> WW News Service Digest #185 > > 1) Fidel Gets Hero's Welcome in Venezuela > by [EMAIL PROTECTED] > 2) Palestinian Youth Defy Israeli Shoot-to-KIll Tactics > by [EMAIL PROTECTED] > 3) "Democracy Now!" Under Attack > by [EMAIL PROTECTED] > 4) Candidates Find Growing Interest in Socialism > by [EMAIL PROTECTED] >------------------------- >Via Workers World News Service >Reprinted from the Nov. 9, 2000 >issue of Workers World newspaper >------------------------- > >FIDEL GETS HERO'S WELCOME IN VENEZUELA: FORGING TIES >ACROSS THE CARIBBEAN > >By Teresa Gutierrez > >Two important Latin American heads of state held a meeting >of great historical significance at the end of October: >Cuban President Fidel Castro and Venezuelan President Hugo >Chavez. > >A major outcome of President Castro's five-day visit to >President Chavez in Venezuela was the signing the Caracas >Energy Agreement. The two signed the agreement at an Oct. 30 >joint news conference that was broadcast throughout Latin >America and transmitted to Spain and the United States. > >Other Central American and Caribbean countries had >previously signed the trade agreement. The document will >take effect immediately and remains valid for five years. > >The accord was in direct defiance of the U.S. blockade of >Cuba. > >The agreement states in part that Venezuela will supply >around 53,000 barrels a day of crude oil and its derivatives >directly to Cuba. The deal circumvents the third parties >that currently route oil to the island. > >The oil sales, currently worth about $1 billion annually, >are part of a wide-ranging economic cooperation agreement. > >The Venezuelan government will provide 25-percent financing >for the oil sold to Cuba. The Cubans can pay for the oil in >barter for goods or services such as health care and >education. > >The agreement affirms that Cuba will bring expertise in >medicine and agriculture to Venezuela. A special provision >establishes that Cuba will provide doctors, medial >specialists and health technicians free of charge. The >personnel will work in areas of Venezuela where they will >not displace existing medical staff. > >President Chavez told reporters that he and President Castro >had also discussed how Cuba might help the sugar industry in >Sanabeta, Venezuela. Cuba agreed to provide technical >assistance to run refineries and develop sugarcane >agriculture and will also help construct three new sugar >refineries. > >U.S. 'UNEASY' OVER VISIT > >Early accounts in the U.S. corporate media reveal the >significance of this visit. > >The Associated Press wrote Oct. 26 that Chavez' close >friendship with Castro "has made the United States uneasy." > >Experts in international relations warned that Venezuela >"risks weakening its ties with the United States, its >largest oil market, by defying its embargo," according to an >Oct. 26 Reuters dispatch. > >During much of the visit, both leaders were dressed in >military fatigues instead of business suits. > >While in Venezuela, Castro had the opportunity to comment >about the situation in that county as well as all of Latin >America. > >On Oct. 27, he addressed the Venezuelan National Assembly. >His talk followed a small right-wing protest by some >Assembly members who boycotted the speech. > >But in the streets, especially on the day he arrived, >thousands of people, many wearing red berets, cheered the >Cuban president with great emotion. > >FIDEL SALUTES BOLIVAR > >At the National Assembly, Castro recognized the role that >the great 19th century Venezuelan leader Simon Bolivar >played in the anti-colonial struggles of Latin America and >the Caribbean. > >President Castro highlighted Bolivar's thinking on the need >for unity and independence for the entire continent. He >pointed out that even at that early stage of the development >of U.S. imperialism, Bolivar's genius "allowed him to guess" >that the U.S. "seemed destined to spread calamities in the >Americas in the name of freedom." The full speech can be >read at the Web site www.granma.cu. > >During his five-day stay, Castro addressed legislatures, >students, campe sinos and many workers. > >He advised the Venezuelan masses to protect their popular >leader. "There is no doubt that Chavez' enemies here and >abroad will try to eliminate him," warned the experienced >revolutionary, who has successfully led socialist Cuba since >the 1959 overthrow of Fulgencio Batista. > >He also urged the masses to take an active role in building >a new society in Venezuela. He called on the people to >organize themselves and depend less on the president since >Chavez "cannot be mayor of the whole of Venezuela." > >The Cuban president affirmed his confidence in the >Venezuelan leader. "At this moment, in this country, you >have no substitute," he told Chavez. > >President Castro also commented on the Nov. 7 U.S. >presidential election. "I recommend that the American voters >go to the beach on election day" instead of voting for >either Bush or Gore, he said. > >AID FROM THIRD-BIGGEST OIL PRODUCER > >Because the spokesperson of the Cuban Revolution still has a >broad following throughout the continent, friends and >enemies alike carefully scrutinize every word he utters. The >capitalist class also closely analyzes every agreement and >action made by socialist Cuba. > >So it is of note when Venezuela, the world's number-three >exporter of oil, makes such a favorable and public trade >agreement with Cuba and helps Cuba break out of diplomatic >and economic isolation. > >Chavez presides over a country that has a valuable world >commodity--oil. Imperialist powers have fought great wars >over control of this commodity. > >Recently the media credited--or blamed--Chavez for the rise >in oil prices. It's true he hosted the last OPEC summit in >Caracas and has worked to stabilize oil rates at a level >that can sustain development in the producing countries. > >When some imperialist powers complained of the prices, >Chavez stated in response that the rise in prices is "fair >and just. For a century, they [industrial nations] took >millions of barrels of oil at giveaway prices. How nice it >would be if they also lowered the prices of things they sell >to us, lowered the prices of computers, medicine, cars and >the interest rates on the foreign debt." > >Chavez and Castro have company in their stand against >corporate control of the world economy. Not just in Havana >and Caracas but in Palestine and Colombia, in Prague and >Seattle, the masses are moving in defiance of imperialism. >They will soon take center stage around the world. > >- END - > >(Copyleft Workers World Service: Everyone is permitted to >copy and distribute verbatim copies of this document, but >changing it is not allowed. For more information contact >Workers World, 55 W. 17 St., NY, NY 10011; via e-mail: >[EMAIL PROTECTED] For subscription info send message to: >[EMAIL PROTECTED] Web: http://www.workers.org) > > > > >From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] >Date: Thu, 2 Nov 2000 01:23:22 -0500 >Content-type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII >Content-transfer-encoding: 7BIT >Subject: [WW] Palestinian Youth Defy Israeli Shoot-to-KIll Tactics >Message-ID: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > >------------------------- >Via Workers World News Service >Reprinted from the Nov. 9, 2000 >issue of Workers World newspaper >------------------------- > >REPORT FROM PALESTINIAN INTIFADA: YOUTHS DEFY ISRAELI >SHOOT-TO-KILL TACTICS > >Special to Workers World > >Israeli tanks and helicopter gun ships escalated the one- >sided war against the Palestinians by opening fire Oct. 30 >on Palestinian towns, targeting residential areas, civilians >and offices of Yasir Arafat's Fatah movement. > >By Oct. 31, the official death toll in over a month of >Israeli repression rose to 154 Palestinians killed, plus 12 >Israelis. Over 6,000 Palestinians in both Gaza and the West >Bank have been wounded. > >The U.S. military-industrial complex supplies most of the >weapons and ammunition used by the so-called Israeli Defense >Force. From his wrecked apartment near the Fatah office in >El Bireh, Ramallah's twin city, a Palestinian man seemed >aware of this. He waved a piece of the wall blown in on him >at visitors from the United States, saying, "I want to send >a message to President Clinton, I want to send this back to >him." > >The visitors were a four-person team from the International >Action Center, including IAC Co-director Sara Flounders, >West Coast Co-director Richard Becker, Los Angeles Co- >director Preston Wood, and Randa Jamal of Al-Awda, the >Palestinian Right of Return Coalition. > >They had come not only to observe the events but also to >bring antibiotics, wound dressings and other medical >supplies to Palestinian hospitals and clinics. These are >badly needed now with Israeli military checkpoints >preventing the normal delivery of medical supplies, plus the >much greater number of wounded to be treated. > >The delegation landed in Tel Aviv on Oct. 28, and by the >next day had made the first delivery of medical supplies to >a hospital at Beit Sahour, near Bethlehem. By Oct. 30, the >Israelis had made a new aggressive escalation of the war, >firing on Palestinian cities, and the IAC delegation was in >the middle of a rocket attack on Ramallah. > >ISRAELIS SHELL RAMALLAH > >>From a rooftop near the home where they were staying, IAC >delegation members could see and hear the step-up in >shelling from tanks and helicopters. This is how Becker >described it: > >"At about 10:30 p.m. local time we saw a rocket attack from >what we believe was an Apache helicopter some distance from >the house that we're staying in. A plane that was flying >over, we could see that, we saw a flare and then a large >explosion took place possibly within a mile, mile and a >half. > >"We went immediately to the site and it turned out that a >very small building from the Fatah organization had been >rocketed in a residential neighborhood in Ramallah's twin >city, El-Bireh. > >"When we arrived on the scene there were many people on the >streets. There's no other commercial buildings or offices in >this neighborhood, all the rest of the neighborhood was >residential. The rocket hit the Fatah office, which is about >6 feet by 12 feet, a really tiny office. > >"Then we went immediately across the street to see the >widespread damage to the residential apartments. We went >inside to talk with the people inside the apartments, which >all had the glass blown off in the front of buildings. There >were pieces of the rocket inside the apartment, on the >floor. > >"By very great fortune none of the people were injured. We >interviewed a 7-year-old boy who was very scared and 13-year- >old and 16-year-old girls who were terrified. Fortunately, >their mother, a U.S. citizen who lives most of the time in >Birmingham, Ala., had heard the planes and the helicopters >outside the house. She brought the children into the center >of the house in the hallway and had them on a mattress. > >"Then the rocket hit across the street and destroyed the >office and blew up the whole front of the square unit >apartment building. There was massive debris everywhere, >including pieces of the missile inside. There was another >house where, according to the neighbors, the people had just >left five minutes before the rocket hit. This house suffered >structural damage, large pieces of stone from the house >lying in front of it, the windows were all blown out. > >"We were not able to go into the house next door that was >rocketed. Inside the apartment building there were pieces of >missile that burned the rug. It was also very fortunate that >the apartment building wasn't destroyed by fire." > >In Ramallah that night, an announcement came over the >television that everyone in the entire Palestinian nation >was to go to the center of the town for a demonstration. >They gathered there and marched to the site of the shelled >office. > >THE INTIFADA IN ACTION > >The next day, Oct. 31, the Israeli military kept up its >attacks, killing five Palestinians and wounding scores in >Gaza, including a CNN correspondent. As Flound ers put it, >"The Israeli regime and the U.S. corporate media claim the >Israeli troops use force to 'respond' to attacks, to defend >their positions. This is absurd. The Israelis are armed with >machine guns and tanks, facing young people with at most >slingshots. > >"They are attempting to use superior military power and >terror to force the Palestinians to submit to a horribly >unequal treaty. The demonstrations, by the entire >Palestinian population, are the answer: they refuse to >submit." > >In Ramallah on Oct. 31 hundreds of Palestinian youths walked >through the town and converged on the checkpoint at the >north end where they faced a line of Israeli tanks. "For a >few moments," said Flounders, "we got to experience what >these young people have been living through for the past >month. > >"First the troops opened up with tear gas, no, it was >stronger than tear gas, sort of a CS gas. We still have some >of the canisters," said Flounders. "You can read on them, >'Made in USA.' > >"The courage of the youths confronting the troops was >incredible to see. There were hundreds along the sides and >some who got up close to where the soldiers were. Even with >the firing going on they would continue to resist and throw >stones. > >"When the Israeli troops opened up with live ammunition, and >we could hear it whistling over our heads and ricocheting >off the buildings, most of the young people had to pull >back. Finally the Israelis opened up with fire from the >tanks, heavy machine-gun rounds, and everyone had to >retreat. But really the statement of the youths was that >they would not be intimidated, they would continue to >resist." > >Flounders said that when the IAC delegation delivered the >medicine, they visited some of the wounded at the hospitals >and clinics. "The medical teams said there have been 6,600 >people wounded in the past month," she said, "seriously >enough to spend time in a hospital. About one-fifth of them >will have permanent disabilities from the wounds, they >estimated." > >The doctors have also trained volunteer ambulance crews to >go to the front lines and bring back those wounded by the >Israeli troops. The IAC had visited the Union of Health Work >Committees and the Union of Palestine Medical Relief >Committees that morning. > >According to Flounders, "The work these courageous crews >trained by the committees have done has helped to reduce the >number of people killed in the fighting. They go out while >under fire, rescue the people hit by bullets, and bring them >back to the hospitals and clinics. At least 15 have been >seriously wounded, shot in the chest, back or head." > >ISRAELI TROOPS SHOOT TO KILL > >Along with the tank fire, rockets and shells, the Israelis >also have snipers operating from rooftops and from the >fortified hilltops where there are settlements, said >Flounders. "These snipers aim to kill. We saw them today >taking aim from the City Inn at the demonstrators. There is >nothing to describe this but terrorism." > >The Union of Palestinian Medical Relief Committees made a >special statistical report on Oct. 30 on how those killed by >the Israeli forces had died. It turned out over 98 percent >of wounds that caused death were in the head, neck, chest or >abdomen. Some 84 percent of injuries were from wounds to the >head, neck or upper body, excluding upper body limbs. > >By this evidence, it is apparent that the Israeli forces are >shooting to kill unarmed Palestinians. > >Flounders described how in the past seven years since the >Oslo Accords were signed, the Israelis have built up a >system of settlements in the West Bank connected by roads >that only cars with Israeli license plates can travel on. >These settlements, she said, are on hilltops in and around >Palestinian villages. > >"Now, during the olive harvest," Flounders said, "the >Israeli settlers are firing on Palestinian farmers gathering >olives. Israeli patrols are confiscating the crops at >checkpoints. They are trying to starve out the Palestinians >economically." > >Dr. Majed Nassar, deputy director of the Union of Health >Work Committees, had this to say when he met the IAC >delegation after the Israelis shelled Beit Jala and Beit > _______________________________________________________ KOMINFORM P.O. Box 66 00841 Helsinki - Finland +358-40-7177941, fax +358-9-7591081 e-mail [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.kominf.pp.fi _______________________________________________________ Kominform list for general information. Subscribe/unsubscribe messages to [EMAIL PROTECTED] Anti-Imperialism list for anti-imperialist news. Subscribe/unsubscribe messages: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [EMAIL PROTECTED] _______________________________________________________
