Chavez: If anything happens to me, blame Bush

[sabra]

http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/N2685349.htm

Chavez: If anything happens to me, blame Bush

CARACAS, Venezuela, Aug 26 (Reuters) - Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez said on Friday U.S. President George W. Bush would be to blame if anything happened to him after an American evangelist said Washington should assassinate the leftist leader.

Chavez, a former soldier who often accuses the United States of plotting to kill him, was reacting to conservative evangelist Pat Robertson who said on Monday that U.S. officials should execute the Venezuelan president.

Robertson later apologized, but his comments have illustrated the deep political gulf that has opened up between the United States and one of its biggest oil suppliers since Chavez was elected in 1998 promising populist reforms.

"He was expressing the wishes of the U.S. elite ... If anything happens to me then the man responsible will be George W. Bush. He will be the assassin," Chavez said at a public event. "This is pure terrorism."

[David__77]

1. Bush would be guilty, but others too.

The whole US elite wants to strangle the Venezuelan revolution, most Democrats included. Only the Black Caucus and a few scattered progressives are on the right side of things.

[rodeodance]

2. Bush, himself needs to condemn Pats comments--but then his Right

would have a fit.

It will never happen--but i can dream.

[goforit]

5. Bush is head of hiss 700 club, right?

[DawgHouse]

7. Oh I'm sure that he will condemn the remark

as soon as he finishes his vacation. ":sarcasm: "Now watch this drive."

[saigon68]

37. The CIA will kill Chavez

Its all a done deal.

Just ask this guy who was killed on Sept 11





1973




Chilean President Salvador Allende under attack in La Moneda presidential palace. September 11, 1973.


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salvador_Allende

[Cha]

8. Just as well bush doesn't

condemn what the patwah says..it would be a lie anyway..this way it shows bush for what he is..an evil condoner of the assassination of a South American Democratically elected President.

Loved by the majority of the People.

[Zhade]

25. I'll never forget what Kerry said about Chavez.

Infuriating - and WRONG.

[Jamison]

29. What did Kerry say?

Just curious...I guess I missed it.

[Zhade]

31. These are directly from Kerry's site...

(That way, no one can claim the media spun it one way or the other. Bullshit is bolded.)

http://64.233.161.104/search?q=cache:K8Pn1E9lxoMJ:www.johnkerry.com/pressroom/releases/pr_2004_0319d.html+chavez+site:www.johnkerry.com&hl=en

Kerry Statement on Venezuela


With the future of the democratic process at a critical juncture in Venezuela, we should work to bring all possible international pressure to bear on President Chavez to allow the referendum to proceed. The Administration should demonstrate its true commitment to democracy in Latin America by showing determined leadership now, while a peaceful resolution can still be achieved.

Throughout his time in office, President Chavez has repeatedly undermined democratic institutions by using extra-legal means, including politically motivated incarcerations, to consolidate power. In fact, his close relationship with Fidel Castro has raised serious questions about his commitment to leading a truly democratic government.

Moreover, President Chavez’s policies have been detrimental to our interests and those of his neighbors. He has compromised efforts to eradicate drug cultivation by allowing Venezuela to become a haven for narco-terrorists, and sowed instability in the region by supporting anti-government insurgents in Colombia.

The referendum has given the people of Venezuela the opportunity to express their views on his presidency through constitutionally legitimate means. The international community cannot allow President Chavez to subvert this process, as he has attempted to do thus far. He must be pressured to comply with the agreements he made with the OAS and the Carter Center to allow the referendum to proceed, respect the exercise of free expression, and release political prisoners.

Too often in the past, this Administration has sent mixed signals by supporting undemocratic processes in our own hemisphere -- including in Venezuela, where they acquiesced to a failed coup attempt against President Chavez. Having just allowed the democratically elected leader to be cast aside in Haiti, they should make a strong statement now by leading the effort to preserve the fragile democracy in Venezuela.


http://64.233.161.104/search?q=cache:ukw9YtzNmt4J:www.johnkerry.com/pressroom/releases/pr_2004_0528d.html+chavez+site:www.johnkerry.com&hl=en

Kerry Statement on the Referendum Process in Venezuela
For Immediate Release

The coming days will be critical for the future of democracy in Venezuela. President Chavez and all Venezuelans must understand that the international community will be watching closely to ensure that the signature validation process proceeds openly and impartially.

The Venezuelan people are entitled to a government that respects human rights and the rule of law, fights corruption and builds consensus through the democratic process. Yet after being democratically elected and promising reform, President Chavez has treated opponents as enemies rather than seeking to heal the divisions that have plagued Venezuela. He has undermined the constitution and used his Bolivarian Circles to repress peaceful dissent as his government systematically moved to expand its powers.

When the referendum process presented a legitimate challenge to his leadership, President Chavez lost an opportunity to demonstrate the popular support he claims to enjoy, instead showing a troubling disregard for the rule of law. Particularly concerning are recent reports of numerous human rights violations. Over the past weeks, President Chavez has used questionable pretexts to justify further arming of militias and intimidation of the press and the referendum’s supporters.

The disturbing trend towards establishment of an authoritarian regime must be reversed now, so that the referendum can begin a process of national reconciliation. President Chavez has a responsibility, as the head of state, to protect the interests of all Venezuelans by allowing the recall signatures to be reviewed in an atmosphere of calm and transparency. Representatives of the OAS and the Carter Center must be given full and unfettered access to all aspects of the process. Given the need to verify hundreds of thousands of signatures, more time should be granted if necessary to allow this process to be completed in an orderly manner.

To date, the Bush administration has regrettably chosen not to play a true leadership role in bringing international pressure to bear on President Chavez to allow the referendum to proceed without interference. Indeed, their tacit support for the ill-conceived April 2002 military coup against Chavez has undermined their ability to play that role. With our credibility and the hopes of so many at stake, I call on the Administration and our allies in the region to stand strong for the democratic process in Venezuela.


Anyway, there's more from Kerry's own mouth, and I'm sure other posters (who aren't at work like I am) can explain why Kerry is wrong on this, if you don't know already.

Here's a Google link that will help: http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&lr=&q=chavez+site%3Awww.johnkerry.com

[dutchdemocrat]

38. Skull n' Bones

Fuck Kerry. And Fuck the DNC.

[Blaq Dem]

40. Has Kerry met Bush lately?

[magellan]

48. Kerry, pfft.

Chavez is unfair to his opponents -- right. Even though he intentionally hasn't hunted down those involved in the last coup attempt and allows the 20% wealthy minority to bleat for his death every night on tv without repercussion. Venezuelans have more freakin' freedom of speech than we do here!!

From this I can guess Kerry's explanation as to why we overthrew Aristide in Haiti and are allowing massacres of protesters to occur there.

Or maybe it's something to do with twice democratically elected leaders who prefer to help all their people rather than just suck up to wealthy corporatists.

Thanks for sharing this, Zhade, I had no idea!!

[TankLV]

51. Now you've done it - presented FACTS and ACTUAL STATEMENTS!

from the bullshit Kerry has said - now the kerrybots will descend on you!

Can't have any TRUTH about just where this guy stood on the issues, now can we? It would undermine his god status here!

[Zhade]

55. How can they possibly attack me? I used Kerry's own words.

The Kerry fans here (most of whom I would suggest really do have the best of intentions) can't possibly claim that I twisted Kerry's words when this comes from his own mouth and website.

Fact is, Kerry was wrong on Chavez. Was he as wrong as b*s*, who fostered a coup? Of course not. Does that mean his views on Chavez are right? Of course not, and that was shown time and time again by wonderfully informed DUers when these speeches first came up.

Let's face it: I'd dearly love the 1971 Kerry, or even the 1980s BCCI Kerry, to slap the 2004 Kerry to his senses. He's not the same guy anymore, and I think that's a big loss for us all.

[TankLV]

57. They'll find a way. Trust me.

I speak from experience.

Carry on the good fight!

[JoFerret]

3. Good move

.

[goforit]

4. Did Robertson apologize???...More like talk around the bush(sarc).

[mpendragon]

6. looks like he knows his history

It sounds like we are going to play the same game we did with Omar Torrijos of Panama.

[cliss]

9. Well, from what I can tell, Hugo Chavez

won't go that easily. I believe the US has already tried about 3 times to assassinate him. And each time they failed.

Now, Chavez has been extremely busy behind the scenes making contracts with other countries. Signing agreements, working out oil contracts for alternate sources.

He's probably worked out an elaborate plan to protect his own country in case the worst happens. He's probably got an alternate leader picked out; he has many Plan B's set in place.

It won't be so easy this time.

[neuvocat]

10. He's an extremely shrewd politician.

[Megahurtz]

11. Why Don't they Just Leave him the Fuck Alone???

I hate this Administration and their criminal totalitarian tactics!:grr:

[goforit]

19. OIL!!!

[dansolo]

54. And whoever succeeds him may cut off oil exports to the U.S.

That is Venezuela's ace in the hole. Venezuela is working out deals with China to lessen it's dependance on the U.S. market. I wouldn't be suprised if Chavez has set up a "dead-man switch" of sorts with his oil exports. I would love to see how all of the people bleating about free markets would react when Venezuela decides to sell their oil somewhere else. That alone will send the U.S. economy into a tailspin.

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

12. Inoculation.

Informal. A preemptive advertising tactic in which one party attempts to foresee and neutralize potentially damaging criticism from another party by being the first to confront troublesome issues.


http://dictionary.reference.com/search?r=2&q=Inoculation

[VegasWolf]

13. Okay! nt

[shanti]

14. no doubt

n/t

[Generator]

15. I nominate it for best title of the week/ nt

[ConcernedCanuk]

17. ??? - my puter said 0 before my post

.
.
.

that little " 1 "

das mine . . . .

[ConcernedCanuk]

16. Whassup? - Nobody think this was worth Nominating ????

.
.
.

:shrug:

[BleedingHeartPatriot]

18. Recommended...Chavez is politician who knows how to mess with

gwb's head.

LOL...:rofl: MKJ

[goforit]

20. Yes.....Bully back!

[Al-CIAda]

21. No doubt. nt

[JusticeForAll]

22. Well, Bush kept his 2000 campaign promise!

He's not a nation builder, He's a nation-wrecker. Sadly, he started with our own.

[Gregorian]

23. Hahaha. I was waiting for this preemptive dialogue.

Good one Hugo.

[Gyre]

24. HUGO FOR PRESIDENTE 2008!!!

Finally a candidate who wouldn't whore to corporations and spit on democracy.:)

Gyre

[proud2BlibKansan]

26. "This is pure terrorism."

So do we hate him for his freedom?

[Usrename]

27. "uniter, not a divider"

he's almost got the world united against us

[Verve]

28. LOL! A terrorist basically calling Shrub a terrorist! That's great! n/t

[resident bunnypants]

30. I don't get it. n/t

[Verve]

33. Any comment from other countries that bring light to Bush's

wrong doings is a plus for American citizens. Regardless of how evil this Chavez is, he's bringing attention to the fact that Bush cannot be trusted.

Sure, he probably has little political world clout and he probably is in little danger of actually being assassinated by the U.S. However, his comment did evoke thought in this concept. If Russia, Britain and other European countries are hearing, yet again, about Bush being a bully, hopefully, they will start to stand up to him and stop him from doing anymore damage to our world.

[K8-EEE]

34. What Has Chavez Done Evil-Wise To Match Bush?

Just asking, in all seriousness. I know he's threatened rich people's stuff and all but does he go around starting bullshit wars and scaring people into them by bogus WMD claims etc etc??

[Verve]

35. Actually he's sounding pretty good right now.

Especially, since he's suspended all foreign missionaries from entering his country after Pat Robert's comment.

I'm glad to see at least one country sees how scary religious zealots can be.

(And you're right, he doesn't match Bush in the evil doer's department.)

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=104x4470766

[resident bunnypants]

45. Evil? How so? I still don't get your comments. Is this sarcasm? n/t

[TankLV]

53. Evil? How so? Please elaborate?

We won't hold our breath, however.

Again, more BULLSHIT from you. How predictable.

[Al-CIAda]

36. Chavez is NOT a 'terrorist'. You do not know WTF you are talking about. nt

[dutchdemocrat]

39. You think Chavez is a terrorist?

Well you are wrong.

I hope he strangles the US and sells the black gold to China, just to prove a point to the ignorant masses that litter the US.

[Name removed]

41. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[farmbo]

42. The RW is pushing a story that Chavez gave al Qaeda $1 million...

... after 9/11:

Shane Connor, a Texas businessman who has traveled several times to Venezuela and interviewed military officials who have quit the Chavez regime, tells AIM that Air Force Major Juan Diaz Castillo, a former pilot for Chavez, has revealed his own role in the payment of $1 million from the regime to al Qaeda after 9/11. Connor said this disclosure made headlines in Venezuela but not in any major American newspapers. Connor also said there is evidence that a controversial bioweapons lab reported to be in Cuba has been secretly transferred to Venezuela. The location has been posted at www.MilitaresDemocraticos.com, a Web site in English for opponents of the Chavez regime.
<snip>

Mind you...I do not believe this. But it's being distributed as a Right Wing talking point and has yet to be debunked. I heard it on a local 'Rush-lite' radio broadcast in NW Ohio on Thursday.

If anyone can debunk this, please post it as a stand alone topic.

[Zodiak]

43. Judicial Watch, a RW group, originated that accusation

Which went nowhere. This is typical circular argumentation used by the right wing. first, plant a right-wing sourced story in the MS and then quote it like it was investigative reporting. Here is what Venezuela has to say about the accusation.

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez last week called on the United States to crack down on what he described as Cuban and Venezuelan terrorists training in Florida to kill him.

Last week Chavez canceled a planned trip to the United States because of security threats.

Meanwhile a recent report in US News and World Reports tiled “Terror Close to Home” charges that Venezuela is emerging as “a potential hub of terrorism in the Western Hemisphere.” The article claims Chavez has provided assistance to Islamic fundamentalists.

The magazine claims that Venezuela has given social security-like cards to thousands of foreigners including many from Middle Eastern nations including Syria, Pakistan, Egypt and Lebanon. The U.S. government has warned that by giving out these ID documents, terrorists could more easily obtain Venezuelan passports and U.S. visas.

US News and World Reports also claims that US intelligence officials are investigating whether a Venezuelan of Arab descent named Hakim Mamad al Diab Fatah had ties to any of the Sept. 11 hijackers. One official described him as a person of interest.

The article goes on to claim close ties between Chavez’s government and the Columbian rebel group FARC.

AMY GOODMAN: Welcome to Democracy Now!.

BERNARDO ALVAREZ: Good morning.

AMY GOODMAN: Can you start off telling us why president Chavez did not come as was planned to the United Nations to address the general assembly?

BERNARDO ALVAREZ: Well, you know, there are of course always evaluations that the head of state, in that case the information we have from the palace, in Venezuela, that there were some security concerns. And that came along with few months ago and recently there were some reports in Florida newspapers all for former Venezuelan military and training camps in Florida, this is what the newspapers said. I don't know to, promote invasion to, promote any actions against Venezuela. We have sent the U.S., ambassador that information and we are waiting for response from the U.S. government.

If you remember few months ago there was a report that an organization called Judicial Watch was suing the Venezuelan government on behalf of the victims of September 11th because they say that president Chavez has given a million dollars to Al Qaeda. Venezuelan ambassador to India came here to the U.S. to United Nations to Washington and even to Miami to present the proof that we in fact gave a million dollars to the United Nations office for the refugees.

Totally the contrary. And we also get that information to the F.B.I. and we're still waiting for an investigation from the F.B.I. because that was some news coming from the people in Florida.

I do not trust anything said by "anonymous administration officials" or Judicial Watch. If anything, RWers have proven themselves to say anything, do anything to smear their critics. Just ask Cindy Sheehan, who apparently now thinks our soldiers are terrorists (if you belive RW talking points).

They just don't care about the truth as long as their memes get out there.

[Zodiak]

44. And the Judicial Watch case quotes (wait for it)... Worldnet daily!!

So the right wing civil suit designed to smear Venezuela is based on the repoting from three sources....one of which I know to be massively right-wing.

To show how frivolous the case is, here is an excerpt from the complaints list of "facts"

8. On information and belief, Bin Laden and Al Qaeda, received material support and

assistance from Venezuela, by and through its officials, agents, and/or employees, specifically Chavez and Marquez, in the form of financial and other means, to assist and further Bin Laden and Al Qaeda train, plan, coordinate, and implement the attacks on September 11, 2001. Upon information and belief, Chavez and Marquez are socialists, if not communists, who openly admire and imitate Fidel Castro and who detest and hate the United States and its system of government, and capitalist economy. They have actively assisted and associate with Fidel Castro, and his communist nation of Cuba. Castro is a known terrorist, who according to Bush Administration officials, possesses biological and chemical weapon facilities on his island, among other terrorist means. On information and belief, they desire and intend to harm, and have harmed, the United States and its citizens.

20. Upon information and belief, Venezuela, by and through its officials, agents and/or employees, specifically, Chavez and Marquez, individually and as a nation, continue to assist, aid and abet Bin Laden and Al Qaeda. After September 11, 2001, Chavez and Marquez, initiated a plan to assist, aid and abet Bin Laden and Al Qaeda to relocate and train terrorists for future attacks on the United States, domestically and abroad, by providing them with at least $1,000,000.00, as reported in WorldNetDaily and Global News Wire and EFE News Service. See exhibits 1 and 2, which are incorporated herein by reference.

So Venezuela gives material suport to Al Queda according to the same sources that say that Castro has WMD's in Cuba. That was John Bolton's assertion, you know. So, if John Bolton or his ilk are the sources RWers like to use, let them. There is no substance to them, no matter how many times they quote themselves.

And as far as I know, there has been no development in this case other than the fact that it was filed to be used as a source for a RW talking point.

So, feel better? Chavez is not Bin Laden's best friend as the RW would like to assert (and of course, if true, then Pat Robertson is let off the hook for calling for his assassination, which is the goal of the RWers in the first place).

No country in the Western Hemisphere would be stupid enough to give to Al Queda after Sept 11th, but I wonder who was dumb enough to give 43 million to Al Queda's biggest allies (the Taliban) just before Sept 11th?

[resident bunnypants]

46. Oh there you go. Using logic, facts and shit. Please spare us. n/t

[Frederik]

50. Would that be

the Cuban bioweapons lab that made the West Nile virus, according to John Bolton? :rofl:

[TankLV]

52. Really? Just because you say so? How so? Please elaborate?

I'll call you statement what it is - BULLSHIT!

[queerart]

32. Honestly, What In The World Has Happened To America?

[NeoConsSuck]

47. Don't worry Chavez!!

with the AWOL prick's popularity ratings swirling around the toilet, soon you'll be more popular in the USA than that cockroach! LOL!!

I speak for myself only, but I would pledge my allegiance to Chavez before ever pledging it to bush.

[Dr Fate]

49. Republicans always allow their enemies to be RIGHT.

Its a weakness the DEM "strategists" cant seem to pick up on.

[NVMojo]

56. Smart man, name the bastard now!!!