Vice-President Responds to Otto Reich, Denies Venezuela is “Cubanizing”

[Judi Lynn]

Vice-President Responds to Otto Reich, Denies Venezuela is “Cubanizing”

Wednesday, Jul 13, 2005

By: Sarah Wagner – Venezuelanalysis.com



Venezuela's Vice-President José Vicente Rangel.
Credit: Archive
Caracas, Venezuela, July 12, 2005—Venezuela’s Vice President José Vicente Rangel defended Venezuela’s sovereignty and bilateral agreements with Cuba, yesterday, responding to criticisms Otto Reich made, the former US Assistant Secretary of State for Western Hemisphere Affairs. Rangel also responded to allegations made by the US ambassador to Venezuela, William Brownfield, who asserted that anti-drug cooperation and anti-terrorism cooperation between Venezuelan and the US has “decreased,” and accused the ambassador of meddling in Venezuela’s internal affairs.

In an interview with the Caracas daily El Universal, Reich, classified Venezuela as a “branch” and “subsidiary” of Cuba and accused Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez, among other things, of “having put a lot of his country’s money at the service of Fidel Castro” and “giving away” petroleum to the Caribbean island. This close cooperation, stated Reich, contributes to the “disgusting and gloomy process of cubanization” which is currently taking place in the oil-rich nation.

Reich went on to reiterate that in Venezuela there was an "operation" initiated "months" before the August 15th, 2004 recall referendum that successfully pulled the wool over the Organization of American States (OAS) and the Carter Center, two international bodies who monitored the referendum, to commit electoral fraud, leading to Chávez’ victory in the election.

Rangel responded to Reich’s accusations by rhetorically asking him to clarify exactly which process of cubanization is he talking about because, in Rangel’s mind, the true cubanization of Venezuela occurred years ago with the infiltration of anti-Castro Cubans into Venezuela’s police bodies. "It would be necessary to ask Reich if he is referring to the cubanization that came about in Venezuela in the 4th Republic that converted the police and security bodies into appendages of the CIA and the Pentagon and additionally, infiltrated Cubans such as Posada Carriles, Navarrete, and others such as Orlando García in these bodies. Here there was a process of Cubanization of the country," he affirmed.
(snip/...)

http://www.venezuelanalysis.com/news.php?newsno=1689



Otto Reich

William Brownfield, _Bush's current
ambassador to Venezuela



Additional _Bush foreign policy advisors

[pretzel4gore]

1. this plain speaking sounds....unusual!

otto reich's bafflegab gets swept away by the fresh air breeze he provoked by opening his beanhole!

[FlemingsGhost]

2. This ought to be fun! Castro and Chavez loudmouths in one shot.

Wheeeeeeee ...