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James Holstun wrote: > > ALL THIS CONSIDERED ran a particularly partisan piece tonight, all > but accusing Hugo Chavez of assassinating tens of labor union > organizers--more than in Colombia. Could someone please provide some > context? > > http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=128930031 > > The context is that NPR is a propaganda outlet for the CIA and the State Department. Here's a typical NPR dispatch from Venezuela that I dredged up from Lexis-Nexis. There are 57, all along the same lines. National Public Radio (NPR) February 14, 2009 Saturday SHOW: Weekend Edition Saturday 9:00 AM EST NPR Tough Tactics Ahead Of Venezuela Term-Limit Vote LENGTH: 664 words SCOTT SIMON, host: In Venezuela, President Hugo Chavez Enhanced Coverage Linking Hugo Chavez -Search using: * Biographies Plus News * News, Most Recent 60 Days is asking his countrymen to approve a referendum to drop term limits and allow him to extend his rule. His opponents call Mr. Chavez an autocrat, and for proof, they point to the way he's tried to hold on to power in Caracas even after losing elections there. NPR's Juan Forero reports from the Venezuelan capital. JUAN FORERO: In November, opposition leaders celebrated after winning key posts in elections for governors and mayors, no more so than here in Caracas, where Antonio Ledezma captured city hall. But over the next few weeks, President Chavez's red-shirted supporters, some armed, occupied at least four buildings, including city hall. And incoming officials said they've been prevented from using their offices. (Soundbite of music) FORERO: The bugle calls some of Chavez's most ardent followers to action. People like Nancy Roxas(ph). She is one of the government loyalists now occupying government buildings. Ms. NANCY ROXAS: (Foreign language spoken) FORERO: Roxas says she lost her job when Ledezma, a strident foe of Chavez, won city hall, a job she says was designed to, among other things, advance Chavez's efforts to transform Venezuela into a socialist state. With the buildings occupied, the mayor now runs a city from offices on the 19th floor of a downtown skyscraper. Ledezma says he was no match for the armed men who took over city hall. Mayor ANTONIO LEDEZMA (Caracas, Venezuela): (Foreign language spoken) FORERO: Ledezma says he may have the authority, but his opponents wield violence. Other vital city agencies share offices with Ledezma's staff. Workers and managers said that not only have they been barred from their offices, but they found them ransacked, computers stolen, files had disappeared. Angel Rangel is chief of security for the city. He said motorcycles and other vehicles were missing. Mr. ANGEL RANGEL (Chief of Security, Caracas, Venezuela): They destroyed the building, all the contents inside. They destroyed the previous information - the information for the last four years. Not only the information, but actually, the equipment - most of the equipment was destroyed. The (unintelligible) disappeared, the database disappeared. FORERO: City workers also found that the previous mayor, a close ally of Chavez, had hired nearly 9,000 workers on a contract basis. But Ledezma said they weren't hired for traditional city jobs. Speaking to supporters on a recent day, he said they were instead used to campaign in neighborhoods, also to serve as bodyguards to Chavez lawmakers in Congress and as shock troops to intimidate foes. ________________________________________________ Send list submissions to: [email protected] Set your options at: http://lists.econ.utah.edu/mailman/options/marxism/archive%40mail-archive.com
