Posted on 03/01/2004 11:14:50 PM PST by Cincinatus' Wife
Sound like the good 'ole USA will continue to be the "One-Stop-Shop" for a free ride for many long years to come.
Excellent point, marron. I also liked your ideas for the future Odd Couple.
Viva la Revolucion!
Since Feb. 27, throughout four days and part of the nights, the barricades and the clashes have shaken up the routines of a dozen middle-class districts in Caracas, and also in parts of the western cities of Maracaibo, Barquisimeto, Valencia and San Cristbal.
The opposition is protesting because the National Electoral Council (CNE, an independent government body), voted by a 3-2 majority to place in question hundreds of thousands of signatures gathered in December to petition for a referendum on whether Chvez should remain in office.
If the questionable signatures are discarded, the opposition would not have enough for the CNE to convene a referendum, under the requirements laid out in the constitution.
The CNE doubts that those signatures are legitimate, and the ones already deemed valid are less than the 2.4 million (20 percent of the electorate) required for convening a referendum.
The Council said it will give voters the opportunity this month to confirm whether or not they signed the original petition.
But the opposition coalition known as the Democratic Coordinator says the move is a scam that violates the good faith of the signatories.
A march in defence of the signatures drew thousands of anti-Chvez protesters Friday, Feb. 27, in Caracas, and the front lines of the demonstration crossed the security perimeter that had been erected to protect the heads of state and officials gathered for the summit of the Group of 15 (G15) developing countries.
The National Guard pushed back those groups with tear gas and plastic bullets, and confrontations spread to several streets throughout the city, and adjacent residential areas--home to many participants in the opposition marches--turning them into centres of chaos.
Two people died from gunshot wounds, one a Chvez supporter and the other a member of the opposition, and dozens of people were injured, several of them by bullets.
The government and the opposition blame each other for fomenting violence and for the deaths and injuries.
According to the opposition, the culprits are members of the National Guard and the governmental police force, while the government says the ones to blame are the police who are under the command of the anti-Chvez municipal governments in various parts of the Caracas metropolitan area.
Two international journalists were shot. Cameraman Felipe Izquierdo, of the U.S.-based Spanish language TV network Univisin, received a bullet in the foot, and Juan Barreto, photographer for the French news agency AFP, was shot in the hand and in the abdomen.
A young man who was in the opposition group shot me in the chest with a 9mm pistol. Fortunately, my bullet-proof vest saved me, Barreto told IPS.
Gen. Julio Quintero, chief of the Venezuelan Armed Forces Unified Command, said Monday: We will maintain our presence until the municipal leaders, the mayors, take control of the situation. We will impose order and we will uphold the constitution and the law.
On Sunday, Chvez convened some 150,000 followers, coming from different parts of the country, along the main highway through Caracas. He announced to the crowd that he would maintain a firm hand.
I am not going to tolerate disorder or anarchy, said the president.
Chvez accused the metropolitan police of Caracas, under the authority of opposition mayor Alfredo Pea, and other municipal forces of providing protection for the violent protesters.
If it is necessary to intervene (in those police forces) with armored tanks, I will do so. I have already given the orders, he said. ***
Good. This is the proper policy.
A year ago, we were watching the action in Iraq, but with one eye on Venezuela and anticipating this very action.
What is going on at at the State Department?
As the article states, Chavez has the potential to do just as much damage to the US as any of the Middle Eastern despots.
As the FR threads from a year ago detailed, Chavez was buddying up with Saddam, and making nookie with Islamicist imports. providing them with Venezuelan passports.
He is a first class threat.
20 posted on 03/02/2004 3:57:32 AM EST by The Duke
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To: The Duke
They could probably use her. Chavez needs to be cut off at the knees.
21 posted on 03/02/2004 4:00:17 AM EST by Cincinatus' Wife
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ROTF!!!
You two are much funnier than Billy Crystal.
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