In Defense of Venezuela

[Judi Lynn]

In Defense of Venezuela
Posted: 02/20/2014 1:53 pm EST Updated: 02/20/2014 1:59 pm EST
Dan Kovalik

The U.S. media, echoing the sentiments of the U.S. government, is openly encouraging violent regime change in Venezuela. An emblematic story from yesterday was aired in what is considered a "liberal" media source, National Public Radio (NPR). In short, this piece featured claims of Venezuela at the precipice of "economic collapse," and spoke in glowing terms of the opposition's hopes for a "coup" to overthrow President Maduro. This type of reporting is not only irresponsible, but it is deeply misinformed.

While the U.S. government and media have been portraying Venezuela as a basket case ever since Hugo Chavez took office in 1999, this is far from the truth. Indeed, if we look at the UN's Human Development Index, which measures several key indicators of the health of a country's citizenry (e.g., life expectancy, income, education, equality), we see that Venezuela has actually experienced a steady growth in such human development indicators since Chavez took office with a total Human Rights Index score of .662 in 2000, and rising to .748 in 2012. See, Table 2 at p. 149 of the UN Report. Significantly, Venezuela had a huge relative increase in this index during that time, jumping nine (9) rankings in the HDI chart from 80 to number 71 in the world.

If we compare this to Venezuela's neighbor, and chief U.S. ally in this hemisphere, Colombia, that country has been stuck at position 91 in the world during that time same time period. Moreover, in terms of human rights, there is no comparison between these two countries with Colombia, one the largest recipients of U.S. military support in the world, having the dubious distinction of leading the world in forced disappearances at 50,000
and internally displaced peoples at over 5 million.

Moreover, it is the very poor and those of darker skin tone who have benefited most from the improvements since the election of Hugo Chavez, and it is they - by the way, the vast majority of the Venezuelan population -- who support Chavez and his successor the most. Of course, the U.S. government and its compliant media openly side with the white, wealthy elite - such as Kenyon and Harvard trained right wing leader Leopoldo Lopez -- against Venezuela's poor in their current cheer leading for the opposition. Again, the NPR story is notable in this regard.

More:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dan-kovalik/in-defense-of-venezuela_b_4824494.html

[pa28]

1. The media seems to believe a coup against a democratic government is "freedom".

No, that's fascism.

[mecherosegarden]

2. I don't know if you would be able to understand what she said

But as you mentioned that" ... the U.S. government and its compliant media openly side with the white, wealthy elite - such as Kenyon and Harvard trained right wing leader Leopoldo Lopez -- against Venezuela's poor in their current cheer leading for the opposition. " I wanted to offer you another point of view.

Is this one of those white people you are referring too? Obviously she has heard that before because she is saying that she is not elite, she said where is she from . She explains what is it that Venezuelan wants: Freedom, opportunities to find a job after they graduate , safety, food in the supermarkets, better hospitals, etc.etc.
Today , after Maduro ordered to attack Tachira , there have been a lots of pictures of Cuban airplanes landing in La Carlota and Maiquetia bringing Cuban soldiers. As I write this, CNN ( en Espanol) is also out by Maduro's orders. As I write this, the students, the people in Tachira is under military attack. But you guys won't know that right? How many people have to die?

People should get better information . They ( GN and Collectivos) are invading houses, they are killing students, . They are using expired tear gas . They are shooting students on the head. They are arresting students. They are invading houses. They are vandalizing cars. The pictures that I received by tweeter are just heartbreaking. I am not white, and not wealthy elite . It breaks my heart to see how my people is getting killed, how my country has been invaded by Cuba. Many are asking for help but of course, it is better to turn out heads the other way right?

[link:

&feature=youtu.be&desktop_uri=%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DuVEargtnl5w%26feature%3Dyoutu.be&app=desktop|

[Scuba]

3. But they nationalized the oil industry, and that's sooooo un-American.