The Obama Administration seems indifferent to the crisis in Venezuela. Why?

Venezuela is closer geographically than, and at least as important to the United States as, Ukraine. Yet the persistently blurred focus of the Obama Administration has been far less on violent Cuban inspired repression in Venezuela than on Russian repression in Ukraine.

The constitutional crisis in Venezuela has apparently been far less disturbing to the Obama Administration, and to the "legitimate" media, than the less violent mess in Ukraine. It has drawn far less media attention than the disappearance of Malaysian flight 370, coverage of which has been extensive and continuous but abysmally uninformed. Here's the best analysis of the disappearance of Flight 370 that I have found; it highlights the persistently incompetent media coverage.

Perhaps the relative lack of media coverage of the crisis in Venezuela is a good thing.

Is the Obama Administration trying to convince Europeans that it is capable of standing up to Russia?

It won't work. How about trying to convince Latin American nations that we still care about what's happening there? Perhaps even that, despite President Obama's inability significantly to affect happenings in Ukraine, we remain more important to Latin American nations than substantially smaller, poorer and less powerful Venezuela?

Does President Obama prefer the Cuban model of Governance, that el Presidente Chávez adopted and el Presidente Maduro has extended, to Putin's model of Russian Governance? It seems so. Or is He just blowing soap bubbles in hopes that His declining numbers of admirers will be sufficiently impressed with His ability to do at least that?

Oliver Stone Does Venezuela

Humberto Fontova

3/8/2014

Famous foe of imperialism Oliver Stone just premiered his documentary “Mi Amigo Hugo” (“My Friend Hugo”) in the Cuban colony of Venezuela. As the title suggests, the film honors Hugo Chavez, Cuba’s late Venezuelan viceroy. The film was released amidst lavish celebrations on the first anniversary of Chavez’ death and broadcast on the Cuba-run TV channel of the Cuban viceroyalty of Venezuela. For the occasion, Raul Castro himself graced his South American dominion with a visit.

“Venezuela today is a country that is practically occupied by the henchmen of two international criminals, Cuba’s Castro brothers,” recently declared Luis Miquilena who served as Hugo Chavez’ Minister of Justice for three years before finally resigning in disgust. “They (the Cubans) have introduced in Venezuela a true army of occupation. The Cubans run the maritime ports, airports, communications, the most essential issues in Venezuela. We are in the hands of a foreign country. This is the darkest period in our history.”

The Chavez documentary comes twelve years after the premiere at the Sundance Film Festival of Oliver Stone’s documentary “Comandante,” which honored Venezuela’s foreign emperor himself: Fidel Castro.

‘’I am like a prisoner,’’ Castro laments to Stone near the beginning of “Comandante.” The Stalinist dictator was referring to the travails that accompany his selfless vocation of running Cuba. “This is my cell,’’ he sighs while pointing around. At this declaration from the jailer of more political prisoner per-capita than Stalin, the famously “edgy” Oliver Stone reveals no hint of a smirk. And no snarkiness tinged his follow-up questions, most of which hovered right over home plate. When a few questions strayed from the banal talking points and Castro answered evasively, Stone twinkled that, “his elusiveness is always charming.’’

‘’Fidel is magnetic and charismatic,’’ Stone concluded. “He is a movie star.’’

Oliver Stone claims that the massive protests currently rocking Venezuela are simply the CIA’s handiwork, with a few Venezuelans in the role of local patsies. Given all the hidden hands and plotters and “patsies” in Stone’s movie JFK, we can barely wait to see what a tangled web Stone will eventually weave regarding the current Venezuelan crisis...

Stone’s advocacy and infomercials for Castroism and Chavismo have brought him under fire recently in social media. But he’s been quick to fire back. “You (critics) remind me of crazy Tea Partiers!” he recently snarled on his Facebook page. More horribly still his critics are: “Similar to the right-wing Florida Cuban exiles who’ve helped keep the US in a dungeon of ignorance.”

Speaking of dungeons, ignorance and Cuban exiles. Among these latter Stone can find the most and the longest suffering political prisoners in the modern history of the human race. This suffering came in torture-chambers and dungeons designed by his Stalinist idol and his KGB-mentors. Let’s hope Oliver Stone is merely ignorant of that.

The rest of the history
http://townhall.com/columnists/humbertofontova/2014/03/08/oliver-stone-does-venezuela-n1805771/print

Imprisoned Venezuelan Opposition Leader’s letter to His Holiness Pope Francisco

http://cubanexilequarter.blogspot.com/2014/02/imprisoned-venezuelan-opposition.html

“[S]pare no efforts to promote national reconciliation through mutual forgiveness and sincere dialogue, respect for truth and justice, able to address specific issues for the common good.”- Pope Francisco on situation in Venezuela, February 26, 2014

“I have taken the audacity to write these lines because I am convinced, as millions in Venezuela , that your voice , your guidance and your blessing to our people at this time can make a profound impact on the next destination of our country.”- Leopoldo López Mendoza, letter dated February 17, 014

Caracas, February 17, 2014

His Holiness
Pope Francisco
Supreme Pontiff

With deep admiration and full of humility, I ask your blessings to the people of Venezuela in moments of profound difficulty for all Venezuelans hit by the most severe economic crisis, by insecurity accompanied by unleashed impunity and the loss increasingly accelerated of our freedoms for all Venezuelans, especially those of us who have contrary thoughts to those who govern today.

I am writing this letter from the underground and within a few hours of appearing before the manipulated justice of my country, which has issued an arrest warrant attributing against me the crimes of murder and terrorism, for the simple fact of having called our people to exercise our right to protest as it is protected in our Constitution and the fundamental rights of free men. This situation of persecution and criminalization of protest has affected hundreds of youth who have been detained, tortured and subjected to unfounded processes that seek to plant fear and limit the voice of millions of Venezuelans who promote change.

I have taken the audacity to write these lines because I am convinced, as millions are in Venezuela , that your voice , your guidance and your blessing to our people at this time can make a profound impact on the next destination of our country.

A few years ago I had the opportunity to talk with the Polish leader Lech Walesa, who I asked what was the most decisive event in his years long struggle that culminated with the fall of communism, his response was immediate and very precise: The visit and the message of John Paul II to Poland.
I understand that the historical circumstances are very different , but like the twilight years of communism in Europe, now in Venezuela we are living in times of deep despair and hopelessness, a word, a sentence, a message from you I’m sure could make a significant impact, the encounter of our people with peace, liberty and democracy.

Chances are when you read this letter I will already be jailed on the orders of Nicolas Maduro; a situation that I ‘m willing to take on if in something it contributes to awaken our people on the need to together make a change.

With the mere fact that you read these lines and keep a place in your heart for the Venezuelan people will give us immense strength to move forward, guided by the teachings of Christ our Lord.

Benediction,
Leopoldo López Mendoza

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