Venezuela uses oil sales, army buildup to defy U.S.
By Gary Marx
Tribune foreign correspondent
Published July 15, 2005
LOS ALTOS MIRANDINOS, Venezuela -- As military officials barked orders, more than 300 civilians gathered in the morning hours to practice saluting and precision marching in preparation for possible war.
There were homemakers and retirees, lawyers and street vendors, all volunteers of a newly expanded army reserve force that President Hugo Chavez is organizing to defend the country against the United States and other threats.
"The United States is the only superpower, but if the people are united we can defeat them," said Arnaldo Cerniar, a 65-year-old retired credit officer who began training three months ago. "We need to defend the country against any aggression."
Chavez's recent decision to expand Venezuela's reserve force to as many as 2 million people is only one indication of the growing tensions between this oil-rich nation and the U.S. Although Venezuela continues to sell large quantities of oil to the United States, Chavez has threatened to cut off supplies in the event of an American invasion. U.S. officials have dismissed the idea of a military attack on Venezuela.
Nonetheless, Chavez is seeking to diversify crude-oil sales away from the U.S. and has reoriented Venezuela's foreign policy toward its Latin American neighbors and other nations, such as Iran. Chavez recently signed a pact with 13 Caribbean nations to sell them discounted oil and has pushed oil and gas accords with South American nations to counter U.S. power in the region.
So far, U.S. efforts to isolate Chavez diplomatically have failed.
At a recent meeting of the Organization of American States, the U.S. couldn't muster enough support to set up a permanent committee to monitor democracy in the region, a proposal that was widely interpreted as aimed at Venezuela.
William LeoGrande, dean of the School of Public Affairs at American University in Washington and an expert on Latin America, said OAS members rejected the measure because Chavez is democratically elected and because the U.S. is disliked in a region where free-market measures have failed to ease poverty.
He said the OAS failure leaves the U.S. with few options to contain Chavez.
"The problem the administration has is that there are not many levers the U.S. can use," LeoGrande said. "As a principal supplier of oil, Venezuela is still commercially important to the U.S."
Many argue that the U.S. criticism has allowed Chavez to benefit politically by playing the nationalist card.
"Every time Condoleezza Rice attacks Chavez, his approval rating goes up 2 or 3 percentage points," said Luis Vicente Leon, a pollster and Chavez critic.
Heres my favorite:
"At a recent meeting of the Organization of American States, the U.S. couldn't muster enough support to set up a permanent committee to monitor democracy in the region, a proposal that was widely interpreted as aimed at Venezuela.
William LeoGrande, dean of the School of Public Affairs at American University in Washington and an expert on Latin America, said OAS members rejected the measure because Chavez is democratically elected and because the U.S. is disliked in a region where free-market measures have failed to ease poverty."
Slave revolt time. Just consider me a 'revolting slave', I've been called worse.
A veces las montañas (2001)
Juan Sánchez Peláez
A veces las montañas
se esconden
y un caballo aparece intacto
bajo innumerables estrellas
con su lomo de rocío,
ahí es llama inmóvil
y sin jinete que lo guíe
sus flancos son faroles,
-respira, respira
ahuyenta el miedo,
-anda quieto: lago límpido
en el horizonte de la llanura,
-vuela y nos abandona:
hace una pausa de leguas y leguas,
vuelto una ofrenda de huesos fieles y cordilleras,
por eso
bebe del seno húmedo de la tierra entera;
el surco que tiene
es nuestro ombligo,
su batalla: el aire de intensas vibraciones,
en escasez o abundancia
somos el largo camino
y la vida breve,
mientras un caballo
entre nosotros y el resplandor
reclina todo su cuerpo sobre piedras tibias.
http://noticias.eluniversal.com/...52/
creacion.htm
One might be led to believe Guillo didnt have his own blog.
GP:
Heres your chance to act like a teacher...
What is the significance of the poem?
I dig the poem GP
However, it would do us slaves proud if you was to pontificate a bit on the meanings of these ponderous words
Com'on ma brotha, you can speak here.
T'aint noones heres 'cepten for us slaves.
You know what time it is:--it's slave revolt time.
expecting an oppo supporter to be something other than blimd, death, and mute? That sounds like a lot to ask. Note how even those who deared to venture an arguement have just faded away. A fact based blog just isn't fertile territory for their delusional fantasies.
Yes! You're right! I was deluded but now I see it. Thank you for helping me find the truth. How could I have misunderstood the beauty and sweetness of Chavismo.
I mean, those three students in Kennedy were obviously CIA agents. The opposition must be killed, jailed or exiled!
Long live Fidel!
And the 130 farm workers killed by GPs friends, the Chavistas shot in the head in Antimano by his cohorts, and the hundreds gunned down by his idle don't count. Only people of his socio-economic background count.
It was much better for GP when people knew their place and accepted their lot. Now Chavez has them all uppity.
ow,
How much do you wanna bet you make more money than I do? You're the worst type of hypocrite. One who can only tolerate the poor and oppressed when they don't talk back or when they don't question the God-given rights of Chavismo.
Where can I apply for a piece of the Chavista petro-dollar pie?
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