production reached record lows in January at 1.6 million barrels daily, according to the OPEC’s March Oil Report.
Maduro’s battle against corruption has earned him praise among some analysts and observers, but others have speculated that it is merely an electoral maneuver aimed at improving the government’s image and eliminating rivals with potential presidential ambitions such as Ramirez.
Attorney General Saab said that the current criminal cases would be followed by civil ones.
“In addition to the arrest warrants, we have begun to seize the assets derived from these acts of corruption, and we hope that, following definitive rulings on these cases, there will be civil cases aimed at repatriating the money stolen from the nation,” he revealed during Tuesday’s press conference.
https://venezuelanalysis.com/news/13733
Starting to wonder about VA, there's a whiff of liberal here.
"There is great chaos under heaven; the situation is excellent."
Re: Venezuela
President Maduro invited the EU to send an accompaniment mission to the 20M elections
12.APR.2018 / 01:59 PM
The President of the Republic, Nicolás Maduro, invited the High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policies of the European Union (EU), Federica Mogherini, to send a technical mission of accompaniment and observation for the elections of May 20, when The President of the Republic and the members of the legislative councils will be elected.
Through Twitter, the head of state ratified that the guarantees of the electoral system are full. "Many countries would like such a transparent electoral system," he wrote.
Last Wednesday, the Chancellor of the Republic, Jorge Arreaza, held a meeting in Brussels, Belgium, with Mogherini, to whom he expressed the will of Venezuela to open spaces for dialogue with the European body.
In the meeting, Arreaza highlighted the democratic character of Venezuela, demonstrated in more than 25 safe and transparent elections, which have had international electoral observation, and have demonstrated that there are full electoral guarantees, even recognized by the democratic opposition.
http://www.psuv.org.ve/temas/noticias/p ... tCqIy7waM9
Google Translator
12.APR.2018 / 01:59 PM
The President of the Republic, Nicolás Maduro, invited the High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policies of the European Union (EU), Federica Mogherini, to send a technical mission of accompaniment and observation for the elections of May 20, when The President of the Republic and the members of the legislative councils will be elected.
Through Twitter, the head of state ratified that the guarantees of the electoral system are full. "Many countries would like such a transparent electoral system," he wrote.
Last Wednesday, the Chancellor of the Republic, Jorge Arreaza, held a meeting in Brussels, Belgium, with Mogherini, to whom he expressed the will of Venezuela to open spaces for dialogue with the European body.
In the meeting, Arreaza highlighted the democratic character of Venezuela, demonstrated in more than 25 safe and transparent elections, which have had international electoral observation, and have demonstrated that there are full electoral guarantees, even recognized by the democratic opposition.
http://www.psuv.org.ve/temas/noticias/p ... tCqIy7waM9
Google Translator
"There is great chaos under heaven; the situation is excellent."
Re: Venezuela
Survey confirms PSUV as the main political force of Venezuela
Caracas, Mar 4 (Prensa Latina) A study by pollster Hinterlaces released today ratified the United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV) as the main political force of this country, ahead of the May 20 elections.
34 percent of Venezuelans sympathize with that organization, according to the survey based on 1,50 thousand direct interviews in homes throughout the country, carried out between February 15 and 28 last.
In contrast, only six percent of respondents said they sympathized with the opposition Democratic Action party, followed by Primero Justicia (4), Popular Will (4), Progressive Advanced (3), Mesa de Unidad Democrática, (3), Un Nuevo Tiempo (1) and the Independent Electoral Political Organization Committee (1).
The rest of the political organizations of the opposition added together the support of just one percentage point of the total of respondents, according to the survey house survey, released this Sunday by the analyst José Vicente Rangel in his program José Vicente Hoy , transmitted by Televen.
The survey showed that 43 percent of citizens willing to vote in the elections of May 20 will express their support at the polls to the United Socialist Party of Venezuela.
For the presidential elections next May, the PSUV presented Nicolás Maduro as the candidate for re-election, who also received the support of nine other organizations with political aims related to the Bolivarian Revolution.
http://www.prensa-latina.cu/index.php?o ... -venezuela
Caracas, Mar 4 (Prensa Latina) A study by pollster Hinterlaces released today ratified the United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV) as the main political force of this country, ahead of the May 20 elections.
34 percent of Venezuelans sympathize with that organization, according to the survey based on 1,50 thousand direct interviews in homes throughout the country, carried out between February 15 and 28 last.
In contrast, only six percent of respondents said they sympathized with the opposition Democratic Action party, followed by Primero Justicia (4), Popular Will (4), Progressive Advanced (3), Mesa de Unidad Democrática, (3), Un Nuevo Tiempo (1) and the Independent Electoral Political Organization Committee (1).
The rest of the political organizations of the opposition added together the support of just one percentage point of the total of respondents, according to the survey house survey, released this Sunday by the analyst José Vicente Rangel in his program José Vicente Hoy , transmitted by Televen.
The survey showed that 43 percent of citizens willing to vote in the elections of May 20 will express their support at the polls to the United Socialist Party of Venezuela.
For the presidential elections next May, the PSUV presented Nicolás Maduro as the candidate for re-election, who also received the support of nine other organizations with political aims related to the Bolivarian Revolution.
http://www.prensa-latina.cu/index.php?o ... -venezuela
"There is great chaos under heaven; the situation is excellent."
Re: Venezuela
Venezuela: Banesco Bank Officials Arrested Over Currency Speculation Charges
Published 3 May 2018 (5 hours 17 minutes ago)
The top bank officials were arrested over charges of currency manipulation that contributes to speculation against the dollar.
The Venezuelan government said Thursday it had arrested 11 top executives of the country's leading private bank, Banesco, for attacks against the country's currency.
RELATED:
Venezuela: 1,000 Bank Accounts Blocked for Currency Speculation
"We have determined the presumed responsibility (by the executives) for a series of irregularities, for aiding and concealing attacks against the Venezuelan currency with the aim of demolishing the Venezuelan currency," said Chief Prosecutor Tarek Saab in a televised press conference.
Saab said the arrests of the 11 senior executives of Banesco took place after the investigation carried out in the framework of an operation called "Hands of Paper", which seeks to dismantle groups that allegedly attack the Venezuelan economy through the extraction of cash and illicit exchange.
He further attempted to calm concerns by account holders at the bank saying the crackdown on the corruption was a rather "surgical" action that would only remove the corrupt elements without harming the overall operations of the financial institution.
"I want to calm and reassure those who have accounts in this bank or in others because this is very surgical, it is only going to solve a criminal action outside the law, which in this case we have determined," Saab added.
The news comes a day after Venezuela's Vice-President Tareck El Aissami announced that 1,133 bank accounts have been blocked for irregularities revealed during investigations into illegal currency exchanges.
Operation Paper Hands has revealed that 90 percent of the accounts were held by the bank Banesco. According to Aissami, the fact that Banesco doesn't carry out home checks on clients facilitates "criminal fixation of the dollar."
The vice-president also said the bank has not reported to the Superintendent of Banking Sector Institutions (Sudeban) clients whose banking activity doesn't correspond to their financial profile.
https://www.telesurtv.net/english/news/ ... -0011.html
Published 3 May 2018 (5 hours 17 minutes ago)
The top bank officials were arrested over charges of currency manipulation that contributes to speculation against the dollar.
The Venezuelan government said Thursday it had arrested 11 top executives of the country's leading private bank, Banesco, for attacks against the country's currency.
RELATED:
Venezuela: 1,000 Bank Accounts Blocked for Currency Speculation
"We have determined the presumed responsibility (by the executives) for a series of irregularities, for aiding and concealing attacks against the Venezuelan currency with the aim of demolishing the Venezuelan currency," said Chief Prosecutor Tarek Saab in a televised press conference.
Saab said the arrests of the 11 senior executives of Banesco took place after the investigation carried out in the framework of an operation called "Hands of Paper", which seeks to dismantle groups that allegedly attack the Venezuelan economy through the extraction of cash and illicit exchange.
He further attempted to calm concerns by account holders at the bank saying the crackdown on the corruption was a rather "surgical" action that would only remove the corrupt elements without harming the overall operations of the financial institution.
"I want to calm and reassure those who have accounts in this bank or in others because this is very surgical, it is only going to solve a criminal action outside the law, which in this case we have determined," Saab added.
The news comes a day after Venezuela's Vice-President Tareck El Aissami announced that 1,133 bank accounts have been blocked for irregularities revealed during investigations into illegal currency exchanges.
Operation Paper Hands has revealed that 90 percent of the accounts were held by the bank Banesco. According to Aissami, the fact that Banesco doesn't carry out home checks on clients facilitates "criminal fixation of the dollar."
The vice-president also said the bank has not reported to the Superintendent of Banking Sector Institutions (Sudeban) clients whose banking activity doesn't correspond to their financial profile.
https://www.telesurtv.net/english/news/ ... -0011.html
"There is great chaos under heaven; the situation is excellent."
Re: Venezuela
Venezuelans March on May Day in Support of Maduro & Bolivarian Revolution
Thousands of workers took to the streets of Caracas this May Day, in defense of their historic struggles and in support of the candidacy of Nicolás Maduro. Opposition members also concentrated on the east side of Caracas in protest against the "humanitarian crisis".
(There are several dozen photos, see link)
Thousands of workers gathered in the streets of downtown Caracas on Tuesday to commemorate International Workers' Day. The social movement organizations, leftist parties and unions that participated in the massive march and rally manifested their support for the reelection of President Nicolas Maduro, their commitment to the Bolivarian revolutionary process, as well as their opposition to international sanctions and foreign interference. They also demanded solutions from Maduro, himself a former bus driver and trade unionist, to Venezuela's severe economic crisis that has hit the working class the hardest.
President Maduro greeted the march in Parque Ezequiel Zamora by paying tribute to workers' gains during the Bolivarian Revolution, most notably the passage of the Organic Law of Work and Workers (LOTTT). Regarded as one of the most progressive labor laws on the planet, the LOTTT has provided improvements in the conditions of workers and their families by guaranteeing policies such as pre and postnatal leave for mothers and fathers, special conditions for lactating mothers, the reduction of work weeks to 40 hours, a ban on arbitrary firings, as well as the penalization of discrimination on the basis of sex, race, creed and/or disabilities.
Maduro also reiterated the announcement of the 8th minimum wage increase since the beginning of 2017. Though the wage increase still remains far below the spiraling levels of inflation, Maduro solicited a vote confidence from his supporters, promising to take on those he termed the "economic mafias" after having achieved victory in the upcoming May 20 elections.
The opposition's new coalition, the Broad Front for a Free Venezuela, also held a rally in the wealthy commercial center of the eastern municipality of Chacao, in protest of “the economic and humanitarian crisis” in Venezuela. Nicmer Evans, former member of Trotskyist party Marea Socialista and current member of the opposition movement Juntos, stated, "Today we are protesting because a slave system would be much more profitable than working in Venezuela right now."
Text by Katrina Kozarek for Venezuelanalysis.com.
https://venezuelanalysis.com/images/13789
Bolding added ))
Thousands of workers took to the streets of Caracas this May Day, in defense of their historic struggles and in support of the candidacy of Nicolás Maduro. Opposition members also concentrated on the east side of Caracas in protest against the "humanitarian crisis".
(There are several dozen photos, see link)
Thousands of workers gathered in the streets of downtown Caracas on Tuesday to commemorate International Workers' Day. The social movement organizations, leftist parties and unions that participated in the massive march and rally manifested their support for the reelection of President Nicolas Maduro, their commitment to the Bolivarian revolutionary process, as well as their opposition to international sanctions and foreign interference. They also demanded solutions from Maduro, himself a former bus driver and trade unionist, to Venezuela's severe economic crisis that has hit the working class the hardest.
President Maduro greeted the march in Parque Ezequiel Zamora by paying tribute to workers' gains during the Bolivarian Revolution, most notably the passage of the Organic Law of Work and Workers (LOTTT). Regarded as one of the most progressive labor laws on the planet, the LOTTT has provided improvements in the conditions of workers and their families by guaranteeing policies such as pre and postnatal leave for mothers and fathers, special conditions for lactating mothers, the reduction of work weeks to 40 hours, a ban on arbitrary firings, as well as the penalization of discrimination on the basis of sex, race, creed and/or disabilities.
Maduro also reiterated the announcement of the 8th minimum wage increase since the beginning of 2017. Though the wage increase still remains far below the spiraling levels of inflation, Maduro solicited a vote confidence from his supporters, promising to take on those he termed the "economic mafias" after having achieved victory in the upcoming May 20 elections.
The opposition's new coalition, the Broad Front for a Free Venezuela, also held a rally in the wealthy commercial center of the eastern municipality of Chacao, in protest of “the economic and humanitarian crisis” in Venezuela. Nicmer Evans, former member of Trotskyist party Marea Socialista and current member of the opposition movement Juntos, stated, "Today we are protesting because a slave system would be much more profitable than working in Venezuela right now."
Text by Katrina Kozarek for Venezuelanalysis.com.
https://venezuelanalysis.com/images/13789
Bolding added ))
"There is great chaos under heaven; the situation is excellent."
Re: Venezuela
The "Master Strike" of the United States against Venezuela
By: Stella Calloni
In this article: United States , Soft Blow , Injury , Politics , Venezuela
May 15 2018 | 22
Admiral Kurt W. Tidd, commander-in-chief of the US Southern Command. Photo: SouthCom
The United States and its partners quietly prepare a brutal " Plan to end the dictatorship of Venezuela ": the "Master Strike" " Masterstroke " [ 1 ], which is already underway and whose first part would begin before the next Venezuelan elections and If they do not succeed in overthrowing President Nicolás Maduro with the new offensive, which will use the whole propaganda and media apparatus more violent actions in " defense of democracy ", they will implement Plan B, which will include several countries imposing a " multilateral force " »To intervene militarily.
Panama, Colombia, Brazil, Guyana are key points of the military operation, with the support of Argentina and " other friends, " under Pentagon control. They already have prepared from the bases they will occupy, the countries of direct support (border) to hospitals and centers for the collection of provisions for their soldiers.
All this is specified in a real document, 11 pages, which bears the signature of Admiral Kurt Walter Tidd, current commander in chief of the US Southern Command [SouthCom], document not yet disclosed.
The document analyzes the current situation ratifying the war being waged against Venezuela, but also the perverse scheme of psychological warfare that allows to understand the persecution, harassment, discredit, criminal lie that are used to end not only the popular leaders but against the peoples of the region.
Referring to the current situation in Venezuela, the Plan mentions that the " Chavez Venezuelan dictatorship is shaken as a result of its internal problems, the great shortage of food, the exhaustion of income from external sources of money and unbridled corruption, which has diminished the international support, won with petrodollars, and that the power of the national currency arrives with little time and the purchasing power of the national currency is in constant picada ».
They assume that this scenario, which they admit having created themselves, with a terrifying impunity, will not change. In this case they justify their actions affirming that the Venezuelan government will resort to new " populist " measures to conserve power.
It is amazing where they place the opposition that the United States itself handles, advises and pays, on the understanding that " the corrupt Maduro regime will collapse, but unfortunately the opposing forces that defend democracy and welfare of their people do not have sufficient power to put an end to the nightmare of Venezuela "by internal disputes and even by" corruption similar to that of its rivals, as well as the shortage of roots "that does not allow them to take" the maximum advantage of this situation and take the necessary step to put an end to the state of poverty and precariousness in which the pressure group exercised by the left dictatorship has submerged the country .
What is frightening is that while they consider that this is " an unprecedented criminal action in Latin America, " referring to the government of Venezuela - a government that has never acted against any of its neighbors and that has been of intense regional solidarity and The US plan argues that " democracy extends to America, a continent in which radical populism was destined to take control ." Argentina, Ecuador and Brazil are examples of this. « This rebirth of democracy (as they call it) it is supported on the most valuable determinations and the conditions of the region are in its favor. This is the moment for the United States to try, with concrete actions that is implied in that process in which to overthrow the Venezuelan dictatorship will surely represent a continental inflection point ».
On the other hand, they encourage US President Donald Trump to act on the grounds that " this is the Trump administration's first opportunity to demonstrate and carry forward its vision of democracy and security, " and to convince him that " his active participation is crucial, not only for the administration but for the continent and the world. The moment has arrived ».
This means " intensifying the definitive overthrow of Chavism and the expulsion of his representative, undermining popular support" »to the government and
"Encourage popular dissatisfaction by increasing the process of destabilization and shortages" [to] "ensure the irreversible deterioration of its current dictator".
If one wants to fully understand the art of counterinsurgency perversion, it is enough to read the part in which the document refers to the president of Venezuela, Nicolás Maduro, encouraging him to " besiege him, ridicule him and show him as a symbol of awkwardness and incompetence, expose him like a puppet of Cuba ».
But they also suggest:
"To exacerbate the division among the members of the government group, revealing the differences in their living conditions and those of their followers and at the same time encouraging them to keep these divergences growing".
The plan is destined to be executed quickly and furiously, such as the measures taken by the mayors of Washington, Mauricio Macri (Argentina) and Michel Temer (Brazil), both with a scandalous history of corruption but transformed by the Empire into " leaders of the transparency "that took measures in hours for the destruction of the national States with the certainty of the firing of a missile.
The document signed by the head of the US Southern Command demands making the Maduro government unsustainable by forcing him to give up, negotiate or escape. This Plan to end in very short terms with the so-called " dictatorship " of Venezuela calls:
"Increase internal instability to critical levels, intensifying the decapitalization of the country, the flight of foreign capital and the deterioration of the national currency, through the application of new inflationary measures that increase this deterioration."
Another goal is
"Obstruct all imports and at the same time discourage potential foreign investors"
for-and you see the goodness of the Empire-
"Contribute to making the situation of the population more critical".
It also covers the Plan in its 11 pages
"Appeal to domestic allies as well as other people inserted in the national scenario with the aim of generating protests, riots and insecurity, pillage, looting, robbery, assaults and kidnappings of ships and other means of transport, with the intention of supplying the country , across all borders and other possible ways, endangering the national security of its neighbors. "
They consider it important to " cause victims " and to point out as responsible the government of Venezuela " magnifying, in front of the world, the humanitarian crisis, to which the country is subjected ", using the lie of a generalized corruption of the rulers and " linking the government to the drug trafficking to discredit its image before the world and its domestic followers ", also promote" fatigue among the members of the PSUV "[Unified Socialist Party of Venezuela]" inciting dissent among themselves, to break up relations with the government and to reject the measures and restrictions that also affect them "and make them"as weak as the opposition, creating friction between the PSUV and Somos Venezuela ».
The proposal goes up in tone as when calling
"Structure a plan to achieve the desertion of the most qualified professionals in the country, to leave them without professionals at all, which will further aggravate the internal situation and in this sense blame the government."
Part 2. The military hand
As in a thriller, this Plan calls "to use army officers as a definitive solution alternative " and
"Continue to harden the condition within the Armed Forces to carry out a coup d'état, before the end of 2018, if this crisis does not cause the dictatorship to collapse or the dictator does not decide to step aside".
Understanding that all the above can fail, and with evident contempt for the Venezuelan opposition, the Plan calls for " continuing the continuous fire on the border with Colombia, multiplying the traffic of fuel and other goods, the movement of the paramilitaries, armed incursions and drug trafficking, provoking armed incidents with the security forces of the Frontier »Venezuelan and in addition to
"Recruit paramilitaries mostly from the refugee camps in Cúcuta, La Guajira and Norte de Santander, areas widely populated by Colombian citizens who emigrated to Venezuela and have now returned, fleeing from the regime that intensified the destabilization between the borders between the two countries, using the empty space left by the FARC [Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia], the belligerence of the ELN [Army of National Liberation (Colombia)] and the activities in the area of the Gulf Cartel (paramilitaries). "
Here comes the structuring of the final blow when you plan
"Prepare the involvement of allied forces in support of the Venezuelan army officers or to control the internal crisis in case the initiative is delayed a lot (...) establish a fast timeline that prevents the dictator to continue gaining control of the internal scenario If it were necessary to act before the elections stipulated for the next month of April ".
Actually, those elections will be on May 20 and from now the United States and its comparsas have made it known that they do not recognize them.
The crux of the matter is
"Obtain the cooperation support of the allied authorities of friendly countries (Brazil, Argentina, Colombia, Panama and Guyana). Organize the provisions of the troops, logistic and medical support from Panama. Make good use of the facilities of electronic surveillance and smart signals; of hospitals and facilities deployed in Darién (Panamanian jungle), the drone equipment of Plan Colombia, as well as the lands of the former military bases of Howard and Albroock (Panama) as well as those belonging to Río Hato. Also in the United Nations Humanitarian Regional Center, designed for humanitarian catastrophe and emergency situations, which has an air landing field and its own warehouses. "
As we see, it is already an intervention scenario where it is proposed
"Advance in the basification (parking) of fighter jets and helicopters, armored vehicles, intelligence positions and special military logistics units (police, military officers and prisons) (...)
"To develop the military operation under the international banner, sponsored by the Conference of Latin American Armies, under the protection of the OAS and the supervision, in the legal and media context, of the Secretary General [of the OAS] Luis Almagro.
"Declaring the need for the Continental Command to strengthen the action, using the instrument of the Inter-American Democratic Chapter, with the objective of preventing the democratic rupture."
And even more
"Uniting Brazil, Argentina, Colombia and Panama to contribute to the best number of troops, make use of their geographic proximity and experience in operations in forested or jungle regions. Strengthening its international status with the presence of combat units of the United States and the aforementioned nations; under the general command of the Joint Chiefs of Staff led by the United States. "
It is amazing the impunity with which everything is being prepared behind the backs of the people, in absolute illegality, and this makes understandable the recent military maneuvers of the United States in this region on the border of Brazil with Venezuela (Brazil, Peru Colombia). South Atlantic (United States, Chile, Great Britain, Argentina), in the Argentine case without authorization from the National Congress, in October-November.
"Using the facilities of the Panamanian territory for the rearguard and the capabilities of Argentina for the security of its ports and of the maritime positions (...)
- Propose to Brazil and Guyana to make use of its migratory situation to which we intend to encourage in the border with Guyana.
- Coordinate support to Colombia, Brazil, Guyana, Aruba, Curacao, Trinidad and Tobago and other states against the flow of Venezuelan migrants due to the events of the crisis "
But in addition, it is foreseen
"Promote international participation in this effort as part of the Multilateral Operation with contributions from States, non-state organizations and international bodies and provide adequate logistics, intelligence, support, anticipating especially the most valuable points in Aruba, Puerto Carreño, Inirida, Maicao , Barranquilla and Sincelejo in Colombia, and Roraima, Manaus and Boavista in Brazil ".
Incredible map of an announced intervention war.
Strategic information
The plan to silence " the symbolism of the presence of Chávez's representativeness and popular support " is staggering and to maintain the harassment "of the dictator as the sole responsible for the crisis in which he has submerged the nation " and his closest supporters , who will be accused of the crisis and the impossibility of leaving it.
In another paragraph it is called
"Intensify the discontent against the Maduro regime (...) point out the incompetence of the integration mechanisms created by the regimes of Cuba and Venezuela, especially the ALBA (Bolivarian Alliance of the Peoples of Our America) and Petrocaribe".
Regarding the media theme, the plan designed by the United States calls to increase within the country, through local and foreign media, the dissemination of messages designed and based on testimonies and publications originating in the country itself, making use of all possible capacities, including social networks, and on the other hand " call through the media to the need to put an end to that situation because it is essentially unsustainable ".
One of the last paragraphs of the document is about " securing " or showing the use of violent means by the "dictatorship" to obtain international support, using
"All the capabilities of the Psychological War of the United States Army".
In other words, repeating the same scenarios of lies, armed with news, false photographs and videos, and everything already used in the colonial wars of the 21st century.
The document also states that "the United States should support internally the American states that support it ", raise the image of these and the " multilateral order of institutions of the inter-American system, as instruments for the solution of regional problems. Promote the need to send the UN Military Force for the imposition of peace, once the corrupt dictatorship of Nicolás Maduro is overthrown ».
http://www.cubadebate.cu/opinion/2018/0 ... vteaaQvyM8
Google Translator
All absolutely plausible, but the mysterious provenance of this document gives me pause.
By: Stella Calloni
In this article: United States , Soft Blow , Injury , Politics , Venezuela
May 15 2018 | 22
Admiral Kurt W. Tidd, commander-in-chief of the US Southern Command. Photo: SouthCom
The United States and its partners quietly prepare a brutal " Plan to end the dictatorship of Venezuela ": the "Master Strike" " Masterstroke " [ 1 ], which is already underway and whose first part would begin before the next Venezuelan elections and If they do not succeed in overthrowing President Nicolás Maduro with the new offensive, which will use the whole propaganda and media apparatus more violent actions in " defense of democracy ", they will implement Plan B, which will include several countries imposing a " multilateral force " »To intervene militarily.
Panama, Colombia, Brazil, Guyana are key points of the military operation, with the support of Argentina and " other friends, " under Pentagon control. They already have prepared from the bases they will occupy, the countries of direct support (border) to hospitals and centers for the collection of provisions for their soldiers.
All this is specified in a real document, 11 pages, which bears the signature of Admiral Kurt Walter Tidd, current commander in chief of the US Southern Command [SouthCom], document not yet disclosed.
The document analyzes the current situation ratifying the war being waged against Venezuela, but also the perverse scheme of psychological warfare that allows to understand the persecution, harassment, discredit, criminal lie that are used to end not only the popular leaders but against the peoples of the region.
Referring to the current situation in Venezuela, the Plan mentions that the " Chavez Venezuelan dictatorship is shaken as a result of its internal problems, the great shortage of food, the exhaustion of income from external sources of money and unbridled corruption, which has diminished the international support, won with petrodollars, and that the power of the national currency arrives with little time and the purchasing power of the national currency is in constant picada ».
They assume that this scenario, which they admit having created themselves, with a terrifying impunity, will not change. In this case they justify their actions affirming that the Venezuelan government will resort to new " populist " measures to conserve power.
It is amazing where they place the opposition that the United States itself handles, advises and pays, on the understanding that " the corrupt Maduro regime will collapse, but unfortunately the opposing forces that defend democracy and welfare of their people do not have sufficient power to put an end to the nightmare of Venezuela "by internal disputes and even by" corruption similar to that of its rivals, as well as the shortage of roots "that does not allow them to take" the maximum advantage of this situation and take the necessary step to put an end to the state of poverty and precariousness in which the pressure group exercised by the left dictatorship has submerged the country .
What is frightening is that while they consider that this is " an unprecedented criminal action in Latin America, " referring to the government of Venezuela - a government that has never acted against any of its neighbors and that has been of intense regional solidarity and The US plan argues that " democracy extends to America, a continent in which radical populism was destined to take control ." Argentina, Ecuador and Brazil are examples of this. « This rebirth of democracy (as they call it) it is supported on the most valuable determinations and the conditions of the region are in its favor. This is the moment for the United States to try, with concrete actions that is implied in that process in which to overthrow the Venezuelan dictatorship will surely represent a continental inflection point ».
On the other hand, they encourage US President Donald Trump to act on the grounds that " this is the Trump administration's first opportunity to demonstrate and carry forward its vision of democracy and security, " and to convince him that " his active participation is crucial, not only for the administration but for the continent and the world. The moment has arrived ».
This means " intensifying the definitive overthrow of Chavism and the expulsion of his representative, undermining popular support" »to the government and
"Encourage popular dissatisfaction by increasing the process of destabilization and shortages" [to] "ensure the irreversible deterioration of its current dictator".
If one wants to fully understand the art of counterinsurgency perversion, it is enough to read the part in which the document refers to the president of Venezuela, Nicolás Maduro, encouraging him to " besiege him, ridicule him and show him as a symbol of awkwardness and incompetence, expose him like a puppet of Cuba ».
But they also suggest:
"To exacerbate the division among the members of the government group, revealing the differences in their living conditions and those of their followers and at the same time encouraging them to keep these divergences growing".
The plan is destined to be executed quickly and furiously, such as the measures taken by the mayors of Washington, Mauricio Macri (Argentina) and Michel Temer (Brazil), both with a scandalous history of corruption but transformed by the Empire into " leaders of the transparency "that took measures in hours for the destruction of the national States with the certainty of the firing of a missile.
The document signed by the head of the US Southern Command demands making the Maduro government unsustainable by forcing him to give up, negotiate or escape. This Plan to end in very short terms with the so-called " dictatorship " of Venezuela calls:
"Increase internal instability to critical levels, intensifying the decapitalization of the country, the flight of foreign capital and the deterioration of the national currency, through the application of new inflationary measures that increase this deterioration."
Another goal is
"Obstruct all imports and at the same time discourage potential foreign investors"
for-and you see the goodness of the Empire-
"Contribute to making the situation of the population more critical".
It also covers the Plan in its 11 pages
"Appeal to domestic allies as well as other people inserted in the national scenario with the aim of generating protests, riots and insecurity, pillage, looting, robbery, assaults and kidnappings of ships and other means of transport, with the intention of supplying the country , across all borders and other possible ways, endangering the national security of its neighbors. "
They consider it important to " cause victims " and to point out as responsible the government of Venezuela " magnifying, in front of the world, the humanitarian crisis, to which the country is subjected ", using the lie of a generalized corruption of the rulers and " linking the government to the drug trafficking to discredit its image before the world and its domestic followers ", also promote" fatigue among the members of the PSUV "[Unified Socialist Party of Venezuela]" inciting dissent among themselves, to break up relations with the government and to reject the measures and restrictions that also affect them "and make them"as weak as the opposition, creating friction between the PSUV and Somos Venezuela ».
The proposal goes up in tone as when calling
"Structure a plan to achieve the desertion of the most qualified professionals in the country, to leave them without professionals at all, which will further aggravate the internal situation and in this sense blame the government."
Part 2. The military hand
As in a thriller, this Plan calls "to use army officers as a definitive solution alternative " and
"Continue to harden the condition within the Armed Forces to carry out a coup d'état, before the end of 2018, if this crisis does not cause the dictatorship to collapse or the dictator does not decide to step aside".
Understanding that all the above can fail, and with evident contempt for the Venezuelan opposition, the Plan calls for " continuing the continuous fire on the border with Colombia, multiplying the traffic of fuel and other goods, the movement of the paramilitaries, armed incursions and drug trafficking, provoking armed incidents with the security forces of the Frontier »Venezuelan and in addition to
"Recruit paramilitaries mostly from the refugee camps in Cúcuta, La Guajira and Norte de Santander, areas widely populated by Colombian citizens who emigrated to Venezuela and have now returned, fleeing from the regime that intensified the destabilization between the borders between the two countries, using the empty space left by the FARC [Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia], the belligerence of the ELN [Army of National Liberation (Colombia)] and the activities in the area of the Gulf Cartel (paramilitaries). "
Here comes the structuring of the final blow when you plan
"Prepare the involvement of allied forces in support of the Venezuelan army officers or to control the internal crisis in case the initiative is delayed a lot (...) establish a fast timeline that prevents the dictator to continue gaining control of the internal scenario If it were necessary to act before the elections stipulated for the next month of April ".
Actually, those elections will be on May 20 and from now the United States and its comparsas have made it known that they do not recognize them.
The crux of the matter is
"Obtain the cooperation support of the allied authorities of friendly countries (Brazil, Argentina, Colombia, Panama and Guyana). Organize the provisions of the troops, logistic and medical support from Panama. Make good use of the facilities of electronic surveillance and smart signals; of hospitals and facilities deployed in Darién (Panamanian jungle), the drone equipment of Plan Colombia, as well as the lands of the former military bases of Howard and Albroock (Panama) as well as those belonging to Río Hato. Also in the United Nations Humanitarian Regional Center, designed for humanitarian catastrophe and emergency situations, which has an air landing field and its own warehouses. "
As we see, it is already an intervention scenario where it is proposed
"Advance in the basification (parking) of fighter jets and helicopters, armored vehicles, intelligence positions and special military logistics units (police, military officers and prisons) (...)
"To develop the military operation under the international banner, sponsored by the Conference of Latin American Armies, under the protection of the OAS and the supervision, in the legal and media context, of the Secretary General [of the OAS] Luis Almagro.
"Declaring the need for the Continental Command to strengthen the action, using the instrument of the Inter-American Democratic Chapter, with the objective of preventing the democratic rupture."
And even more
"Uniting Brazil, Argentina, Colombia and Panama to contribute to the best number of troops, make use of their geographic proximity and experience in operations in forested or jungle regions. Strengthening its international status with the presence of combat units of the United States and the aforementioned nations; under the general command of the Joint Chiefs of Staff led by the United States. "
It is amazing the impunity with which everything is being prepared behind the backs of the people, in absolute illegality, and this makes understandable the recent military maneuvers of the United States in this region on the border of Brazil with Venezuela (Brazil, Peru Colombia). South Atlantic (United States, Chile, Great Britain, Argentina), in the Argentine case without authorization from the National Congress, in October-November.
"Using the facilities of the Panamanian territory for the rearguard and the capabilities of Argentina for the security of its ports and of the maritime positions (...)
- Propose to Brazil and Guyana to make use of its migratory situation to which we intend to encourage in the border with Guyana.
- Coordinate support to Colombia, Brazil, Guyana, Aruba, Curacao, Trinidad and Tobago and other states against the flow of Venezuelan migrants due to the events of the crisis "
But in addition, it is foreseen
"Promote international participation in this effort as part of the Multilateral Operation with contributions from States, non-state organizations and international bodies and provide adequate logistics, intelligence, support, anticipating especially the most valuable points in Aruba, Puerto Carreño, Inirida, Maicao , Barranquilla and Sincelejo in Colombia, and Roraima, Manaus and Boavista in Brazil ".
Incredible map of an announced intervention war.
Strategic information
The plan to silence " the symbolism of the presence of Chávez's representativeness and popular support " is staggering and to maintain the harassment "of the dictator as the sole responsible for the crisis in which he has submerged the nation " and his closest supporters , who will be accused of the crisis and the impossibility of leaving it.
In another paragraph it is called
"Intensify the discontent against the Maduro regime (...) point out the incompetence of the integration mechanisms created by the regimes of Cuba and Venezuela, especially the ALBA (Bolivarian Alliance of the Peoples of Our America) and Petrocaribe".
Regarding the media theme, the plan designed by the United States calls to increase within the country, through local and foreign media, the dissemination of messages designed and based on testimonies and publications originating in the country itself, making use of all possible capacities, including social networks, and on the other hand " call through the media to the need to put an end to that situation because it is essentially unsustainable ".
One of the last paragraphs of the document is about " securing " or showing the use of violent means by the "dictatorship" to obtain international support, using
"All the capabilities of the Psychological War of the United States Army".
In other words, repeating the same scenarios of lies, armed with news, false photographs and videos, and everything already used in the colonial wars of the 21st century.
The document also states that "the United States should support internally the American states that support it ", raise the image of these and the " multilateral order of institutions of the inter-American system, as instruments for the solution of regional problems. Promote the need to send the UN Military Force for the imposition of peace, once the corrupt dictatorship of Nicolás Maduro is overthrown ».
http://www.cubadebate.cu/opinion/2018/0 ... vteaaQvyM8
Google Translator
All absolutely plausible, but the mysterious provenance of this document gives me pause.
"There is great chaos under heaven; the situation is excellent."
Re: Venezuela
Venezuela seizes Kellogg unit after company halts operations
The Kellogg Company has ended operations in Venezuela, citing the economic crisis, leading President Nicolas Maduro's government to seize control of its subsidiary in the South American country. (AFP/SAUL LOEB)
16 May 2018 05:58AM
CARACAS: Venezuela's government seized control on Tuesday (May 15) of the South American country's Kellogg subsidiary after it halted operations, President Nicolas Maduro announced.
Maduro said the company had been "handed over to the workers" to continue production after the US-based cereals manufacturer said it was ceasing operations.
In a statement, the US multinational cited Venezuela's crippling economic crisis as the reason it was ending its operations in the country.
"The current economic and social deterioration in the country has now prompted the company to discontinue operations," Kellogg said.
Dozens of employees milled around the entrance to the factory in the western city of Maracay after turning up to find a notice informing them of the closure.
"What did the revolutionary government do? The labor minister and the economy minister immediately arrived, opened the company and handed it over to the workers, and the company is producing with the industrial working class," said Maduro, who is seeking a second term in elections Sunday.
The government has previously taken over the plants of other companies who have left the country.
US companies Kimberly-Clark, General Motors and Clorox are among several multinationals to shut down their Venezuela operations in recent years.
Brazil's Suramericana de Soplados, which supplied fuel tanks to the Ford Motors and Chrysler vehicle assembly plants in Venezuela, also shuttered.
Some, such as Coca-Cola and Colgate, have temporarily suspended or cut back their operations.
https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/bu ... um=twitter
The Kellogg Company has ended operations in Venezuela, citing the economic crisis, leading President Nicolas Maduro's government to seize control of its subsidiary in the South American country. (AFP/SAUL LOEB)
16 May 2018 05:58AM
CARACAS: Venezuela's government seized control on Tuesday (May 15) of the South American country's Kellogg subsidiary after it halted operations, President Nicolas Maduro announced.
Maduro said the company had been "handed over to the workers" to continue production after the US-based cereals manufacturer said it was ceasing operations.
In a statement, the US multinational cited Venezuela's crippling economic crisis as the reason it was ending its operations in the country.
"The current economic and social deterioration in the country has now prompted the company to discontinue operations," Kellogg said.
Dozens of employees milled around the entrance to the factory in the western city of Maracay after turning up to find a notice informing them of the closure.
"What did the revolutionary government do? The labor minister and the economy minister immediately arrived, opened the company and handed it over to the workers, and the company is producing with the industrial working class," said Maduro, who is seeking a second term in elections Sunday.
The government has previously taken over the plants of other companies who have left the country.
US companies Kimberly-Clark, General Motors and Clorox are among several multinationals to shut down their Venezuela operations in recent years.
Brazil's Suramericana de Soplados, which supplied fuel tanks to the Ford Motors and Chrysler vehicle assembly plants in Venezuela, also shuttered.
Some, such as Coca-Cola and Colgate, have temporarily suspended or cut back their operations.
https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/bu ... um=twitter
"There is great chaos under heaven; the situation is excellent."