Chavez Says U.S. Free-Market Policies Led to Bolivia Crisis

[cal04]

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez blamed free market policies promoted by the United States for the crisis in Bolivia on Sunday, and said Latin America would no longer accept such "poisonous" economic doctrines. Chavez, an outspoken critic of Washington's foreign policy, said proposals by U.S. President George W. Bush for a hemisphere-wide free trade agreement would only lead to more poverty - and protests - in the region.

Speaking before the Organization of American States, Bush touted the proposal in Florida last week saying it would open the way to peace and prosperity in the Americas and reduce the attraction of "false ideologies." Chavez called Bush's free-trade proposal "the medicine of death," adding that U.S. open market policies that have been applied in Latin America "have led to exclusion, misery ... and destabilization."

"Look at Bolivia; fortunately the Bolivians opened the door toward a peaceful path, but they were on the verge of a civil war," said Chavez, speaking during his weekly radio and television program "Hello President." Nationwide protests led by highland Indians, labor activists, miners, leftist students and coca-leaf farmers over the last month in Bolivia brought down President Carlos Mesa, who was replaced Thursday by Eduardo Rodriguez.

Protesters were demanding the ruling elite grant more power to a poor majority and back away from free-market policies many blame for their troubles. Rodriguez met one of their key demands, to call early elections. Chavez, a self-proclaimed "revolutionary," said Latin American nations are moving toward socialist-orientated economic models rather than those based on "perverse" capitalism touted by the Bush administration. "We say no Mr. Bush, no sir ... I'm sorry for you," said Chavez, speaking briefly in English. "The people of Latin America are saying 'no' to you, Mr. Danger, they are saying 'no' to your medicine," Chavez continued in Spanish.

http://ap.tbo.com/ap/breaking/MGBFRRTKV9E.html

[IChing]

1. yes it did

[Missy M]

2. The world needs more leaders like Hugo Chavez.....

and less bush's and blair's.

[K-W]

3. Chavez is asbolutely right. EOM

[Carolab]

4. For a really great discussion on Bolivia, go to

www.Democracynow.org

It's linked on the front page

[morgan2]

5. wow an ap story

not making Chavez out to be the devil. Seems the Neocon censor machine has its sights focused somewhere else.

[Robbien]

6. They are trying to bury the DSM story

They probably feel it is less dangerous to see a unbiased story on Chavez while the DSM story drifts to the bottom of the stack.

[K-W]

10. Im not so sure.

Put your indoctrinated american hat and read it again. People dont take attacks on America rationally.

But you are right, it is very frank, but that is the state of news in the 21st century, technology has made it impossible to control information, so they have to control ideology.

[norml]

7. 'No' to you, Mr. Danger!

Mr. Danger, yet another nickname for Dubya.

[Al-CIAda]

20. hehe. Be careful Mr Chavez. n/t

:thumbsup:

[bullimiami]

8. its not exactly FREE market policy that is the problem

it is the corruption of the architects and controllers.
the 'free' market thrust upon bolivia was not free but rigged.

[K-W]

9. indeed, the free market is neither free, nor a market.

And in fact, the concepts of freedom and the concept of a market are contridictory. The idea of a market is of a controlled organized exchange, not the crude frontier economy of a laissez faire system.

In a sense it is an attempt to frame capitalism as socialism.

[IndianaGreen]

13. There is no such thing as a free market!

The free market advocated by Bush and his predecessors in the White House, from both parties, is nothing more than a carte blanche for transnational companies to rob nations of their resources and exploit their workers and peasants. Why does Bush hate Chavez and Bolivia's Morales? Because they want the wealth to be distributed equally among all of their people. They want to protect their nation's people and resources and they want to remove their elites from their position of power and influence.

[Frederik]

16. It was free for Bechtel

not for the Bolivians.

[Karenina]

21. And look what happened to them!

;-)

[NorCalDem]

11. For examples of the "Free Market"

we impose on these impoverished nations, I suggest reading "Confessions of an Economic Hitman," if you haven't already. It's really inciteful, and allows you to see through the lies being told about how our "free market" economy really works.

[K-W]

12. They are imposing it on our nation as well. EOM

[NorCalDem]

15. I'm all too well aware of that.

And it scares the S**T outta me. I've been getting the feeling more and more that they're running up the national debt to do exactly the same thing domestically that we do to other countries, and I'm scared.

[ckramer]

19. Insightful

[sadiesworld]

22. Actually, "inciteful" works as well.

:shrug:

(and I mean that in the most positive way)

[hadrons]

14. Bush in Berkeley said it, read 'Confessions of an Economic Hit-Man' ....

explains everything Chavez is talking about

[LuPeRcALiO]

17. And in case there's any doubt that "free trade" is suicidal

please welcome Paul, your new personal banker.

[ckramer]

18. Smart move by Chavez in how to develop his country

Haha, free spending, unbearable debts, how can that not send you into selling your country and the false prosperity controlling by the lenders?

Poor countries should do thing gradually and conservatively, don't fall victims of IMF or whatever load sharks.