(March 7, 2002)
In Caracas, Venezuela: Venezuelan Blueprint for Democratic Govt in a Post-Chavez Era. Chavez Says Opposition Pact Will Fail--[Excerpt] Chavez, who is battling mounting political opposition to his 3-year-old rule in the world's No 4. oil exporter, dismissed a pact against him announced Tuesday by the country's leading private sector and trades union groups.
In the rare alliance, which stiffened the opposition challenge to the populist president, Venezuela's Workers' Confederation and the Fedecamaras business association presented a blueprint for democratic government in a post-Chavez era.
"Some people are now already talking about a Venezuela without Chavez," the outspoken president said sarcastically. [End Excerpt]
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(March 7, 2002) In Washington D.C.: U.S. Pressure on Cuba May Increase: Otto Reich views Castro as menace-[Excerpt] It turns out, however, that the Bush team is just getting warmed up. One reason a more assertive policy may be in the offing was the installation in January of Cuban-born Otto J. Reich as the State Department's top official for Latin America.
He joins other Cuban-Americans in key positions who, like Reich, have viewed Castro as a menace for years.
Shortly after Reich took office, the administration began a policy review of Cuba with a view toward determining Cuba's potential for damaging U.S. interests.
One issue under study, according to a senior official, is the role Washington says Cuba plays in international terrorism. Cuba is on the State Department terrorist country list, a designation based on ties Cuba maintains with other countries on the list, including Iraq, and the haven Cuba provides for foreigners linked to alleged terrorist organizations. [End Excerpt]
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(March 7, 2002) In Havana, Cuba: Cuba Dissidents Say 10,000 Sign Referendum Appeal [Excerpt] "The government is afraid of this liberating gesture, where a social vanguard is showing it has no fear. The government is afraid when the people are not afraid," he added.
Castro frequently says his one-party communist system is more democratic than the Western model and denies the existence of political prisoners or repression of freedom of expression.
The signatures, gathered by activists across the Caribbean island of 11 million inhabitants over the last year, will be presented to the National Assembly in a few weeks, once all 10,000 signatures have been checked and ratified, Paya said.
"This has never been done before, it has no precedent," he added. "It shows Cubans not only want changes, but also are ready to face the risks to show they want changes."
........ Castro again scathingly lambasted dissidents this week, in a three-hour TV speech, as nonrepresentative of the Cuban people and intent on helping Washington bring Cuba into the U.S. "empire." [End Excerpt]
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Send PayPal direct to JimRob@psnw.com While I certainly cannot claim to be a "Latin American specialist" like Mark Falcoff, I have lived in Latin American countries for 22 years... 3 of those years in Caracas from '93 to '96. Therefore I don't quite understand Falcoff's comment that the majority of the armed forces (officers) are "institutionalists" and will only support a constitutional outcome; whence did Chavez obtain his fellow coupsters when he led the coup in '91 and '92? Regarding the "historical" ties to the Pentagon, in my opinion this is more of "parasitical" tie. I personally know a Venezuelan Navy Officer who was fortunate enough to gain his commission through the U.S. Naval Academy; he absolutely loathes the U.S. and would be among the first join a communist-type coup. My impression of Venezuelans, especially the military, is that they'll follow whomever they consider a "strong man"; whatever allegiance they may have towards their nation's constitution or "institutions" is skin-deep. Just my two cent opinion.