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Thanks for the superb analysis, Kosta! David [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: > Hey all, > > While most commentaries on Venezuela are drawing parallels to Chile, > Argentina, etc. - and the impact this will have on progressive movements > in > South America, rebel movements in Colombia, or world oil prices, etc. - > I > think we should also look to the Carribean for some clues as to what > might > happen and how this coup will be used to forward US interests there. > > Reports are coming in from Granma that the Cuban embassy has been > besieged by > angry mobs. Apparently water and electricity to the embassy has been cut > off > and the safety of the personel inside the embassy is in real danger. > For > anyone who's read anything on CIA covert operations - I would suggest > reading > Philip Agee's excellent book on the topic, which gives an insiders > perspective on how the CIA operates in Latin America - they can already > guess > that the mob outside the embassy has been fired up by fabricated > anti-Cuban > "black propaganda" most probably transmitted through the Catholic church > and > privately owned media outlets. > > Such "black" operations (aka psychological operations, or PSYOPs) have > been > waged so often by CIA operatives against Cuba, throughout Latin America, > that > no serious scholar of the region gives such stories any credence > anymore. > This history, of course, has never stopped the Church and local private > media > from taking advantage of high-illeteracy rates to at least temporarily > sway > some people with the old hsyterical story about an imminent "Communist > conspiracy to destroy the patria/nation." Neoliberal structural > adjustment > programs that target education spending in the South have, of course, > only > made the job of US psychological warfare experts in these regions that > much > easier in recent years. > > Former US President John F. Kennedy - no stranger to Cold War-era > propaganda > techniques himself - once said "you can fool some of the people some of > the > time..." and that's all the US really needs in fluid situations such as > this > one in order to quickly get what they want done. Thus even if you can't > "...fool all the people all of the time", at least you've managed to > neutralize resistance in the first critical moments. The truth may come > out > later - i.e. that most of the dead from Thursday's violence where Chavez > > supporters, or that anti-Chavez "Bandera Roja" extremists where the > first to > fire upon the crowd - but by then the US will have gotten what it wants: > i.e. > the complete eradication of a viable progressive resistance in > Venezuela. > > The story being peddled now in Venezuela, by both the Church and the > privately owned news media, is that Castro basically advised Chavez to > kill > unarmed demonstrators. Like all good propaganda, they don't go out and > say > it, but they've all been reporting that the military has allegedly > uncovered > "tape-recorded messages" in which Castro told Chavez to lure > demonstrators to > the Miraflores Palace and then to "clear them out by any means" (of > course > since the tapes don't exist - other than in the minds of "relliable > sources > in the military" - no one has, or ever will, actually hear these tapes). > > This story, of course, also falls into line with the oligarchic media's > long-standing attempts to portray Chavez as nothing but a bumbling Cuban > > controlled patsy. > > The goal? Well, of course, the USA - just as it tries to do in every > other > Latin American country - will work with those forces seeking to remove > all > traces of a Cuban presence from the country and to enlist Venezuela in > Washington's decades old anti-Cuba crusade (a project that the > Venezuelan > elite is very fond of). In Venezuela this story will be used to > legitimize > the persecution of progressives by framing them as traitors to the > nation and > to deflect attention away from the real selling-off of the country's > assets > to the international financial community. > > As the BBC reported today, the state-oil company PDVSA - now again in > the > hands of the old corrupt oil management - has moved to cut off all oil > supplies to Cuba. This will certainly cripple the Cuban economy seeing > as > Venezuela, under Chavez, had cut a deal with all Carribean countries to > sell > them cheap oil so they wouldn't suffer as a result of OPEC's price > hikes. > This marks just another stepping-stone in the dramatic return of > US-Latin > American militarism in the past few years. > > Reactionary forces in the America's are now slowly lining up for the > ultimate > showdown with the "Prime Evil" of their paranoid fantasis, i.e. Fidel. > The > last pockets of organized resistance to the deepening of US-military > rule > over the Hemisphere - outside of Cuba - are increasingly being > neutralized, > either with brutal military force, counter-insurgency operations, and > classic > repression (mostly the weapons employed against the poor), or by > paralyzing > opposition through the appropriation of progressive language to confuse > those > who may be sympathetic to resistance in the Hemisphere (mostly used to > pre-empt forceful opposition among those who are better-off and don't > live > the need for resistance). > > There are already reports coming out of Venezuela that MVR leaders and > activists - i.e. Chavez's party - and other progressive forces from the > Circulos Bolivarianos, are being rounded up by military and intelligence > > services and taken to undisclosed locations. They are targeting the > leadership and intellectuals in order to decapitate any resistance to > this > crime against the increasingly imperilled self-determination of all > Third > World peoples. > > In this way the coup is very similar to Argentina and Chile, but I think > that > the model they are going to use to ensure that Chavez stays out is the > one > they employed in Haiti in the early 1990s. The debacles for US foreign > policy in Chile and Argentina were crude attempts at supressing popular > movements, relative to the sophisticated mechanisms employed to > marginalize > and neutralize Aristide's Lavalas party in Haiti and other progressive > movements in the "post-Cold War" era. > > Since the late 1980s/early 1990s the US has shifted from supporting > outright > military dictatorships to a system of promoting "polyarchy" - which is > basically a system of continued elite rule, but under the facade of the > new > "market democracies" so popular in the Clinton years. > > The system ensures that venal elite sectors can simply recycle > candidates > whenever one of them steps out of line or they begin triggering mass > anger. > This system involves the funding of "indipendent" trade unions, > journalists, > student groups, etc. that can be mobilized to effect rapid changes in > government, steer popular discontent, etc. Popular discontent in the > lead up > to elections is thus focused on local solutions - i.e. issues like > corruption, transparency, good governance, etc. - and not the neoliberal > > system that produce illigitimate regimes. > > After the success or failure of an attempted regime change, these > elements of > "civil society" can be dissolved in order not to further disturb the > situation (note what happened to OTPOR in Yugoslavia, or what is > currently > happening to the MDC in Zimbabwe). If you're interested in how this > system > works, I highly recommend William Robinson's "Promoting Polyarchy". > > Thus the illegitimate authorities in Caracas will probably affect a > "transition" to a refreshed "market democracy" - i.e. polyarchy - that > is > fast becoming a pillar of Washington's subversive strategy in the > region. > > The scenario is the same as Dubbya's father, Bush Sr., had engineered > for > Haiti. In the early 1990s Jean Bertrand Aristide was elected to the > presidency after years of a brutal US-backed military dictatorship under > the > Duvalier Familly and their FRAPH militias. Except that Aristide - a > radical > preacher and anti-poverty activist - wasn't supposed to win the > election. > His policies, much like Chavez's, were oriented towards empowering the > poor > in a country that was traditionally ruled by a small and corrupt, pro-US > > elite. > > Lo-and-behold a coup by Gen. Raul Cedras takes place. The US makes > noises > about the need to "restore democracy" as soon as possible and publicly > condemns the new regime. But as it has come out latter, and as Haitian > activists claimed all along, US agents worked hand-in-glove to ensure > that > Cedras' persecutions, torture, and imprisonment of Lavalas supporters > would > continue. Haitians uniformly accuse the US of engineering the coup. > > Yet the action was important for the US for two reasons: on the one hand > it > could eliminate forces hostile to it locally in Haiti - many of which > where > more radical than Aristide - and on the other it could try to sell, yet > again, the concept of "humanitarian intervention" as a new > justification for > the projection of US power abroad. > > It was that last concern that is critical for us to ponder. With the > proliferation of new communications media and the rapidly increasing > flows of > information being made available by the early 1980s the Reagan White > House > decided to adopt a comprehensive global information strategy. As the > international condemnation triggered by the US invasions of Greneda and > Panama showerd, the US needed a much better excuse to project power > globally. > With the end of the Cold War this concern became paramount, especially > given > the tendency of Democratic "doves" to favor decreases in military > spending. > The military, corporations and the US foreign policy establishment had > to > come up quickly with a new way of SELLING global empire precisely to > those > progressive sectors who thought that the end of super power rivalry > would > mean the end of military engagements (Iraq, Somalia, Haiti, Bosnia, > Yugoslavia, etc, are all a product of this). > > Once US forces invaded Haiti in 1994, in order to "restore democracy", > one of > their first actions was to take away from the island all the records of > the > Haitian security services. Not a single piece of paper was left - > thereby > occluding the complicity of these services with US-agents, and probably > hiding the lists of activists that the US had drawn up for torture and > murder. The US is known to have drawn up lists of individuals to be > targeted > in the past, Chile, Argentina, but also Panama come to mind immediately. > > > Thus for several years Haitians were subjected to a cruel military > regime. > Once Aristide was "returned to power" by the USA, his term was already > up and > he was forced to step down by the Americans. For the next four years > after > the "restoration" of democracy, an unacountable pro-US faction in > Aristide's > own party ruled the country WITHOUT ELECTIONS, while the US - with much > Canadian help - armed and trained a "new security force" to defend > multinational interests on the island once again. > > When elections where held again in 2000 Aristide won hands down in a > free > election!!! Since then the US has cut assistence on the pretext that > two > seats are disputed and that the Aristide government is "anti-democratic" > - > even though if these two seats went to the opposition it still wouldn't > reverse the results. Aristide has also linked-up on certain issues with > > Castro and Chavez (particularly in questioning the FTAA, although he did > sign > the document b/c of his precarious position - which includes being at > the > mercy of a CIA-controlled police force). > > The key "mistake" in Haiti, according to US comentators on the country, > was > that the USA allowed Aristide to return, thinking they could control > him. > Far-right elements in the Republican party in the early 1990s were > arguing > that Aristide should be locked up instead as he would be a danger if he > remained a free citizen. For whatever reason the USA didn't do this - > and > many in Haiti continue to mistrust Aristide for this reason. > > However, it seems that the "lesson" was learned this time in Venezuela > and > that Chavez will face trumped up charges for Thursday's staged > "massacre". > Thus a "transition" period will usher in a period of silent "social > cleansing" in Venezuela that the world media will ignore - although it > is our > duty to do everything in our power to bring to light persecutions inside > > Venezuela. Once the right number of people have been tortured, > imprisoned, > cowed, or killed into silence, an "election" will be held. > > Chavez, of course, will be prevented from running in those elections and > the > privately owned media, which is controlled by the Venezuelan business > elite > and the military, will probably refuse to give any coverage to Chavez's > movement (which by then will be severly weakened by the complete purging > of > its leadership, except maybe if the military manages to find willing > collaborators within the movement). > > The fascist Caracas-based media have already said that they will no > longer > broadcast any statements or speaches by Chavez. The entire progressive > movement is therefore to be muzzled and everything is to be restored as > it > was in the pre-Chavez period. These are the broad outlines of the > future > strategy. > > The propaganda about the need for a "quick restoration of democracy" in > the > A-section of every major Western paper, is undercut by the extacy this > coup > has brought to global financial markets which is so evident in any > Business-section part of the paper (just pick some articles in Wall > Street > Journal, Financial Times etc., or whatch things like "Money Line" or > "Business World" to see what I mean). > > The Latin American press is in such a celebratory mood - and filled with > > outlandished Cold War era type fabrications of how Chavez spent his last > > moments holed up and surrounded only by "Cuban advisors" before his > resignation - that it makes my stomach turn. The lessons of the past it > > seems still have to be learnt... > > Saturday, 13 April, 2002, 09:51 GMT 10:51 UK > Election pledge for Venezuela > > > Tight security still in evidence after the week's upheaval > > > Venezuela's new caretaker president Pedro Carmona has promised a swift > return > to democratic government following the removal from office of Hugo > Chavez by > the armed forces. > > > People have the right to remove their government, but they have to do so > > through democratic channels > > > Alejandro Toledo > Peruvian president > > The interim government has said it will hold presidential elections > within a > year, but Latin American leaders have refused to recognise the new > regime. > While not expressing personal support for Mr Chavez - renowned for his > fiery > rhetoric - Latin American leaders condemned "the interruption of > constitutional order in Venezuela". Mr Chavez was forced to step down > after > the deaths of at least 13 anti-government protesters in violence on > Thursday > night. > > Laws repealed > > At a sombre ceremony on Friday, Mr Carmona, 60, a former oil executive, > was > sworn in as interim president. > > > Pedro Carmona: Quick elections promised > > He quickly moved to repeal dozens of controversial economic laws and > dissolved the Supreme Court and the National Assembly. Promising > presidential > elections within a year, Mr Carmona said: "We can achieve the > governability > required to improve Venezuela's image." "The strongman era has ended." > Latin > American leaders, at a Group of Rio meeting in Costa Rica, expressed > regret > at the loss of life on Thursday, but also concern at the manner of Mr > Chavez's downfall. > > > "It is a lie, all lies. He said he never resigned > > > Hugo Chavez's daughter Maria Gabriela > > The United States was initially unsympathetic, saying the government had > > tried to suppress a peaceful demonstration. Washington blamed Mr Chavez > for > creating the conditions that led to his removal. > > International concern > > But the US and Spain later issued a joint statement calling for calm, an > end > to violence and a swift return to normality with a "guarantee of > fundamental > rights and freedoms". UK Foreign Office Minister Denis MacShane, who met > Mr > Chavez just a few days ago, said he hoped the president's resignation > would > prevent more bloodshed. > > > Chavez befriended Cuba's isolated leader Fidel Castro > > But elections should be held as soon possible, he said. "Any delay to > this > process will be contrary to Venezuela's long history of democracy and > unacceptable to the international community." Cuba, a staunch supporter > of Mr > Chavez's left-wing policies, has expressed concern for his safety. He > was > initially being held at the Fuerte Tiuna military base in the capital, > Caracas. But Cuban television broadcast an interview with his daughter, > Maria > Gabriela Chavez, who said there were reports he had been moved to an > undisclosed location. The army has rejected his plea to be allowed to go > into > exile in Cuba. Army General Roman Fuemayor said: "He has to be held > accountable to his country." > > Chavez's version > > Military leaders said Mr Chavez resigned at their insistence after he > ordered > troops and civilian gunmen to fire on a crowd of more than 150,000. At > least > 13 people died and more than 240 were injured. But Mr Chavez's daughter > insisted he was the victim of a coup. "It is a lie, all lies. He said he > > never resigned, that a group of military took him away and he is being > held > incommunicado," she said. Mr Chavez won a landslide victory in 1998, six > > years after he led an abortive coup as a young paratroop > officer.Following > events of the last few days, oil production and distribution are > beginning to > return to normal for the world's fourth-largest oil producer after > workers > abandoned their action.But PDVSA has suspended oil exports to Cuba in > protest > at Havana's support for Mr Chavez who agreed cheap rates with President > Fidel > Castro. > > > > > > > > --------------------------- ANTI-NATO INFORMATION LIST ==^================================================================ This email was sent to: archive@jab.org EASY UNSUBSCRIBE click here: http://topica.com/u/?a84x2u.a9617B Or send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] T O P I C A -- Register now to manage your mail! http://www.topica.com/partner/tag02/register ==^================================================================
