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Venezuela's Chavez Vows to Defend His 'Revolution'*** CARACAS, Venezuela (Reuters) - Shrugging off a Supreme Court ruling to give up military control of the Caracas police, Venezuela's leftist President Hugo Chavez on Thursday vowed to defend his "revolution" despite an opposition strike that has throttled the country's vital oil industry. Chavez, who survived a coup in April and is resisting calls to resign, also vowed to purge state oil firm PDVSA from what he called "coup plotting oil elites" as he intensifies efforts to crack down on an 18-day-old strike that has blocked shipments from the world's fifth-largest petroleum exporter.

"Behind the attempt to stop PDVSA there's nothing but a new coup attempt to topple the legitimate government," the pugnacious Chavez told government sympathizers at a rally that stretched into the early hours of Thursday. "Now the time to clean up PDVSA has arrived." Chavez made his remarks hours after the Supreme Court ordered the government to relinquish its military takeover of the Caracas metropolitan police and return the force to the leadership of anti-Chavez Mayor Alfredo Pena.

Analysts said the military takeover of the Caracas police, which helped trigger the strike, was an attempt by the government to neutralize a state armed force that has been hostile to Chavez and his leftist policies at a time when the president is fighting for his political life. Struggling to restart exports, Chavez has sacked dissident oil executives who were leading the strike and has sent troops to take over idle state-run tankers, refineries and ports. ***

Chavez bio-weapons lab in Venezuela for Saddam and Castro***Given the military liaisons between Cuba and Chavez, the biological warfare aspects of their mutual exchanges, their connections with Khaddafi and Saddam Hussein, and their connections to FARC, the outcome is chilling. Consider, as one Chavez insider has already done, how easily one could introduce a bioweapon to the US by contaminating cocaine. Just thinking about these implications made Major Juan Diaz Castillo walk out and join Venezuela's opposition in calling for free and democratic elections to remove Chavez from power. " - If Chavez stays, it will not just be dangerous for Venezuela," says Major Diaz Castillo. "It will be dangerous for the whole world."***

Brazilian Leader Backs Chavez in Venezuela Crisis ***Analysis - ……………..But if the Chavez regime implodes and a new center-right transition government comes to power in Venezuela, it could impede the efforts of self-proclaimed socialist political organizations seeking power throughout Latin America. Da Silva also may have practical motives for trying to help Chavez weather the political conflict that threatens his regime. By helping to keep Chavez in power, da Silva would be assured of a geopolitical ally in countering the growing American military and economic presence in Colombia.

Regardless of their political differences, many Brazilians believe that the Bush administration's expanding military support for Colombia is only the tip of a more ambitious long-term strategy to gain direct control over oil and other natural resources in South America. The Bush administration is backing what Brazilians perceive as a conservative government in Colombia, as well as signing a free-trade agreement recently with Chile and building a stronger U.S. military and economic presence in other Andean countries with substantial energy, mineral and forest resources.

Brazilian foreign policymakers are concerned that it won't be long before American corporations start to encroach on the outer frontiers of the Amazon River Basin. If Chavez were to be replaced by a U.S.-backed center-right regime in Venezuela, Brazil's sense of encirclement would increase. As a result, da Silva likely will do whatever he can to help his friend Chavez, in defense of what he perceives as Brazil's paramount geopolitical interest in the region: to contain American expansionism.***