Letter Never Sent Tell me when to go.

The US-supported coup against Hugo Chavez backfired and now the US looks like a deceitful liar. Bush himself repeated the lies that Chavez had resigned. The statements around the world repeating that Chavez had resigned, despite any evidence, were craven attempts to pass on the necessary legitimacy to the corporate junta which had hoped to rule. It is disgusting that the US took such measures to support a coup against a democratically elected official and played a part offering succor and vocal support to the coup.

In an article today the Bush administration chided from atop their moral high ground that Chavez should respect democracy and constitutional process. HUH? They are the ones who supported oil executive, Pedro Carmona as the new dictator of Venezuela. The first thing Carmona did was dissolve the government and the constitution. Even if Chavez had really resigned his vice-president should have taken over. The Bush administration is simply trying to save face in what is shaping up to be a huge embarrassment for them since they had made it abundantly clear that they had no problems with an extraconstitutional seizure of power.

In sharp contrast to several Latin American countries that denounced Friday’s irregular transition of power, the United States had said Chavez was responsible for his own ouster.

Bush also repeated the half-truths about the demonstrations, implying that the protests were simply a peaceful expression by Venezuelans opposed to Chavez’s policies: Chavez “suppressed what was a peaceful demonstration of the people. … It led very quickly to a combustible situation in which Chavez resigned.” The truth is the protests were arranged and controlled by the corporate interests which led the coup. The private media in Venezuela actively attempted to control and manipulate information. Eye-witnesses reported that the corporate media in Venezuela urged people to hit the streets to protest and also tried to give the impression that Chavez had resigned after having ordered soldiers to fire on civilians. There is no evidence of any of this. Even once people hit the streets again to protest Chavez’s ouster the media downplayed the numbers and aired almost no footage of it. This differs greatly from how they charged the previous protests.

You can expect some heads to roll despite the talk of reconciliation. If I played some part in the coup I would hit the road. Condoleezza Rice, clearly attempting to protect the Bush Amdimistration’s friends among the corporate junta, admonished Chavez that “This is no time for a witch hunt. This is a time for national reconciliation in Venezuela.”

Related links:

1. U.S. Advises Chavez to Respect Democracy What a laugh!
2. Popular Uprising Allows Chavez to Reclaim Venezuelan Presidency (Ny Times)
3. BBC: Chavez returns to power “The US, which had previously said Mr Chavez’s ousting was not a coup, responded to his return with stern words.” Yeah, but what do you expect from liars in the US government.
4. In pictures: Chavez defies opponents Great photos.
5. Acting Leader Of Venezuela Steps Down
   Term Ends After One Day As Pro-Chavez Protests Grow: “This was a fascist coup,” said Rafael Rojas Rincon, a 38-year-old doctor and one of more than 50,000 pro-Chavez protesters outside Miraflores. “This government is a farce, representing nobody.”

6. A Coup by Any Other Name Great article. “What else to call the fall on Friday of Venezuela’s president, Hugo Chávez? An armed transition of power? By any other name, though its European and Latin American allies deplored it, it was a consummation devoutly wished for by the White House.”
7. Forbes: Coup D’Etat In Venezuela Will Let Oil Flow Written before Chavez regained power.
8. NARCONEWS! Great coverage.

This entry was posted on Sunday, April 14th, 2002 at 6:16 pm and is filed under General. You can follow any comments to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.