special issue | Venezuela Institutions repaid with a coup • Penetrate Chavez’s attempt. Political Base It is what happened • Divide Chavismo in 1953 to Moham• Protect vital US med Mossadeq of Iran, Business and in 1954 to Jacobo • Isolate Chavez Arbenz of Guatemala, internationally and in 1971 to Salvador This is blatant US Allende of Chile. You interference in Vencross US multinational ezuelan politics. The corporations, and you first point – strengthget overthrown. ening democratic Here’s a quick way institutions – is the to end the humanitarmost Orwellian of ian crisis: stop trying to them all. The US destabilise Venezuela, government – via end the economic war its agencies such and allow Venezuela as USAID and the to manage its external Nat iona l E ndowrevenues. If all this is ment for Democracy done, Venezuela’s government should be able Juan Guaido, self-proclaimed (and Trump-proclaimed) as well as the CIA – has been funding to import goods and president of the nation, with his wife and child. a series of “civil sociuse its resources to conety” groups to challenge the tinue the process of diversifying Even with the chaos in the legitimacy of the Venezuelan its economy. But this is not what camp of the right, the right won electoral process. the United States wants. 33 percent of the vote. Rather A vote monitoring group – than try to appeal to more peoSumate – was used to challenge ple on a political basis – the path 2. Democracy each election, while groups were of democratic politics, in other Evidence from the past century funded to take to the streets. In words – the right has taken of US interventions overseas 2009, unrest on the streets – the cover behind the United States suggests that the United States US State Department admitted Treasury Department and the likes to use the word “democ– was funded by its agencies. US military, with the Canadians racy” to push its own agenda. Eduardo Fernandez of Developin the wings. This is hardly a Chavez was elected several ment Alternatives Incorporated good way to move a democratic times, his policies ratified by (DAI) said that “the streets are agenda. the people in several referenhot” and that “all these people” What does the United States da. Nicolas Maduro asked the who have organized the protest mean by the promotion of United Nations and external “are our grantees”. So much for democracy? It is worthwhile monitors to come to Venezuela democracy promotion. to allow US Ambassador Wiland observe last year’s election. liam Brownfield to explain the The United States pressured process himself. In November these agencies not to go. The 3. Steal the Oil 2006, Brownfield sent a cable right-wing opposition lost the Venezuela has the world’s largto Washington with this fiveelection because they could not est proven oil reserves. No point strategy (which had been come together around a credquestion that the oil companies worked out in August 2004): ible candidate – and they have have long wanted to return to • Strengthen Democratic no platform to go to the people. the days when they called the ColdType | Mid-February 2019 | www.coldtype.net
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