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The
current foreign policy belligerence toward Venezuela, expressed in
President Obama's UNIVISION interview on January 12, 2009 is a
continuation of George W. Bush's policy of disrespect and provication. If we are to have a foreign policy
change, it will be up to us, the every-day citizens who are tired of
aggression as usual, who went to the polls in November, and voted for
change, to ensure that our vot was not spent
in vain.
In a 13
minutes interview with Spanish language TV UNIVISION simultaneously
translated and aired in Venezuela in two parts during the week before
the inauguration, Obama is translated to have said Chavez has
"been a force that has interrupted progress in the region." In
the same interview he is also is quoted saying, "We need to be
firm when we see this news, that Venezuela is exporting terrorist
activities or supporting malicious entities like the FARC."
The Venezuelan Solidarity Network asks that you call the White House at
202-456-1111 or e-mail them at president@whitehouse.gov
and ask that
this continuation of Bush foreign policy lies about Venezuela stop
immediately.
The government of democratically elected Venezuelan President Hugo
Chavez must be credited with stabilizing the region if anything.
Through his support, South and Central America and the Caribbean have
been strengthened against the recent economic downturn in the world
market. Petro Caribe
insured the continued flow of oil to the Caribbean and Central America
during the recent oil price spike in the US. And thanks to health and
educational assistance to the region, social services have been
somewhat sheltered from the economic crisis.
Obama uses the old FARC reference that originated from the Colombian
government through the now internationally discredited "magic FARC
computers" that survived a "Plan Colombia" bombing
of a FARC camp set up to negotiate prisoner releases in the sovereign
country of Ecuador and were subsequently tampered with by the Colombian
government's police. These computers, of course, list every political
enemy of Colombia's death squad, narco-President
Alvaro Uribe as having a relationship with
the FARC. This "evidence" has been used inside Colombia
to harass, arrest and justify killing of trade union activists. Outside
it has been used to accuse Venezuela of support for the FARC.
Daniel Erikson of the Inter-American Dialogue
quoted Chavez as saying of Obama, "We don't ask him to be a
revolutionary, nor a socialist, but that he rises to the moment in the
world," adding, "We hope the next government will end that
savage embargo and aggression against Cuba." Last week, President
Chavez responded to Obama's comment noting that "It was not me who
threw the first stone"
Now the news media of the US is demonizing President Chavez again for
saying that Obama has "the same stench" as President Bush,
whose administration financed and supported a coup in 2002 in
Venezuela.
As supporters of the Bolivarian Process taking place in Venezuela, now
is the time to act. Please call the White House comment line with
this simple message: "Normalize relations with Venezuela and stop
the false verbal attacks on President Chavez." The White
House comment line is 202-456-1111 and the e-mail is president@whitehouse.gov.
There's a lot we need to do in the coming year and we can
only do it with your continued generous support. Please make a
tax-deductible donation today, or mail a check to:
Venezuela Solidarity Network
1247 E St., SE
Washington, DC 20003
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