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unusual 'balance' for a Reuters article Bill Howard wrote: > > [Hour by hour news & analysis... > http://www.egroups.com/group/Communist-Internet ] > > [Subscribe: [EMAIL PROTECTED] ] > . > . > ----- Original Message ----- > From: John Clancy <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > To: <Africa: ;> > Cc: <news: ;>; <overflow: ;>; <blindmice: ;> > Sent: Wednesday, March 13, 2002 6:30 AM > Subject: Reuters: Rival Political Protests Jolt Venezuelan > Capital.'Threats won't be > fatal to the revolution' > > > from: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > subject: Reuters: Rival Political Protests Jolt Venezuelan Capital. > 'Threats won't be fatal to the revolution' > Delivered-To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > X-eGroups-Return: sentto-2182022-7754-1014863136- > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > X-Sender: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > From: "Jose G. Perez" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > X-Yahoo-Profile: jose_g_perez > Date: Wed, 27 Feb 2002 21:25:45 -0500 > Subject:[CubaNews] Reuters: Rival Political Protests Jolt Venezuelan > Capital > Reply-To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > Rival Political Protests Jolt Venezuelan Capital > Wed Feb 27, 2:18 PM ET > By Pascal Fletcher > > CARACAS, Venezuela (Reuters) - Tens of thousands of opponents and > supporters of Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez paralyzed Caracas on > Wednesday in noisy rival marches that revealed deep political and > social tensions shaking the oil-rich South American nation. > > In two separate masses of yelling, banner-waving marchers, followers > and foes of the left-wing populist president took to the streets of the > city to measure their strength on the 13th anniversary of 1989 riots in > which hundreds were killed. > > Former paratrooper Chavez, who is battling growing opposition to his > three- year-old rule, had called out his supporters to rally behind his > government on the same day that anti-Chavez union bosses held a big > anti-government protest. > > The competing demonstrations took place at a time when the president > already is grappling with a faltering economy, open defiance from a > handful of military officers and a revolt against his policies within > the giant state oil firm PDVSA. > > Shouting pro-Chavez militants, many wearing red berets, paraded through > the eastern suburb of Altamira, a stronghold for rich and middle-class > opponents of the president. > > The atmosphere crackled with class tension as the Chavez marchers, > mostly from poor neighborhoods of the city, came close to blows with > opponents who gathered outside glass-and- marble office towers to jeer > the demonstration. > > "Out with Chavez," screamed the well-dressed hecklers, while the pro- > government militants responded with chants of "Chavez, Chavez" > and "Victory for the People." > > In downtown Caracas, anti-Chavez union boss Carlos Ortega led an anti- > government protest by thousands of public-sector workers to > the National Assembly, where they handed over a petition calling on > the Venezuelan leader to resign. > > Opponents of the tough-talking president accuse him of trying to impose > a Cuban-style leftist authoritarian regime that they say will plunge > the world's No. 4 oil exporter into social chaos and economic ruin. > > Chavez dismisses his opponents as a resentful, rich minority and says > his self-proclaimed "revolution" aims to close the wide gap between > rich and poor in Venezuela. > > Reflecting investors' concern over Venezuela, Moody's Investors Service > on Wednesday changed the country's ratings outlook to negative from > stable. It cited continued loss of reserves, capital flight and > political turbulence. > > CHAVEZ SUPPORTERS PELT OPPONENTS > > At Altamira's main square, Chavez supporters threw oranges, plastic > water bottles and firecrackers at jeering opponents waving national > flags who were protected by several cordons of riot police, some armed > with automatic rifles. > > One policewoman was slightly hurt in the leg by an exploding > firecracker. > > "We poor people support Chavez," Erlis Nunez, a 27-year-old street > vendor, told Reuters at the pro- Chavez march. > > The anti-government protest led by Ortega, which was called to > oppose government public-sector reforms, was peaceful. > > But the veteran union leader, who is a sworn political enemy of Chavez, > said the opposition to the president was a sign of the crisis gripping > the nation, where conspicuous wealth exists alongside widespread > grinding poverty. > "Everything indicates we could see serious national conflict," he > told reporters. > > Wednesday's marches took place on the anniversary of the bloody > "Caracazo" riots of 1989 in which poor slum-dwellers from the hills > that surround the city descended on its center in an orgy of looting > and pillaging. > > Troops brutally quashed the riots, triggered by protests > against transportation fare hikes. The government reported 300 deaths, > although the actual toll was believed to be much higher. > > Foes of Chavez say he is stirring up another class war with > his revolutionary rhetoric against rich "oligarchs." This sense of > class consciousness was repeated by many of his supporters. > > "The confrontation is clear. One side is marching for the rights of > the people, while the other side is marching for the privileges that > they are losing," said Luis Garcia Nunez, a 59-year-old retired pro- > Chavez journalist. > > Chavez, who has introduced reforms to redistribute land to poor > families and increase state intervention in the economy, has shrugged > off the criticism against him from business chiefs, Roman Catholic > bishops and the opposition-dominated media. > > To unsubscribe from this CubaNews group, send an email to: > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to > http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/ > > ****** > from: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > subject: 'Threats won't be fatal to the revolution' > Delivered-To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > >Le Monde / 'Threats won't be fatal to the revolution' / > > >'Threats won't be fatal to the revolution' Venezuela's president, Hugo > Chavez, tells Jan Krauze that he is staying in office > > >Is the Bolivarian revolution under threat? > > >Yes, there are threats, risks, some natural, others artificially > created. But I'm sure they won't be fatal to the revolution. We have > the capacity, political will, people power, sufficient determination > and the moral strength to overcome such dangers. > > Do you plan to proclaim an emergency, as some appear to be urging > you to do? > > For the moment, nothing justifies that. An emergency is not something > you get into without serious thought. Emergencies are regulated by > the constitution, and there are degrees of emergencies. But I hope > nothing happens to warrant such a move. > > Why do you think your popularity has sunk so low? > > Everything changes - wind speed, the sun's rays, love. And a good > thing, too. Otherwise, life would be a bore. But there's also the > normal wear and tear of power. In baseball when a pitcher throws the > ball in the first inning, the ball could attain a speed of 96mph > [155km/h]. But after a hundred throws, the pitcher's arm tires. He > takes a break and then he can again throw a fastball. [He drew a graph > to show how opinion polls have been behaving over the past three > years]. You see, it doesn't drop below 40%. Support for the Bolivarian > revolution and the president fluctuates between 40% and 60%. And if > the press manipulates the data, that's part of the game. > > The steep drop in the value of the bolivar can only boost > inflation again, diminish people's earnings and swell discontent. What > do you plan to do about it? Will you change the team running the > economy? > > I announce decisions when I've taken them. The only person who is > certain of staying on is the president. Ministers - not just ministers > of economy - can change. The measures to be announced on February 28 > are designed to give the economy a boost. We're giving priority to the > poor, not only where wages are concerned, but also in housing, the > supply of drinking water, education and so on. > > Have you the means for financing such a policy? > > Don't forget, we sell 3m barrels of oil a day. We're trimming our > military expenditure, our bureaucracy, and scaling down a few large > infrastructure projects. > > Do you think all this clamour for your resignation is orchestrated? > > Of course I do. There's the discredited political sector, parties > that don't dare act on their own behalf, but remain in the background; > economic groups that carry some weight, like the Fedecamera [the > Venezuelan employers' association]; the media, which play the most > important role, that is, the role political parties should be playing. > This is a problem in Venezuela. If I wanted to talk to the leader of > the opposition, I wouldn't be able to do it. There isn't any. There's > no ideological alternative either, no project. > > Why don't you mention the few officers who've openly called for > your resignation? > > They're of no importance at all. I have personally taken part in > a military demonstration [the aborted 1992 military coup that resulted > in Chavez being jailed]. We had 10,000 men, tanks, guns. It was an > organised demonstration, with a plan, a project. Today, the media are > putting on a show for private reasons. > > So, there's no danger of a military coup? > > None. Zero. > > Do you think the United States might want to get rid of you? > > I don't think so. But if it ever wants me out, I think it will have > to accept the situation in Venezuela, which has a legitimately > elected government and the support of the people. I would even say > that this support is more important than in any other country in the > American continent. The American ambassador has just confirmed to me > the public statement issued by the state department reiterating that > the United States has not attempted, and will not attempt, to change > the country's institutional life. > > It's said you have an ambiguous attitude toward Colombia. While > openly voicing support for President Andres Pastrana's decision to > break off negotiations with the Revolutionary Armed Forces of > Colombia, you also refuse to brand the Farc as terrorists. Do you > sympathise with their cause? > > I feel a sense of brotherhood with the whole of Colombia. We want > peace. Our position is by no means ambiguous. We have been part of the > group of "facilitators" who tried to promote talks. All our contacts > with the Farc leaders are part of this position. It's false to say > that we support the rebels with weapons. We have been sitting down at > the same table for years. It's impossible to brand someone as a > terrorist when you are negotiating with him. But we've always > condemned terrorist acts such as the hijacking of planes and > kidnappings. February 27 > > >The Guardian Weekly 7-3-2002, page 25 > > > > > --------------------------- 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 ==^================================================================
