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Vertaal:
              Het richten van Hugo Chavez
Zondag, 16 November, 2008
Door Stephen Lendman | Sinds het nemen van bureau in Februari 1999, Amerika? s de dominante media hebben relentlessly Chavez wegens het goede voorbeeld aangevallen dat hij en bedreiging heeft vertegenwoordigd het ondanks karige kans zou kunnen uitspreiden het in vandaag zal? s klimaat. Maar toch handhaven sommige van zijn meest woeste critici druk en verschijnen vaak op Wall Street Journal? s op-E-D- pagina. Onlangs op 10 November door zijn Amerika? s kroniekschrijver, Mary O? Grady. Haar stijl is agitprop. Haar plaatst een waarheid-vrije streek uit elkaar. Haar recentst is een artikel headlined? Hugo Chavez spreidt de Buit uit? het verwijzen naar wat De New York Times oproepen? Suitcasegate.? Het speelde in Miami toont uit proef die op 3 November met Franklin Duran schuldig gevonden van acteren als niet geregistreerde agent van de Venezolaanse overheid in de V.S. besloot. Hij? s mede-eigenaar van de privé Venezolaanse motoroliemaatschappij, Venoco. Het? s koppelde aan de overheid, maar dat af? s niet welke eisers, welke juryleden werden gedrukt laadden om na aanvankelijk het zijn te besluiten deadlocked, en welk O? opgenomen Grady en eisen. Zij roept Hugo Chavez? de intellectuele auteur van zijn misdaad? wat betekent dat, maar O? Grady doesn? t verklaart. ? Het probleem voor M. Chavez is dat, voor bijna een Latijns-Amerikaans decennium? democraten? (d.w.z. Colombia? s de fascist en vassal van de V.S. de leider Alvaro Uribe hebben) Venezuela van het overtreden van de soevereiniteit van zijn buren door de basis te steunen verlaten met geld en wapens. beschuldigd? Zonder bewijs wat, bedoelt zij farc-EP (de Revolutionaire Bewapende Krachten van Colombia) en schreef over het in haar 10 Maart titled kolom? De Farc- Dossiers.? Daarin, beschuldigde zij Chavez, Ecuador? s Correa, Bolivië? s Moreel, en Nicaragua? s Ortega van het zijn? vier beste vrienden van terroristen.? Het aanhalen van valse laptop documenten? toon (ing) die M. Chavez (& Co.) en (farc-EP is) niet alleen ideologische kameraden, maar ook bedrijfspartners en politieke bondgenoten in de inspanning om macht van M. te ontrukken. Uribe.? Zij maakte een lijst van een menu van lasten die op hun gezicht vals waren, dan dat later bij gebrek aan bewijsmateriaal wordt blootgesteld en wordt gelaten vallen. Natuurlijk waren, zij ongerijmd in de eerste plaats, maar werden doen herleven in September door de Afdeling van de Schatkist van de V.S.? s Bureau van Buitenlandse Controle (OFAC) in het aanwijzen van één vroegere en twee huidige high-ranking Venezolaanse ambtenaren als medewerkers farc-EP. Beschuldigd wordt Hugo Carvajal, hoofd van het Directoraat en Henry de Jesus Rangel Silva van de Militaire Intelligentie verantwoordelijk voor het Directoraat van de Diensten van de Intelligentie en van de Preventie (DISIP). These charges came after Chavez expelled the US ambassador in solidarity with Bolivia?s Evo Morales. A day earlier, he dispatched the US envoy for instigating violent anti-government protests. What?s happening relates to Colombia?s early 2008 Ecuadorean incursion. An illegal cross-border raid with the help of US Special Forces. They attacked and slaughtered 20 or more people while they slept, including 16 FARC-EP members ? one being its second in command, Raul Reyes. Reyes was its public voice, key peace negotiator since the 1990s, and lead figure in the Chavez-arranged releases of hostages they held. A humanitarian effort he was vilified for with the usual kinds of political charges often made against him. Noted Latin American expert James Petras calls the FARC-EP the ?longest standing, largest peasant-based guerrilla movement in the world (that was) founded in 1964 by two dozen peasant activists (to defend) autonomous rural communities from? Colombian military and paramilitary violence. It?s a ?highly organized 20,000 member guerrilla army with several hundred thousand local militia and supporters?.? It now numbers about 10,000 - 15,000 ?distributed throughout the country? and still a force to be reckoned with. When its leader, Manuel Marulanda, died in March, Petras paid homage to him in a powerfully moving article. He explained that for over ?60 years he organized peasant movements, rural communities and, when all legal democratic channels were effectively (and brutally) closed, he built the most powerful sustained guerrilla army and supporting underground militias in Latin America.? Besides its fighters, it included (and still largely does) ?several hundred thousand peasant-activists, (and) hundreds of village and urban militia units? united against the most brutally repressive Latin American government (regardless of who leads it) and his vast supportive entourage. Marulanda ?defied them all ? those in their mansions, presidential palaces, military bases, torture chambers, and bourgeois editorial offices.? These brave fighters nonetheless persist. The same ones O?Grady attacks and the Venezuelan leader as equally committed to justice and freedom as they are. She takes full advantage of Duran?s conviction for supposedly conspiring to conceal the ?origin and destination? of a suitcase filled with $800,000 and for acting as an ?unregistered agent? for his country on US soil. Prosecutors claimed it was for Argentina President, Christina Kirchner?s successful campaign last year. A charge both presidents deny. Venezuela?s foreign minister, Nicolas Maduro, as well (earlier in the year) calling the case ?absolutely rigged (and that) the person who said he is an agent of our government lied.? As a Miami trial approached, Maduro questioned the impartiality of the venue, saying: ?Those who appoint the public prosecutors and judges in Florida are those who run the mafia, linked to people of Cuban origin who are totally opposed to the sovereign process in our country? and, of course, are committed to removing Castro and his brother. Today, ?Suitcasegate? is front-page news in Venezuela and Argentina. In America as well at times and in O?Grady?s November 10 commentary. In December 2007, Duran and three businessmen came to Miami. Their purpose: to advise their business partner, Guido Antonini, a Venezuelan-American businessman who was caught with the money months earlier in a Buenos Aires airport. At the time, Argentine judge Marta Novatti ordered his arrest, but he evaded authorities and returned to Miami where he lives in its wealthy Key Biscayne suburb. Argentina twice requested his extradition on charges of money laundering, but US authorities refused and instead used him to advantage. Antonini wasn?t charged. In return, he allowed the FBI to wire him to record conversations with Duran and the others. At trial, he was the star witness after proceedings were at first delayed. All four defendants originally pleaded not guilty. Then, after threats and bribes, three agreed to plea bargains, including Venoco?s co-owner, Carlos Kauffman, who testified against Duran at trial. Edward Shohat represented him. He denounced it as a ?political circus? and said he plans to appeal because the FBI entrapped Duran, the charges are false, and the whole scheme is an attack against America?s ideological Latin American enemies, especially Chavez. Early in the trial, Shohat filed a motion to dismiss and was rejected. He argued that the law Duran supposedly broke is unconstitutional because it?s vague as to what type behavior is illegal so its use is solely for political purposes. He referred to 18 USC, 951 - ?Agents of foreign governments.? It states:
Most often, this law only applies to enemy spies in wartime or against agents committing espionage. In other words, individuals engaged in activities violating the nation?s security. Against Duran, it involved a mysterious cash-filled suitcase having nothing to do with security or any connection to Chavez and his government. Antonini and Kauffman testified otherwise. That Venezuela?s state oil company, PDVSA, supplied it, and Chavez directed the operation and cover-up from his office. Of course, it?s their word with no proof. On tape, Duran and his co-defendants said Chavez and Kirchner promised Antonini protection if he was charged in an Argentine court. At trial, Duran said that he lied to convince Antonini to be tried in Argentina if it came to that. For its part, Argentina accused Antonini of working for the CIA. It?s quite possible given his known links to Chavez opposition groups. He worked for Venoco from 2000-2002 when its then owner, Isaac Perez Recao, was involved in the April 2002 (two-day aborted) coup. Venezuela?s 48-hour president, Pedro Carmona, also headed Venoco at the time. The connection between him, Recao, and Antonini seems more than coincidental. Duran?s defense learned more about Antonini as well. That the FBI paid him $30,000 and, through a letter, he asked Chavez for $2 million to stay silent about the affair. It also came out that the FBI tried to bribe an Argentine customs officer to testify falsely for the prosecution. The usual type FBI shenanigans seen often in other show trials. Against innocent targets of political persecution. Most often Muslim victims of the ?war on terrorism.? A topic this writer frequently revisits and discusses on-air. In her commentary, O?Grady continued her attack and accused Chavez of directing his ?intelligence chief to find a way to shut up (his) bagman (Antonini).? She claims Duran and Kauffman ?were sent to Florida to warn Mr. Antonini to remain silent?. The exposure of this thuggish behavior of the Venezuelan government is embarrassing enough.? What?s worse, she claims, is that there was another $4.2 million with Antonini on the same plane ?and that there had been other operations to smuggle cash into Argentina for political purposes. Another ?$100 million to spend on Bolivia? as well. Not a shred of evidence for proof, and she forgets about the open-ended millions Washington directs to CIA, the National Endowment for Democracy, International Republican Institute, USAID and other US agencies for political mischief, including coups against democratically elected leaders. Funds also to opposition groups and candidates in Venezuela, Bolivia, and wherever else less than fully US-supportive governments exist, either democratic or despotic. In contrast, Chavez supplies low-cost oil to his neighbors and to US cities that accept it. He also engages other nations cooperatively as opposed to Washington?s global predation. He seeks unity, promotes world solidarity, and practices the kind of democracy Americans can?t even imagine. He champions human rights. Has no secret prisons. Doesn?t invade his neighbors or practice torture. He?s a true social democrat and the reason Venezuelans overwhelmingly support him in elections independent monitors judge free, open and fair. But O?Grady keeps hammering with accusations that ?the Venezuelan ambassador (to Bolivia) travels the country handing out checks to mayors who support President Evo Morales.? In Colombia also for ?pro-Chavez Senator Piedad Cordoba recently (with) a PDVSA subsidiary (donation of) $135,000.? Nicaragua as well ?where the old Sandinista Daniel Ortega is now president (and Chavez) is supplying 60 - 70% (of his crude) through a program that allows Mr. Ortega to pay only half the bill?.Nicaragua?s state oil company Petro-Nic sells the oil to private companies and collects the full value.? O?Grady?s says one-fourth of this revenue goes for ?giving away goodies like kitchens and houses ahead of yesterday?s municipal elections (to buy votes she implies),? and much of the rest is for an Orgega ?slush fund government critics say.? Something similar is going on in El Salvador, she claims and continues: ?The Duran case has blown the lid off Mr. Chavez?s covert Argentine activities. But his imperialist ambitions go far beyond that country (and) he may get away with it.? If she means spreading Bolivarianism, let?s hope so and that its spirit takes root in America. What country is more in need at a time its leaders plan even greater world domination with hardened repression for enforcement. Through a secret new scheme now revealed. To unleash IMF orthodoxy globally - ?austerity, sacrifice, deregulation, privatization, union busting, wage reductions, free trade, the race to the bottom, prohibitions on advanced technologies,? and to crush the human spirit along with it. To make Venezuela and all countries banana republics. Its workers serfs. Its industry destroyed to empower corporate giants. Mostly American ones. To suck global wealth to the top. To render freedom, democracy and Bolivarianism dead letters. To use agents like O?Grady to support this ?best of all possible worlds.? Those in the know must expose her. Back leaders like Chavez for the type world all humanity wants. It?s there for the taking but won?t ever come down from the top. A message all readers should consider. At a perilous time in our history staring down the likelihood of the greatest ever world economic crisis with imperialists in Washington planning to milk it to maximum advantage. It?s for freedom loving people everywhere to stop them. Have Your Say: Targeting Hugo Chavez Please read our posting guidelines before posting. Alternatively you can discuss this report here. Related News
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