Venezuelans Protest Cuba Crackdown, Meddling - Show solidarity with repressed Cuban people

yahoo.com news ^ | April 19, 2003 | Reuters

[Cincinatus' Wife]

CARACAS, Venezuela (Reuters) - Venezuelan troops blocked streets around the Cuban embassy in Caracas on Friday to prevent opponents of President Hugo Chavez protesting against Cuba's recent crackdown on dissidents and its meddling in their domestic politics.

Scores of opponents of Chavez, a close ally and friend of Cuban President Fidel Castro, lined a street near the embassy where they traded insults with a small group of pro-Castro demonstrators waving Cuban flags.

A clutch of National Guard troops and police formed barricades between the rally and the embassy building.

"We don't want Venezuela to be turned into another Cuba and that is what we are heading for. We have to show solidarity with the repressed Cuban people," said Marielena Adrianza, a consulting firm employee joining the opposition protest.

Opponents of Chavez, a left-wing former paratrooper elected in 1998 on a populist platform, brand him a fledgling dictator and fear he will drive Venezuela toward Cuban-style communism. He scoffs at their claims.

Cuban Vice President Carlos Lage riled foes of Chavez over the weekend when he criticized Venezuelan opposition leaders during a conference in Caracas.

Friday's small demonstration came a day after Venezuela voted against a United Nations resolution urging Cuba to accept a visit by a human rights commission following the arrest of scores of Cuban dissidents.

The U.N. Human Rights Commission resolution was approved by 24 to 20 votes with nine abstentions.

Venezuela was the only Latin American country to back Cuba.

The decision came after Havana handed out long jail terms to more than 70 dissidents in a move to stamp out opposition to Castro's one-party state on the Caribbean island.

Cuba also sparked international outcry last week when it executed three men who had hijacked a ferry with 50 people aboard and tried to sail to the United States.

Chavez, who says his own self-styled revolution aims to ease the plight of the poor, has been locked in a bitter political battle with opponents since last year, when he survived a brief military coup.

[Cincinatus' Wife]

A Venezuelan dressed in prison garb and handcuffs protests near the Cuban Embassy in Caracas, April 18, 2003. Venezuelan national guard troops blocked streets around the embassy where they faced off with the demonstrators protesting against Fidel Castro and a Cuban official's recent criticism of the Venezuelan opposition movement. Sign reads 'Long live Castro. Cuba crib of freedom.' REUTERS/Chico Sanchez

Fidel Castro - Cuba

Hugo Chavez - Venezuela

[ARepublicanForAllReasons]

Earlier this year I predicted that three dictators -- Hussein, Castro and Chavez -- would be dead or out of power by the year's end. I'm adding Mugabe to that list. One down, three to go.

[Cincinatus' Wife]

December 29, 2000 - Fidel, Saddam and Hugo --An improbable but growing friendship of three military revolutionaries*** Mr. Chávez is the most intriguing new leader to emerge in Latin America since Mr. Castro - and he is the lynchpin between Mr. Castro and Mr. Saddam. Although Cuba had been sending doctors and health workers to Iraq for years, there had not been any major contacts between the two countries until Mr. Chávez appeared on the scene. This fall, Mr. Chávez became the first democratically elected foreign head of state to visit Iraq since the Gulf War, ostensibly to invite Mr. Saddam to a summit of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries. But it also was an in-your face gesture toward the United States.***

[Tom Bombadil]

Opponents of Chavez, a left-wing former paratrooper elected in 1998 on a populist platform, brand him a fledgling dictator and fear he will drive Venezuela toward Cuban-style communism. He scoffs at their claims.

Chavez is going to have to start spending each night in a different place.

[Cincinatus' Wife]

Chavez is going to have to start spending each night in a different place.

I wonder, when the palaces start going up?

[friendly]

I guarantee you that money stolen from Venezuealan oil is already flowing freely into Chavez' secret Swiss, Cayman Island, and Bahamanian accounts.

[Mister Baredog]

I guarantee you that money stolen from Venezuealan oil is already flowing freely into Chavez' secret Swiss, Cayman Island, and Bahamanian accounts

That's traditional.

[Libertarianize the GOP]

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