Mood: energetic
Now Playing: Sunday evening with pdxVenezuela at he Red n Black Cafe at 7 PM
Topic: Venezuela Solidarity
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Check this out, its a first hand Report Back from Caracas 1.24.10
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Joe Anybody Latin America Solidarity
Saturday, 23 January 2010
Cascadia to Caracas Report Back at Red n Black
Mood: energetic Now Playing: Sunday evening with pdxVenezuela at he Red n Black Cafe at 7 PM Topic: Venezuela Solidarity Hi Folks Check this out, its a first hand Report Back from Caracas 1.24.10
See You there more information is on
Posted by Joe Anybody
at 1:51 PM
Updated: Saturday, 23 January 2010 1:54 PM
Sunday, 17 January 2010
Cindy Sheehan interviews Eva Golinger on Jan 10 2010
Now Playing: Year of Resistance - Eva Golinger & Cindy Sheehan
http://cindysheehanssoapbox.com/archivesPage.html - January 10, 2010 (SOAPBOX #46) - Cindy issues it in, welcoming renowned Attorney and Writer Eva Golinger. Eva is a Venezuelan-American attorney from New York, living in Caracas, Venezuela. If you can spare the time, you might want to take a look at her blog: "Postcards from the Revolution." Wow! Does she have a spotlight to throw on the secret scurrying of the CIA in Venezuela, or what? (Sort of like cockroaches, they desperately want to escape that light!) This is yet another great Soapbox!
Posted by Joe Anybody
at 7:09 PM
Cindy Sheehan interviews Eva Golinger
Mood: amorous Now Playing: Found this on Cindy Sheehans soapbox blog Topic: Venezuela Solidarity Sunday, January 10, 2010Happy First Anniversary to Cindy Sheehan's Soapbox!Cindy Sheehan's Soapbox at: It's our Anniversary! Against all odds and many obstacles we have been able to stay on the air and deliver high quality shows! With Twenty-Ten being the YEAR OF RESISTANCE, the Soapbox will become an integral part of true change to benefit WE THE PEOPLE for once! Thank you for listening and supporting your Soapbox! _________________________ TODAY'S SHOW There has been disturbing news coming out of South America: The apparent U.S. support of the Honduran coup; Colombia signing a pact with the U.S. that will enable the U.S. to construct military bases there and the U.S. drone flights and fighter-plane flights over Venezuelan airspace. We all know that Vz sits on some of the largest oil reserves in the world and President Chavez has refused to privatize the industry and hand over his people's natural resources to Standard Oil or Exxon--so that has made him a marked man in the eyes of the U.S. Robber Class. Today on the Soapbox, Venezuelan attorney and bestselling author (The Chavez Code), Eva Golinger dispels the Myths that surround President Chavez that have been instigated by our government and media. Eva's blog is: Postcards from the Revolution Please tune-in, it is a fascinating interview! To further foster understanding between our countries, The Soapbox is arranging an interview in Venezuela with President Chavez and a mini-documentary about the successes and challenges of Venezuela's "Bolivaran Revolution." We are VERY excited about this important evolution in The Soapbox's relevance and influence! The 2nd part of today's show is an interview that Cindy did with Scott Horton of Anti-War Radio where she talks about Peace of the Action and the dire need for direct action. If you like the Soapbox, please DONATE TO KEEP US ON THE AIR! Submit listener rants and "ASK CINDY" questions to: Cindy at CindysSoapbox@gmail.com if you wish to UNSUBSCRIBE from this list, please send an email to: CindysSoapbox@Gmail.com with UNSUBSCRIBE in the SUBJECT LINE
Posted by Joe Anybody
at 6:08 PM
Updated: Sunday, 17 January 2010 6:11 PM
My new FaceBook friend is Hugo Chavez
Mood: happy Now Playing: FB friendships across the borders Topic: Venezuela Solidarity I have anew Face Book Friend
Posted by Joe Anybody
at 7:28 AM
Saturday, 16 January 2010
PCASC Newsletter is out for January 2010
Mood: bright Now Playing: Portland Oregon - Solidarity Group PCASC Newsletter 1-2010 Topic: Organizing-Activism-Info
Posted by Joe Anybody
at 4:09 PM
Updated: Saturday, 16 January 2010 4:10 PM
Tuesday, 12 January 2010
"Venezuela Speaks!: Voices from the Grassroots"
Mood: caffeinated Now Playing: A new book and links to the FB group Topic: Venezuela Solidarity
"Venezuela Speaks!: Voices from the Grassroots" is a collection of interviews with activists and participants from across Venezuela’s social movements. "Venezuela Speaks!: Voices from the Grassroots" is a collection of interviews with activists and participants from across Venezuela’s social movements. From community media to land reform; cooperatives to communal councils, from the labor movement to the Afro-Venezuelan network, "Venezuela Speaks!" sheds light on the complex realities within the Bolivarian Revolution. These interviews offer a compelling oral history of Venezuela's democratic revolution, from the bottom up. By co-authors Carlos Martinez, Michael Fox, and JoJo Farrell. For more information, please visit www.venezuelaspeaks.com or the PM Press website: https://secure.pmpress.org/index.php?l=product_detail&p=169 FaceBook Link: http://www.facebook.com/search/?q=www.cindysheehanssoapbox.com&init=pr#/group.php?gid=243253003620
Posted by Joe Anybody
at 8:05 PM
Sunday, 27 December 2009
Indigenous People to Cavez
Mood: irritated Now Playing: disappointed ? indy media article Topic: CHAVEZ US AND WE, legitimate AUTHORITIES INDIGENOUS PEOPLE, WE GO TO THE PRESIDENT HUGO CHAVEZ, TO DEMAND TO APPLY THE 3R TO POLICIES THAT WILL ENSURE OUR TERRITORIAL RIGHTS (translated by using Babylon.com) We have found indigenous brothers and sisters not in a forum, or a conference, but in a conversation that we have achieved with our own resources, on its own initiative of the warlords and cacicas indigenous people who we are here, that we auto-invite to take liberty to discuss our issues, without pressure. We are not here with bows and arrows, come looking for a communication of truth. Not we will continue silent the actions of officials and staff members who sabotaged the revolutionary process, delaying the demarcation and other claims of the indigenous peoples and communities. Us and we are wise and wise. Us and we are the roots of Venezuela, we are the peoples. We Want a Venezuela to build, you know what the indigenous knows. Live Decently happy with you. We want to help strengthen indigenous peoples and their relationship with the State. We do not want conflicts, we want to be happy, we want peace, we want to keep the harmony with nature (air, water, land) for the benefit of all. The indigenous people know care of nature. We want our land, we want to maintain our culture, a life, a healthy environment. We Want respect for the indigenous world. They always say that indigenous people did not know how to work, and who cares the flora and the environment us. The environment us and we, that is our lung, hence collect our food and medicine. Contribute to the reproduce of fish, the environment, there is the culture in our communities. We live by hunting and gathering, therefore require large areas of land, that's why we want our titles. We are in the struggle for the demarcation because they are still has not been solved nothing. We continue with this dream and we are not yet sleeping peacefully; have created many commissions and us and we thought we delivered reports to our brother Chavez and it is not true. We delivered some titles with which we try to trick. We sleeping evil yet with this cheating because there remains the danger of the landowners-farmers-landowners-miners-loggers, recognized as third . They do we can kill but pay people to which we matte and so our sons and daughters nor may sleep peacefully. Us and we are gold, iron, silver, flora and fauna, is not that we are there, is that we exist. We are the guardians of the territories because born there, grew there and there, we buried there; whites that go down there the buried elsewhere. For the capitalists money cure all, for us is the land that cure everything, hunger and disease of our peoples, and that is the dream of our grandfathers and grandmothers. Us and we have the leading role in the defense of the national security by the indigenous presence in all borders and we have always defended our territories. It seems that there are people playing to the failure of our revolutionary government, before they were not the Constitution and these laws. What are we going to make indigenous peoples if you are the same officers who do not respect the laws of the revolution, our struggles?. Farmers are buying the consciences of the commissions of demarcation but not for us may buy. The regional commissions even we have heard, have been sold, the purchased at all. Already paid for that are not in favor of us. We do not want to the Ministry of Environment, which gives concessions to the mining industry and timber. The white yes them quickly letters agricultural or titles but for us and we only there are delays and we deliver the collective titles of land, only to some communities and riddled with errors and unconstitutionality. We want the demarcation and the title collective. Our social organization, the constitution what it does is recognize from our historic struggle, all laws and legal definitions are shaped to institutions will assure us that we have historically demanded, because belongs to us. The Constitution and the Organic Law of Indigenous Peoples and Communities protect us but in the institutions by the flouted. We want our rights as the Constitution and the Organic Law of Indigenous Peoples and Communities. Us and we we are reading but some officials do not seem to the knew. It seems that did not want guarantee these rights. The President is the just said Sunday in the Aló President: Even when i speak with stones! . We want to be given classes to officials and staff members to They run blood from the veins have to feel this is homeland-land and without the indigenous people there are no homeland true. We need the meeting with Chavez because it cannot be that the and indigenous people we have with a bottle of gallo (and excuse the expression) we lack respect for front and blatantly. It is not respected the right that we have to prior consultation informed to indigenous peoples. We have years living these problems in our communities and Chavez confident that we are solving our problems, but it is not true. Should be guaranteed full rights of collective ownership of indigenous peoples, obedeciéndose the mandate of social inclusion and historical justice driven by the President Chavez. Indigenous Peoples, disappointed by both non-compliance, we want to say:
1. Calling for a meeting with the brother Chavez, with us and we the authorities originating indigenous (not officials or representatives elected) to submit a balance of the demarcation process and articulate new actions before the end of the year 2009.
Posted by Joe Anybody
at 7:17 PM
Updated: Sunday, 27 December 2009 7:23 PM
Saturday, 26 December 2009
ESTABLISH INGTHE "FIFTH (V) SOCIALIST INTERNATIONAL "
Mood: a-ok Now Playing: RESOLUTION OF THE 25 ORDINARY FMLN NATIONAL CONVENTION Topic: Socialism El Salvador: FMLN welcomes Hugo Chavez's call for a Fifth InternationalTranslated by Lara Pullin of the Australia-Venezuela Solidarity Network RESOLUTION OF THE XXV ORDINARY FMLN NATIONAL CONVENTION ON THE INITIATIVE TO ESTABLISH THE `FIFTH (V) SOCIALIST INTERNATIONAL' This FMLN National Convention, CONSIDERING: (Sunday, December 13, 2009) 1. That the Farabundo Marti National Liberation Front (FMLN) is a political organisation that has the responsibility, recognised by popular majority and as a consequence of our long history of struggle, of constructing in El Salvador a society based on social justice; which is economically productive, environmentally sustainable and wherein all exercise and respect fundamental freedoms and inherent rights of the human being, as recognised in the Constitution of the Republic. 2. That the progressive and left-wing political and social movements, which are leading the struggles for democracy and social progress, are experiencing a period of growth and gain in various parts of the world, and particularly in Latin America and the Caribbean; proposing and winning solutions to the major problems confronting the world today. 3. That it is evident that neoliberalism, that extreme form of uncontrolled capitalism, has not and will not be able to resolve the great challenges faced by modern civilisation, currently immersed in a deep economic and financial crisis that has deepened the conditions of poverty and misery for millions of human beings. To this is added, among other calamities that afflict humanity, the evident and destructive effects of climate change, the growth of diseases and illness, the energy crisis, the food crisis, the rise in transnational delinquency, and the threats to peace and democracy in various regions of the planet. 4. That in this context it is of paramount importance that all of the social movements and political organisations that characterise themselves as progressive, left and socialist, wherever they are around the world, intensify our theoretical discussion and the formulation of alternative development projects -– in order that we meet the aspirations of prosperity, freedom and self-determination of the people, and that this in turn stimulates solidarity and fraternal cooperation between us all. 5. That it is the right of any national political force, whatever its ideology, to promote links of friendship and the exchange of experiences with likeminded political organisations around the world, without undermining their independence and identity, and respecting the realities of their socio-political process. THEREFORE, RESOLVES: 1. To intensify our efforts in the international arenas to strengthen the opportunities for reflection, debate and the development of creative proposals and alternatives for economic development, social emancipation and sovereignty of peoples; including within the Sao Paulo Forum and the Permanent Conference of Political Parties of Latin America and the Caribbean. 2. To acknowledge and welcome the initiative of the United Socialist Party of Venezuela to promote a new space that has become known as "V [Fifth] Socialist International”: to promote discussion, theoretical, political and ideological reflection, and solidarity between political forces around the world who promote the path of socialism as the way to guarantee our peoples' human development, economic prosperity, democracy and national independence, while preserving peace and the environmental sustainability of the planet. 3. Reiterate our solidarity, and that of the vast majority of the Salvadoran people, with the people of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela and other South American nations who have undertaken structural changes; and who now face a new and serious threat to self-determination and sovereignty from the installation of foreign military bases near their borders. LA INICIATIVA DE CREACIÓN DE LA “V INTERNACIONAL SOCIALISTA”RESOLUCIÓN DE LA XXV CONVENCIÓN NACIONAL ORDINARIA DEL FMLN SOBRE LA INICIATIVA DE CREACIÓN DE LA “V INTERNACIONAL SOCIALISTA” La CONVENCIÓN NACIONAL del FMLN, CONSIDERANDO: 1. Que el Frente Farabundo Martí para la Liberación Nacional es una organización política que tiene la responsabilidad, reconocida por las mayorías populares y consecuencia de toda una historia de lucha, de construir en El Salvador una sociedad con justicia social, económicamente productiva , ambientalmente sostenible y donde se ejerzan y respeten las libertades fundamentales y los derechos inherentes a la persona humana, reconocidos en nuestra Constitución de la República. 2. Que los movimientos políticos y sociales de naturaleza progresista y de izquierda, que abanderan las luchas por la democracia y el progreso social, viven un período de auge y avance en diversas partes del mundo, y particularmente en América Latina y el Caribe, proponiendo y materializando soluciones a los grandes problemas que aquejan a las sociedades. 3. Que es evidente que el neoliberalismo, versión extrema de un capitalismo salvaje, no logró ni podrá resolver los grandes desafíos de la civilización contemporánea, la cual vive inmersa hoy en día en una grave crisis económica y financiera, que ha profundizado las condiciones de pobreza y miseria de millones de seres humanos. A ello se agregan, entre otras calamidades que azotan a la Humanidad, las ya evidentes y destructivas manifestaciones del cambio climático, la proliferación de enfermedades, la crisis energética y alimenticia, el auge de la delincuencia transnacional y las amenazas a la paz y a la democracia en diversas regiones del planeta. 4. Que en este contexto, es de primordial importancia que los movimientos y organizaciones políticas y sociales de carácter progresista, de izquierda y socialistas en todo el mundo intensifiquen el debate teórico y la formulación de proyectos de desarrollo alternativos, que puedan ir al encuentro de las aspiraciones de prosperidad, libertad y autodeterminación de los pueblos, y que a la vez estimulen la solidaridad y la cooperación fraterna entre los mismos. 5. Que es un derecho de cualquier fuerza política nacional, cualquiera que sea su signo ideológico, fomentar vínculos de amistad e intercambio de experiencias con organizaciones políticas con las que guarden afinidad en el resto del mundo, sin menoscabo de su independencia e identidad propia y respetando las realidades de cada proceso político-social. POR TANTO, RESUELVE: 1. Intensificar sus esfuerzos en el terreno internacional para que se fortalezcan los espacios de reflexión, debate y construcción de propuestas creativas y alternativas para el desarrollo económico, la emancipación social y la soberanía de los pueblos, como lo son hoy en día el Foro de Sao Paulo y la Conferencia Permanente de Partidos Políticos de América Latina y el Caribe. 2. Saludar y dar la bienvenida a la iniciativa del Partido Socialista Unificado de Venezuela de propiciar un nuevo espacio, que se ha conocido como “V Internacional Socialista”, para promover el debate, la reflexión teórica, política e ideológica, y solidaridad entre las fuerzas políticas que en el mundo planteamos la vía del socialismo para garantizar a los pueblos desarrollo humano, prosperidad económica, democracia e independencia nacional, preservando la paz y la sostenibilidad ambiental del Planeta. 3. Ratificar su solidaridad y la de las grandes mayorías del pueblo salvadoreño con el pueblo de la República Bolivariana de Venezuela y demás pueblos de Suramérica que han emprendido transformaciones estructurales y que enfrentan ahora una nueva y severa amenaza a su autodeterminación y soberanía, producto de la instalación de bases militares extranjeras en las proximidades de sus fronteras nacionales. CONVENCIÓN NACIONAL. San Salvador, 13 de Diciembre de 2009.
Posted by Joe Anybody
at 8:21 AM
Monday, 21 December 2009
USA Drones fly into Venezuela airspace 2009
Mood: irritated Now Playing: President Chávez regarding the US military drones discovered violating Venezuelan territory just days ago Topic: Anti War Check out this article from Eva Gollinger at Sunday, December 20, 2009US Military Agression against Venezuela escalatingCaracas, 20 December 2009– Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez revealed today on his Sunday television and radio program, Aló Presidente, that unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), also known as drones, have illegally entered Venezuela’s airspace during the past several days. “A few days ago, one of these military planes penetrated Venezuela as far as Fort Mara,” a Venezuelan military fort in the State of Zulia, bordering Colombia. The drone was seen by several Venezuelan soldiers who immediately reported the aerial violation to their superiors. President Chávez gave the order today to shoot down any drones detected in Venezuelan territory. Chávez also directly implicated Washington in this latest threat against regional stability by confirming that the drones were of US origen. On Thursday, President Chávez denounced military threats against Venezuela originating from the Dutch islands Aruba and Curazao, situated less than 50 miles off Venezuela’s northwest coast. Both small islands host US air force bases as a result of a 1999 contract between Washington and Holland establishing US Forward Operating Locations (FOLs) in the Caribbean colonies. Originally, the contract stipulated US military presence in Aruba and Curazao soley for counternarcotics missions. However, since September 2001, Washington uses all its military installations to combat perceived terrorist threats around the world. The military bases in Aruba and Curazao have been used for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaisance missions against Venezuela during the past several years. In 2006, Washington began conducting a series of high level military exercises using Curazao as the principal zone of operations. Hundreds of US aircraft carriers, warships, combat planes, Black Hawk helicopters, nuclear submarines and thousands of US military troops have been engaging in different military exercises and missions in the Caribbean region during the past three and a half years, causing substantial alarm and concern to nations in the region, particularly Venezuela, which has also been subject to hostile and agressive diplomatic actions from Washington. In 2008, the Pentagon reactivated the Navy’s Fourth Fleet, charged with defending US interests in the Latin American region. The Fourth Fleet was deactivated in 1950, after accomplishing its original defense mission during World War II. The fleet’s reactivation nearly 60 years later was perceived by a majority of nations in Latin America as a direct threat to regional sovereignty and provoked South American countries to establish a Defense Council to deal with external threats. The Pentagon responded by proudly admitting the Fourth Fleet’s reactivation was a “showing of US force and power in the region” and a demonstration that the US “will defend its regional allies”. This was perceived as direct support to Colombia, and an attempt to intimidate Venezuela. On October 30, Colombia and the US signed a military cooperation agreement authorizing US occupation of seven military bases in Colombian territory and all other installations as required. The agreement is seen as the largest US military expansion in Latin American history. Although the two governments publicly justified the agreement as an increased effort to fight drug trafficking and terrorism, official US Air Force documents revealed that the US would conduct “full spectrum military operations” throughout South America from the Colombian bases. The Air Force documents also justified the disproportional military expansion as necessary to combat “the constant threat…from anti-US governments in the region”. The documents further revealed that the US presence in Colombia will increase the success of “Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaisance” operations and will improve the Pentagon’s capacity to conduct “expeditionary warfare” in Latin America. Since 2006, Washington has classified Venezuela as a nation “not fully collaborating with the war against terror”. In 2005, Venezuela was labeled by the State Department as a nation “not cooperating with counter-narcotics operations”. Despite no substantive evidence to prove such dangerous accusations, the US has utilized these classifications to justify an increase in agression towards the Venezuelan government. In 2008, the Bush Administration attempted to place Venezuela on the list of State Sponsors of terrorism. The initiative was unsuccessful primarily because Venezuela is still a principal supplier of oil to the US. Should Washington consider Venezuela a terrorist state, all relations would be cut off, including oil supply. Nevertheless, Washington still views Venezuela as a major threat to US interests in the region. The US is particularly concerned about Latin American nations engaging in commercial relations with countries such as China, Russia and Iran, perceived as economic threats to US control and domination in the region. Last week, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton issued a warning to countries in Latin America that have recently forged relations with Iran, such as Bolivia, Brazil, Nicaragua and Venezuela. “…I think that if people want to flirt with Iran, they should take a look at what the consequences might well be for them, and we hope that they will think twice…”, Clinton stated during remarks made regarding the State Department’s Latin American policy. The Colombian government announced yesterday that a new military base will be built right near the border with Venezuela, with funding and equipment from the United States. Colombia’s Defense Minister Gabriel Silva also announced the activation of two air battalions at other border areas near Venezuela. The new military base, located in the Guajira peninsula, which borders the Venezuelan State of Zulia, would have up to 1,000 troops and would also allow the presence of US armed forces and private military contractors. This announcement clearly ups the anty against Venezuela. Today’s statements made by President Chávez regarding the US military drones discovered violating Venezuelan territory just days ago further escalate the growing tensions between Venezuela and Colombia. The MQ-1 Predator UAV, a type of combat drone, has been used over the past year in Afghanistan and Pakistan to assassinate suspect terrorists. The drones are equipped with Hellfire missiles and are capable of hitting ground targets in sensitive areas. Venezuela is on high alert in the face of this dangerous threat. Chávez made the statements regarding the drone detection during the launching of the new National Police Force, a recently created communal police force directed at preventive security operations and community-based service.
Posted by Joe Anybody
at 7:33 PM
Military Coup in Honduras
Mood: caffeinated Now Playing: 10 way to tell which side the USA is on the Military Coup in Honduras Topic: USA IMPERIALISM Top Ten Ways You Can Tell Which Side The United States Government is On With Regard to the Military Coup in Honduras
December 17, 2009 By Mark Weisbrot
Posted by Joe Anybody
at 7:29 PM
Updated: Monday, 21 December 2009 7:33 PM
Eva Gollinger speaks about US Military in Colombia 2009
Mood: not sure Now Playing: Venezuela - Colombia and the US Military Topic: CHAVEZ
Posted by Joe Anybody
at 7:10 PM
Updated: Monday, 21 December 2009 7:14 PM
Saturday, 19 December 2009
Cahvez COP15
Mood: amorous Now Playing: Chzvez speaks about police repression Topic: CHAVEZ
Posted by Joe Anybody
at 9:38 PM
Thursday, 17 December 2009
Obama - Honduras and Bush - Why does America behave like this?
Mood: irritated Now Playing: Obama's Latin American Policy Looks Like Bush's Topic: Honduras Solidarity Edgard Garrido / Reuters Obama's Latin American PolicyLooks Like Bush'sRead more: http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1945440,00.html#ixzz0a0q1pQsw After months of delay, Arturo Valenzuela was finally confirmed as Assistant Secretary of State for Western Hemisphere Affairs last month. But for a job with such a long title, he may find it's short on clout these days. Ostensibly, Valenzuela is President Obama's new point man on Latin America; in reality, that job looks to be under the control of Republicans in Congress and conservatives inside Obama's own diplomatic corps. In fact, when it comes to U.S. policy in Latin America — as events this week in Honduras suggest — it's often hard to tell if George W. Bush isn't still President. Granted, Latin America is on Obama's back burner as he tackles Afghanistan. But next year he plans to tackle immigration reform — an issue, like drug trafficking and free trade, that's heavily related to how well the U.S. helps Latin America build more equitble democratic institutions (the region has the world's worst gap between rich and poor). Yet as he ends his first year in office, Obama seems to have ceded Latin America strategy to right-wing Cold Warriors whose thinking — including the idea that coups are still an acceptable means of regime change — is no more equipped to help bring the region into the 21st century than the ideology of left-wing Marxists is. That's been most apparent in Honduras, where the country's congress this week refused to reinstate democratically elected President Manuel Zelaya, a leftist who was ousted in a June 28 military coup. The Obama Administration condemned Zelaya's overthrow as an affront to Latin America's fledgling democracies. But conservatives led by GOP South Carolina Sen. Jim DeMint — who blocked Valenzuela's confirmation to protest Obama's stance — and Bush Administration holdovers such as the U.S.'s ambassador to the Organization of American States, Lewis Amselem (who was finally replaced this week), pushed Obama into brokering a deal in which the U.S. effectively condoned yet another armed putsch in the region. In an about-face, Obama recognized last Sunday's presidential election in Honduras, even though almost every other government in the world didn't because they consider the current regime there illegitimate. (The incoming Honduran president will be Porfirio Lobo, a wealthy cattle rancher.) (See a story about Zelaya protesting the Honduran election.) U.S. officials had been optimistic that even if the Honduran Congress refused to restore Zelaya before last Sunday's election, it would at least vote after the election to let him finish the remaining two months of his term. It would be a good-faith sign that the country was returning to constitutional order. Instead the legislators, emboldened by the success of the coup, poked both Obama and constitutional order in the eye again this week. Coup-happy forces in other Latin American countries can only feel emboldened as well. (See pictures of post-coup violence in Honduras.) The Honduras debacle is just the latest example of Obama's actions failing his words in Latin America. He wowed the Summit of the Americas in Trinidad last spring with soaring pledges to drop Washington's heavy-handed double standards in the region. He won kudos for acknowledging that the drug war is as much about U.S. consumption as it is about Latin corruption. But the cheers have since turned to chagrin on numerous fronts. Obama is loath to offend supporters of the U.S. trade embargo against Cuba; yet even Latin leaders who scorn the Castros shake their heads at Obama's insistence on retaining that utterly failed and globally rebuked policy — a position he holds despite polls that show a majority of Cuban-Americans now favor letting U.S. citizens travel to the communist island, and which suggest they're also weary of the 47-year-old embargo. In South America, meanwhile, Obama has turned what should have been a routine transfer of U.S. anti-drug operations into a diplomatic row. By not consulting the continent's leaders about U.S. plans to use Colombian military bases not just for drug interdiction but also counter-insurgency work, which could theoretically spill over Colombia's borders, he needlessly revived deep-seated fears of yanqui military interventionism south of the border and raised the hackles of U.S. allies like Brazil and Chile. It was the kind of dismissive display that Bush was best known for in Latin America — and a gift to the anti-U.S. Latin left, whose leader, Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez, is galvanizing his political base at home in a difficult economy by hollering about an imminent U.S. invasion. One of the U.S.'s more tiresome habits in Latin America is over-emphasizing elections as a political panacea. A transparent vote is of course a good thing — but for too long the U.S. has given Latin countries the impression that it's the only thing, muffling the harder message that real democracy is what happens after elections. Critics may call Chávez an authoritarian Castro wannabe. Yet he's remained in power for 10 years, and may well last another 10, in part because he's exploited Washington's election obsession. He's been cleanly voted in three times and that's helped him retain a democratic legitimacy despite his hegemonic power inside Venezuela. Valenzuela insists that the recent Honduran election doesn't whitewash the coup; but Amselem recently told the OAS he thought it would. Now, by recognizing its results, after earlier warning that he wouldn't, Obama has essentially accepted Amselem's dubious principle. Valenzuela, one of the U.S.'s most esteemed experts on Latin America, was "disappointed" by the Honduran Congress' decision not to let Zelaya finish out his term. "The status quo," he said, "remains unacceptable." But it's a status quo Obama let the Cold Warriors keep intact — and it's now up to Valenzuela to wrest Latin America policy back from them. Read "In Central America, Coups Still Trump Change " See pictures of violence in Honduras.
http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1945440,00.html#ixzz0a0p7YjPD
Posted by Joe Anybody
at 5:47 PM
Updated: Thursday, 17 December 2009 5:49 PM
Monday, 7 December 2009
Chavez spurs bank fears
Mood: blue Now Playing: banks and capitilism in Venezuela an update on 12.4.09 Topic: CHAVEZ Chavez spurs bank fears Dec 04, 09 CARACAS December 4, 2009 (Wall Street Journal) Worries grew Thursday that Venezuela is on the verge of a banking crisis, causing a run on smaller lenders, sinking the country's currency and bond prices, and stoking fears that president Hugo Chávez could nationalize the banking system. Venezuelans and investors are concerned about small banks' solvency following this week's seizure of four banks run by a billionaire close to the government of President Chávez. The populist leader may have fanned the fire when he assured Venezuelans twice this week that he stood ready to stem any crisis -- not with credit lines to troubled banks, but with a promise to take over more lenders if necessary. Mr. Chávez said Thursday his government was "putting out the fire" set by "greedy capitalism." Venezuela's bolivar currency fell about 9% against the dollar in black-market trading Thursday, to 6.1 per dollar. A week ago, it traded at 5.3 to the dollar. Venezuela has a fixed official exchange rate of 2.15 to the dollar. "There are virtual runs on some of the banks ... that are rumored to be in trouble," said Russ Dallen, a banking analyst at BBO Financial Services in Caracas. The top banks here, which include a handful of foreign-run banks such as Citigroup and Spain's Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria SA, are widely seen as solid. An official at Citibank de Venezuela, which has been in the country since 1917, said the bank hasn't seen a noticeable shift in deposits or withdrawals. Venezuela's troubles began Monday, when the government said it was closing down two small banks and temporarily taking charge of two others owned by Ricardo Fernández, a billionaire with lucrative contracts from the Chávez government. Mr. Fernández, now jailed on various charges, has maintained his innocence through his lawyer. Many here wonder how many other smaller banks may have taken advantage of their owners' government ties to make money on questionable deals, as Mr. Fernández allegedly did. "There is a set of banks that are very similar to the ones that have been intervened," said Boris Segura, senior economist for Latin America at Royal Bank of Scotland. "People are reacting with their feet and asking questions later." As Venezuelans sought refuge in U.S. dollars, local brokerages were forced to meet demand by selling some of their dollar-denominated sovereign debt. The country's benchmark 2027 bond was down 2 9/16 to a bid of 67, yielding 14.448%. Having a bond pay 67 cents on the dollar suggests many investors doubt Venezuela's ability or willingness to repay it in full. Moreover, there are few buyers, says Mark Dow, an emerging-market portfolio manager at Pharo Management in New York. Some investors are staying clear as they close their books before year's end. Others are selling Venezuelan debt to avoid further losses in the wake of the Dubai financial crisis. "It's going to blow," Mr. Dow said of Mr. Chávez's economy. "It's just a matter of time." Much as in the U.S. last year, banks have largely stopped lending each other money as they try to figure out which banks are healthy. Overnight interbank lending rates have shot up past 30%, according to BBO's Mr. Dallen. On Thursday afternoon, some 20 people lined up outside a branch Banco Federal CA. "I just want to have my money in my hands," said Carmen Hernandez, a 33-year-old secretary. "I came here last night but there were too many people waiting." Banco Federal's president went on television to reassure investors the bank was operating normally. The bank said some people who were pulling their money had confused the bank's name with Banco Confederado SA, one of the banks seized this week. —Riva Froymovich and David Luhnow contributed to this article.
Posted by Joe Anybody
at 9:20 PM
Wednesday, 2 December 2009
VIDEO: Honduras PCASC Press Release is greeted by Homeland Security
Mood: energetic Now Playing: Fraudulent Elections in Honduras - PCASC Speaks Out on 11.30.09 Topic: Honduras Solidarity VIDEO: Honduras PCASC Press Release is greeted by Homeland Security About a dozen people on Monday 11.30.09 gathered in front of the Federal Building in Portland Oregon to publicly make a statement against the illegal elections in Honduras. PCASC (Portland Central America Solidarity Committee) and others stood outside and delivered two speeches asking for solidarity and respect for human rights in a press release. Demanding justice and to reinstate President Zelaya and denounce the fraudulent elections in Honduras. The small group of activists, and reporters who included but were not limited to KBOO, JWJ, Indy Media, Individuals For Justice, SEIU, PCASC, myself and other citizens all were greeted by a “2 man team from Homeland Security.” Although they were very nice and polite it seems to set a tone for today’s civil rights, free speech, police state, oppression and intimidation, and control. The two DHS guys were tipped off by the security in the building as you can barely see the building security greet the DHS guys at the curb when they pull up he and point us out. He had already greeted the group when they were meeting in front of the building. (before I arrived) informing them then that they were on “Federal Property” The Press Conference continued and is viewable on this 9 min Archive.org video clip as well as A Teach in Video about Honduras which is also on Archive.org: 2 new videos
------------------------- USA Portland Oregon http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PRd4WUUAhME
---------------------------- (2)
11.19.09 Honduras: Panel Discussion & Teach In Video The recent issues, some history, and some updates all on the coup and elections in Honduras filmed in Portland Oregon, presented by PCASC 40 minutes presentation and a 80 min Q. & A. link to www.archive.org
Posted by Joe Anybody
at 6:06 PM
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