Albor Ruiz: US Hypocrisy on Venezuela Via NY Transfer News * All the News That Doesn't Fit source - JosePertierra@aol.com NEW YORK DAILY NEWS - April 18, 2002 U.S. Hypocrisy on Venezuela By Albor Ruiz aruiz@edit.nydailynews.com Few were surprised when, a couple of days ago, it was revealed that the Bush administration had advance knowledge of the recent coup in Venezuela. After all, red-beret-wearing Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, a friend of Cuban leader Fidel Castro, presides over the third-largest supplier of oil to the U.S. And he is not exactly Washington's cup of tea. It is not clear if the Bush people gave the wealthy elites and disaffected military officers who plotted to overthrow Chavez any material support. But when they came to Washington, hat in hand, seeking the administration's green light, they got it. In a shameful display of hypocrisy, the Bush administration turned its back on its much publicized support for elections and the democratic process. It either encouraged the plotters or looked the other way. But even if the White House does not like it, the Venezuelan president was elected twice by overwhelming majorities. Yet, Washington's attitude when it seemed he had been permanently ousted was, "He asked for it." "The actions encouraged by the Chavez government provoked the crisis," White House spokesman Ari Fleischer said on Friday. Given the history of Latin American coups supported or encouraged by the United States, his words were as welcome in the region as a swarm of locusts. Latin American governments distanced themselves from Washington and unanimously condemned the coup. The 35-member Organization of American States stated its intention to "... support Venezuela in its efforts to consolidate democracy in these difficult times." Some Venezuelans here in New York, though not Chavez supporters, were also quick to denounce his ouster. "I have never been pro-Chavez," said Jose Bayona, a 32-year-old filmmaker who lives in Corona, Queens. "But I am pro-democracy. I could never support a coup. If they want him out, that's what elections are for." The coup, of course, failed, with Chavez staging a stunning comeback. After spending two days under arrest, he swept back into power when his supporters took to the streets and loyal military officers wrested back control of the country from the "transitional government." Cure Lacking Ironically, after last weekend's events, Chavez -- routinely disparaged as a dangerous, left-leaning, would-be dictator will be -- remembered as a pillar of democracy in Latin America. His restoration was hailed as a victory for the region's democracies after years of military overthrows. "[His return] marks a significant achievement for the reaffirmation of democratic principles and values in South America," said the government of Brazil. There is a lesson here, somewhere. "Yes, it is ironic," Bayona said. "But the guy who took over was no democrat. He shut down Congress and the Supreme Court and said that he would wait one year to hold elections. The cure was worse than the illness." Chavez -- who looks, talks and walks like one of them -- has solid support among the 85% of Venezuelans who, thanks to 40 years of corrupt leaders, are dirt poor despite the immense richness of their country, one of the top oil producers in the world. And even if his style is contentious and his rhetoric off-putting to some, until the attempted coup, there were no political killings or prisoners in Venezuela, and no newspaper or TV station had ever been closed. Washington, it is no secret, has supported much worse. As for Venezuelans, Bayona put it this way: "Forget everything else. There needs to be a real national dialogue." ================================================================= NY Transfer News Collective * A Service of Blythe Systems Since 1985 - Information for the Rest of Us 339 Lafayette St., New York, NY 10012 http://www.blythe.org e-mail: nyt@blythe.org ================================================================= nytsa-04.18.02-17:20:40-5797