Spain says former government backed Venezuela coup -dupe!

[pescao]

http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/L23288036.htm

Spain says former government backed Venezuela coup
23 Nov 2004 12:14:19 GMT

By Daniel Flynn

MADRID, Nov 23 (Reuters) - Spain's Socialist government accused the previous administration of backing a short-lived coup against Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez in 2002, a charge the conservative opposition labelled a "lie".

The shock accusation by Spanish Foreign Minister Miguel Angel Moratinos threatened to boil over into an embarrassing political spat during a visit by Chavez to Madrid to patch up relations damaged by the coup.

"Under the previous government, in an unprecedented move for Spanish diplomacy, the Spanish ambassador (in Caracas) received instructions to support the coup," Moratinos told state television in an interview broadcast late on Monday.

...

"I have no doubt that that is what happened. The Spanish ambassador was the only one, together with the U.S. ambassador, who recognised the tyrant -- a tyrant put in place via a blood-bath and a break with the institutional norm," Chavez said in an interview on Spanish state TV on Tuesday.

...

[htuttle]

1. Oh, this is good!

I wonder how much paper they have on that?

It would be nice to finally expose the IRI (International Republican Institute) for what it is!

[w4rma]

2. The Spanish government should make public ALL information pertaining to

this.

It would be very useful to alot of folks in exposing the corruption. Also outing specific folks who were in the Spanish government may help prevent them from ever being trusted with power again.

[UL_Approved]

3. More bullshit hits the fan

Its no wonder that the people of Spain wanted a change in their government. Let's hope that this sentiment is contaigous.

[pescao]

4. dupe!

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x1015996

(but i prefer this headline!)

[essarhaddon]

5. It's no secret

Aznar disliked Chavez as much as he disliked Castro, and probably would have been the first to welcome a new regime in Venezuela, but, that said, Moratinos may have gone too far by accusing the former government of backing a coup d'etat. One thing is being happy because a coup, another thing is actually supporting or helping it. In fact Aznar was very careful not to seem supporter of either side. If you read Spanish, this article explains the movements made by Aznar during and immediately after the failed coup:

http://www.elmundo.es/elmundo/2004/11/23/espana/1101223418.html

Also, we must never forget that the large investments of Spanish corporations in Latin America (included Venezuela and Cuba) have the powerful effect of granting all those Latin American countries goodwill and good grace from Spanish governments, regardless of the political situation in Spain or the Latin American country involved.

[aneerkoinos]

6. Defining support

is not that easy, Blair is of course guilty as hell in the boy Thatcher's coup attempt in the oil rich African country. But I think everybody has learned from Reagan the art and importance of deniability... ;)