U.S. Lawmakers Visit Venezuela

[cal04]

Five U.S. lawmakers met Venezuela's justice minister Tuesday, briefly discussing the case of a Cuban exile held by U.S. authorities and wanted in Venezuela for trial in the 1976 bombing of a Cuban jet.

The legislators' visit came as supporters of President Hugo Chavez condemned a meeting in Washington between President Bush and a prominent opponent of Chavez's government. Venezuelan congresswoman Cilia Flores said Bush's meeting Tuesday with Maria Corina Machado, director of the nonprofit group Sumate, showed she was seeking money for "destabilization campaigns."

The five U.S. lawmakers visited as part of a regional tour. They included Republican Reps. Tom Davis and Frank Wolf of Virginia, and Candice Miller of Michigan, and Democratic Reps. Carolyn Maloney of New York and C.A. Dutch Ruppersberger of Maryland.

They left talks with Justice and Interior Minister Jesse Chacon without making any public comments. Chacon said afterward that the meeting briefly touched up the case of Luis Posada Carriles, the detained Cuban exile Venezuela is seeking to try in the 1976 bombing of a Cuban plane that killed 73 people. "We told them that we are close to presenting the extradition request ... we hope that once they have the file in their hands, the extradition proceeds," Chacon said.

http://www.heraldsun.com/nationworld/international/24-612666.html

[Judi Lynn]

1. This is outstanding news! Even Republicans traveled there to show support

for Chavez. That's mutiny, to the right-wing, I'm sure! How dare they support a beloved, admired, landslide-elected, democratically directed President!

It's probably good they aren't talking about their meeting, as it would be used for ammunition against them later by _{George W. Bush's} thugs.
'

Chavez's trip to Bolivia, more photos at:

http://www.salonchingon.com/exhibits/cumbre2003/index2.php?city=sp

[Robbien]

2. Notice these US representatives met with the Interior Secretary

usually US representatives demand to speak to the President, but Chavez is having none of that.

[K-W]

3. You greatly overestimate the pull of US congressmen.

This isnt really big news, Venezuala still sells us alot of oil and has not yet been blacklisted by the US who still hopes to maneuver through this populist surge. My guess is that the US fully intends to give up Posada but wants some concessions from Venezuala in return.

[bemildred]

4. Yeah, Congressmen need to collect in really big herds to do much. nt

[Robbien]

5. When Senator Coleman went to Venezuela

he held press conferences before going saying that he was going to meet with Chavez in hopes of improving relationships between our two countries. Coleman ending up meeting with Chavez representatives.

I don't overestimate the pull of US congressmen, they themselves overestimate their pull.

Also, since the US helped Posada escape from the jail in Venezuela, it will be interesting to see how this current situation develops.

[Judi Lynn]

7. It's really a tangle, isn't it? Luis Posada Carriles was the head of

Venezuelan security, hired by the later impeached President Carlos Andres Perez, who had his military fire into the crowd of poor people protesting a devastating increase in the public transportation they required to get to work, etc., killing up to possibly 3,000, according to many, but denied by the government. Same one who has been bellowing for the violent overthrow to Hugo Chavez's presidency.

In that office, Posada Carriles had people tortured, etc., etc., while having also worked for the American C.I.A., and while maintaining close relations with the C.A.N.F.. Otto Reich, Cuban "exile" was in place as the American Ambassador to spring Posada's cohort, Orlando Bosch, in the Cubana airliner bombing, and _Bush,Sr. overrode the Acting Associate Attorney General, Joe D. Whitley's exclusionary finding and order to deport Bosch, now at home cozily in Miami.
http://cuban-exile.com/doc_051-075/doc0054.html

Posada couldn't be any more deeply caught up in the piggy bank voter pool of right-wingnut Cuban "exiles" in South America, and the inner workings of the Venezuelan "opposition." If _Bush cuts him loose, he's going to have a riot in Miami, I'll bet.

[AP]

6. One of Candace Miller's state's biggest employers is selling a record

number of cars in Venezuela.

(I like to mention that every chance I get.)

[Judi Lynn]

8. Cool!

So Chavez's government is good for her constituents.
She should rejoice. It would be the Republican thing to do.