Venezuela's Carreno Says Universities Fuel Protests

Source: Bloomberg

May 31 (Bloomberg) -- Venezuelan Interior and Justice Minister Pedro Carreno alleged that the country's universities are encouraging students to demonstrate against President Hugo Chavez's shutdown of the most-watched television station.

Deans of private universities ``are sending kids to protest,'' Carreno said. ``We won't permit violence. The state isn't there to repress but to guarantee peace.''

Nationwide demonstrations against the May 27 shutdown of Radio Caracas Television, most of which were led by university students, are the biggest public outcry since March 2004, when demonstrators demanded a recall vote on Chavez.

Supporters of Chavez accused opposition parties of organizing the protests in a bid to overthrow Chavez. Carreno said private universities, concerned about Chavez's plan to create 24 new state universities, are encouraging the protests.



Read more: http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601086&sid=aczpVb8U3rg4&refer=latin_america

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Let's think about this. The PRIVATE university students are protesting Chavez, who just happens to be building PUBLIC universities that the people can use for FREE! What a joke of a protest. FAKE FAKE FAKE!. Greedy little selfish WHORES. GO TO HELL!

So if the students at Harvard, Yale, Columbia, and Princeton protest against things here, say the Iraq war or the MSM, will you call them greedy little selfish whores and tell them to go to hell? What about students in Iran protesting against the mullahs? What difference does it make to these students that Chavez is building more public universities that people can go to for free? The student protesters don't want people to go to school unless they or their parents pay for it? That's why they're protesting?

spelling edit

"Student movements" led the bloodbath in Indonesia in 1965-1966; they took the lead in many right-wing movements over the years in across Europe, and so on. Vietnam seemed to be associated with the anomoly of the New Left on campus. But since then, things have reverted to the typical politics associated with class privilege.

I hope the public universities open higher education to social classes that have been ill-served by the elite private campuses.

totally irresponsible neglect of education for the poor. The illiteracy rate in Venezuela was 40% at the beginning of the Chavez era, and has now been reduced to almost zero by an intense government effort with adult literacy programs and providing schools and teachers in poor areas. The elite's neglect of health care for the poor has also been shocking. I've certainly gained the impression that the rich in Venezuela have little sense of true patriotism or the common good. This has become characteristic of our elite as well, which, since the Reagan Era of Greed--and, of course, greatly increased in the Bush Era of Naked Looting--has been bent on destroying all common good programs, such as our once free state universities, Social Security, environmental regulation and much else. But at least we have the memory of a socially responsible rich elite that once supported a strong middle class and upward mobility for the poor. I haven't seen any evidence of that in Venezuela's elite, who often seem like spoiled brats, used to being handed wealth and power--when they are not being thugs, assassins, and coup plotters. (I know, we should talk.)

To be fair, I also noticed in the recent presidential election (12/06) that the rightwing candidate felt obliged to distance himself from the latest rightwing plot to topple the elected government. (They were going to use their lying corporate news monopolies to claim that the election--which Chavez won with 63% of the vote*--was "fixed," foment riots--a la Florida '00--and then involve the rightwing faction in the military in suspending the Constitution, as they tried in '02.) I thought it was a sign that the rightwing had finally gotten the message about the rule of law, legitimate political action and the desperate need to remedy social and economic injustice. I do think that there is a legitimate "center" in Venezuela--comprised of business people, the upper middle class and some professionals--who could be contributing to improvement of the country by creating a lawful, honest, loyal opposition. There is much work to be done on Latin American sovereignty, self-determination and regional trade cooperation, and the creation of a successful mixed socialist/capitalist economy that benefits everyone. But this recent idiocy--opposing the clear right of the Venezuelan government to issue a broadcast license, and to deny one to a corporation that actively supported the '02 coup attempt--very unfortunately points to the desire of the rich elite to destroy democracy in Venezuela and restore fascist rule.

I hope that the better anti-Chavistas prevail in their own group--as we all hope, here, that the real Republicans will take back their party from the Bush fascists--but it doesn't look like they have. They are outnumbered by the vast poor population, and seem determined to prevent the poor from benefiting from Venezuela's oil wealth. But more than this, they continue to be aligned with Bush/Cheney and Undersecretary of State for Latin America, John "death squad" Negroponte, and with the far right paramilitary faction in Colombia (who have been slaughtering union organizers, leftists and peasants, and dumping them in mass graves, among other things).

It's interesting, though, that the Chavez government has taken the initiative--in denying a license to RCTV--and is no longer just reacting to, a) a violent military coup attempt, b) a ruinous oil professionals' strike aimed at bringing down the government, c) a USAID bought and paid for (and entirely absurd) recall election (that Chavez won handily), and d) continued rightwing and U.S./Bushite plotting to destroy the Bolivarian revolution and its great influence throughout Latin America. The Chavistas have taken the bull by the horns--they are going after the global corporate predators who want to return South America to fascist rule and military dictatorship, and they are fighting back in every forum, including the forum of world opinion, and on fundamental policy. Who rules in South America--the people, or the corporate predators? It is a tremendously exciting, and immensely important, fight.

Our corporate predator news media--which gets its "talking points" from Dick Cheney--is not only prepping for a U.S./fascist war on Venezuela, in its deadly anti-Chavez propaganda, they are also very worried that this peaceful, leftist (majorityist) revolution in South America might give us some ideas here.

For real information on Venezuela and the Bolivarian revolution, I recommend: www.venezuelanalysis.com. And if you haven't seen the Irish filmmakers' documentary, "The Revolution Will Not Be Televised," which chroncles just what RCTV did during the military coup attempt in '02, do treat yourself to some real journalism. It's available in DVD at AxisofLogic.com.

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*(Venezuelan elections are the most highly monitored on earth, and have been unanimously declared to be open and aboveboard by the Carter Center, the OAS and EU election monitoring groups. Indeed, Venezuela's election system puts our own to shame. They vote electronically, but it is an OPEN SOURCE CODE system--anyone may review the programming code by which the votes are counted--and they handcount a whopping 55% of the ballots as a check on machine fraud. Know how much WE handcount? If you don't, you need to find out, cuz that IS the problem. OUR votes are "counted" by machines run on "TRADE SECRET," PROPRIETARY programming code, owned and controlled by rightwing Bushite corporations. Yup, and our Democratic Party leadership supports this!)

For a jolt of reality, these are some photos of the Miami police as they handled the demonstrators protesting the FTAA meeting in 2003.

You may remember the got the police chief from New York who mopped the floor with protestors in the Republican National Convention to become Miami's police chief just in time to take control of the expected demonstrations. He had his police arresting people simply standing on the streets after dark a day or two IN ADVANCE of the demonstrations.

When the protestors arrived, they were ready for them, and laid waste. They even cut off busloads of retired union workers and their wives who were there to protest and hauled them all off to jail.

http://blogs.southflorida.com.nyud.net:8090/citylink_dansweeney/ftaa-miami.jpg http://www.saveourcivilliberties.org.nyud.net:8090/images/2004/01/120.jpg http://www.world-crisis.com.nyud.net:8090/images/uploads/miami_ftaa_4.jpg http://www.saveourcivilliberties.org.nyud.net:8090/images/2004/01/129.jpg http://rogueimc.org.nyud.net:8090/images/2006/10/7385.jpg http://www.saveourcivilliberties.org.nyud.net:8090/images/2004/01/127.jpg http://www.saveourcivilliberties.org.nyud.net:8090/images/2004/01/126.jpg http://www.benfrank.net.nyud.net:8090/nuke/ftaa112003/2ftaa/2444.jpg

~snip~
The case, Killmon, et al. v. City of Miami, et al., was brought to challenge the widespread assault on the civil rights and civil liberties of protestors during the demonstrations, including challenging the so-called "Miami model," a deliberate and coordinated effort by over 40 local, state and federal authorities to engaging in silence dissent and engage in widespread political profiling, and swept the streets of anyone viewed as being an anti-FTAA activist, effectively suspending the Fourth Amendment in the city for ten days using excessive force and unlawfully arresting hundreds of people engaging in lawful political protest.

"We are elated by the ruling," stated Carol Sobel, lead counsel for the Plaintiffs, "What went on at the FTAA protest was a blatant violation of constitutional rights."

"The Court has firmly rejected the 'just following orders' defense raised by these officers," said Andrea Costello, also lead counsel for the Plaintiffs. "This sends a clear message that there will be accountability for those officers who targeted people for false arrest based on their political beliefs and affiliations. "

The deputies, with the Broward Sherriff's Office, had claimed that their actions were not in violation of the law and that they should be immune from liability. They asserted that there was probable cause to arrest three protestors hours after, and miles away from the site of a mass permitted rally solely because of their association with those protests. The Plaintiffs, whose claims were at issue in the appeal, had been arrested after they were herded and ordered to walk down railroad tracks following mass sweeps of the streets after the largest rally by the AFL-CIO that was part of the week long demonstrations.
(snip)

http://rogueimc.org/en/2006/09/7333.shtml

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

~snip~
After last week, no one should call what Timoney runs in Miami a police force. It's a paramilitary group. Thousands of soldiers, dressed in khaki uniforms with full black body armor and gas masks, marching in unison through the streets, banging batons against their shields, chanting, "back… back… back." There were armored personnel carriers and helicopters.

The forces fired indiscriminately into crowds of unarmed protesters. Scores of people were hit with skin-piercing rubber bullets; thousands were gassed with an array of chemicals. On several occasions, police fired loud concussion grenades into the crowds. Police shocked people with electric tazers. Demonstrators were shot in the back as they retreated. One young guy's apparent crime was holding his fingers in a peace sign in front of the troops. They shot him multiple times, including once in the stomach at point blank range.

My colleagues and I spent several days in the streets, going from conflict to conflict. We saw no attempts by any protesters to attack a business or corporation. With the exception of some graffiti and an occasional garbage can set on fire, there was very little in the way of action not aimed directly at the site of the FTAA meetings. Even the Black Bloc kids, who generally have a rep for wanting to smash everything up, were incredibly restrained and focused.

There was no need for any demonstrator to hurl anything at the forces to spark police violence. It was clear from the jump that Timoney's men came prepared to crack heads. And they did that over and over. After receiving $8.5 million in federal funds from the $87 billion Iraq spending bill, Miami needed to have a major combat operation. It didn't matter if it was warranted.

Miami Mayor Manny Diaz called the police actions last week a model for homeland security. FTAA officials called it extraordinary. Several cities sent law enforcement observers to the protests to study what some are now referring to as the "Miami Model."

This model also included the embedding of undercover police with the protesters. At one point during a standoff with police, it appeared as though a group of protesters had gotten into a brawl amongst themselves. But as others moved in to break up the melee, two of the guys pulled out electric tazers and shocked protesters, before being liberated back behind police lines. These guys, clearly undercover agents, were dressed like any other protester. One had a sticker on his backpack that read: "FTAA No Way."
(snip)

http://www.zmag.org/content/showarticle.cfm?ItemID=4562

These demonstrators DID NOT HURL ROCKS, NOR DID THEY LAUNCH MISSILES FROM SLINGSHOTS AT THE COPS, and some of them got the bejesus beaten out of them in Miami in 2003. Apparently it's all cool with our right-wingers, who supported these actions 100%.

that nothing Chavez does would upset the tools that worship him on DU. Almost as bad as the 28% that think Dubya is doing a bang up job....

Taped conversations show the main opposition party leading these protests while they remain hidden from the public, they even have rightwing talking points the media repeats ad nasseum, this is not a spontaneous rejection but a carefully plotted plan at destabilization.

by the police. They look almost bored.

No surprise here, is there? Thanks for posting these photos. Interesting.

it so. I didn't see that he presented any evidence that the student protests were a RW private university conspiracy. Student protests are common in all societies. The young and educated, and still idealistic, students are to most likely to demonstrate anywhere, the US, Iran, Venezuela.

Any time a government minister states something which is politically convenient is a "fact", we should always take that with a grain of salt. All governments tend to spin information to make themselves look good.

are helping organize protests of the mighty Hugo! Who do they think they are? The sheer gall! The audacity! :sarcasm:

that universities are centers of protest. this type of detective work by his intelligence network would make the Israelis blush.

Flashback to Chicago 1968:

"The policeman isn't there to create disorder. The policeman is there to preserve disorder." :eyes:

Published on Friday, June 1, 2007 by CommonDreams.org

Venezuela and the Media: Fact and Fiction

by Robert W. McChesney & Mark Weisbrot

To read and view the U.S. news media over the past week, there is an episode of grand tyranny unfolding, one repugnant to all who cherish democratic freedoms. The Venezuelan government under “strongman” Hugo Chavez refused to renew the 20-year broadcast license for RCTV, because that medium had the temerity to be critical of his regime. It is a familiar story.

And in this case it is wrong.

Regrettably, the US media coverage of Venezuela’s RCTV controversy says more about the deficiencies of our own news media that it does about Venezuela. It demonstrates again, as with the invasion of Iraq, how our news media are far too willing to carry water for Washington than to ascertain and report the truth of the matter.

<snip>

If RCTV were broadcasting in the United States, its license would have been revoked years ago. In fact its owners would likely have been tried for criminal offenses, including treason.

RCTV’s broadcast frequency has been turned over to a new national public access channel that promises to provide programming from thousands of independent producers. It is an effort to let millions of Venezuelans who have never had a viable chance to participate in the media do so, without government censorship.

The Bush Administration opposes the Chavez government for reasons that have nothing to do with democracy, or else there would be a long list of governments for us to subvert or overthrow before it would get close to targeting Venezuela. Regrettably, our press coverage has done little to shed light on that subject.

http://www.commondreams.org/archive/2007/06/01/1607/