The new smear against Chávez by Chris Carlson

Chris Carlson, a contributor to venezuelanalysis.com, looks at the allegations that there is a connection between Venezuela and the FARC, and finds them lacking.

The reported death of Manuel Marulanda, leader of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), once again highlights the U.S.-backed dirty war in that country. The Colombian military’s report that it killed the rebel leader comes amid claims that the FARC is receiving support from the Venezuelan government, led by President Hugo Chávez.

WASHINGTON AND its faithful lackeys in the media have launched a new offensive against Hugo Chávez and the government of Venezuela. The recent “discovery” of a laptop computer that allegedly belonged to the FARC guerrilla group has ignited another media-generated scandal, creating a whole new round of accusations against the Chávez government, but without any evidence to support them.

Those who have followed events in Venezuela in recent years shouldn’t be surprised by this. Every few months, a new controversy is ignited by the media regarding Venezuela’s socialist president, Hugo Chávez; each time with plenty of distortions, baseless accusations and outright falsehoods.

Late last year, the media “show” centered on a proposed reform to the Venezuelan constitution. The mainstream media repeated endlessly that the constitutional reform would make Chávez “president for life” and would “turn Venezuela into a dictatorship.”

http://dandelionsalad.wordpress.com/2008/05/29/the-new-smear-against-chavez-by-chris-carlson/

He scares me. Am I nuts?

Most of the criticism of him is pro-capitalist media hype. I think some of the concerns about his power grabs are legitimate, but a lot of it stems from fear of any regime that does not toe Washington's line.

He has done many good things for the poor in Venezuela, and appears to have accepted the fact that his latest power-grab was voted down in a referendum. In my mind that makes him a lot less dangerous.

Who came back from a real third-world style coup without the traditional hushed up body count or a list of "disappeared". He has the support of his people.

He is a better man than our own president for that, and rightly admired. Perhaps rightly feared as well, by those on the wrong side of history. I don't know much, really, but Venezuela is entitled to elect their president and that should be good enough for the US as another democracy. I'd say enough with the fear, the rattling sabers and secret plots...

It only extended the number of times a pres could run. The people could oust any pres by voting against him. So it is US-led media hype that dogs Chavez.

the National Assembly until they had 69 separate items covering a wide, WIDE area.

During the run-up to the referendum, the _Bush administration poured tons of U.S. taxpayers' hard earned dollars into the coffers of opposition groups to finance their fight AGAINST the referendum, which they did through all the media, as well as fantastic rumors claiming bizarre predictions like Chavez was going to get control of everyone's kids, and then the bitter fight put up, as mentioned at D.U. by Peace Patriot, by the Catholic Church on women's and gay rights, which were also on the agenda.

The opposition already used that option of recall last term on Chavez, after their US-supported coup failed, and they went down in flames, when Hugo Chavez won by a large margin, after they arranged petitions, then put forward the national recall. This can happen in every single Presidential term.

One thing to remember, too, is that Colombia's President, _Bush-puppet Álvaro Uribe got his national assembly to allow him to run for an unprecidented 2nd term (and, as a congresswoman indicates, bribed the assembly to arrange it for him, with favors), and as soon as he got his 2nd term bagged, started working on getting a third term. NOT ONE WORD was ever printed in mainstream corporate media concerning the fact this little fascist _Bush pal is headed exactly toward ending his term limits, and he's NOT LEAVING IT UP TO THE VOTERS. He does it through his Congress, instead, many of whom we have learned are completely corrupt, and tied to the narcotraffickers.

Some are in jail already, some awaiting trial, and probably more to be discovered, yet.

He said "In Venezuela, Hugo Chavez is a democratically elected leader. But we also know that he does not govern democratically. He talks of the people, but his actions just serve his own power. Yet the Bush Administration's blustery condemnations and clumsy attempts to undermine Chavez have only strengthened his hand."
http://blogs.suntimes.com/sweet/2008/05/obama_latin_america_speech_in.html
(1/3 the way down in his speech)