Cuban Embassy in Venezuela Besieged

yahoo.com ^ | Apr 12, 2002 8:01 PM ET | ANDREW SELSKY, AP

[Cincinatus' Wife]

CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) - About 500 Venezuelans, chanting and blowing whistles, demonstrated outside the Cuban Embassy on Friday, angered by Cuban leader Fidel Castro's support of ousted President Hugo Chavez and claiming four of Chavez's lieutenants were hiding inside.

Riot police stood between the protesters and the embassy, its turquoise walls spattered with eggs. Demonstrators vandalized at least three cars in front of the embassy - breaking windows, puncturing tires and pouring white paint inside - thinking the vehicles belonged to the former members of Chavez's government.

The protesters also reportedly cut telephone and electrical wires leading to the embassy.

In Havana, Cuban Foreign Minister Felipe Perez Roque told journalists the Cuban diplomats had been instructed to protect the mission "with their very lives." He also denied any Venezuelans were seeking refuge at the site.

He said he expressed concerns to the United Nations about the safety of the embassy and its diplomats and blamed the protests on "coup leaders" backed by Cuban exile groups in Miami.

Henrique Capriles Radonski, mayor of the upper-middle class suburb of Baruta where the embassy is located, stood on a 10-foot wall surrounding the compound and urged to the crowd not to storm the mission - though he encouraged protesters not to leave.

He refused to say if any Venezuelans had sought refuge inside.

Chavez and Castro were good friends. Castro even celebrated his 75th birthday with Chavez last year in Venezuela.

Cuban President Fidel Castro, left, and Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez wave to a crowd while touring Canaima National Park in eastern Venezuela in a canoe in this Aug. 12, 2001 file photo. Chavez, the former army paratrooper who polarized Venezuela with his strongarm rule and whose friendship with Cuba and Iraq irritated the United States, resigned under military pressure Friday, April 12, 2002 after a massive opposition demonstration ended in a bloodbath. (AP Photo/HO, Miraflores Presidential Palace, Egilda Gomez)

[Travis McGee]

Ain't it sweet?

[Cincinatus' Wife]

Bump!

[kayak]

fyi, mi amigo.

[Cincinatus' Wife]

Already the media is inferring this happened because the U.S. was angry with Chavez's rule.
They never resist taking pot-shots at us. No wonder our international PR is so rotten.

Venezuela's Power Shift Condemned*** Security forces conducted house to house searches Friday for members of so-called "Bolivarian Circles," citizens' groups said to have been armed by Chavez's government. Anti-Chavez politicians said they still feared assassination by the "Chavistas." Police searched the home of Chavez supporter, Caracas Mayor Freddy Bernal, who was missing.***

[kcvl]

bttt

[Cincinatus' Wife]

Houston Chronicle CHAVEZ'S REVOLUTION: Egomaniacal power grab disgusted most Venezuelans [Full Text] When Hugo Chavez won a landslide election victory to the presidency three years ago, he enjoyed the good will of the vast majority of Venezuelans and many democratically minded people throughout the world. Finally, it was hoped, here would be a leader who would improve the lot of all Venezuelans, most of whom lived in terrible poverty despite the fact that Venezuela is a rich nation by virtue of being the world's fourth-largest exporter of oil.

But the charismatic former paratroop colonel, who had staged a failed military coup in 1992, betrayed the voters and proved to be more of a pompous, left-leaning egomaniac than a true democrat. His international friends were Fidel Castro, to whom he agreed to ship oil at a cut-rate cost, Saddam Hussein and very probably Colombia's leftist guerrillas. He turned his back on the United States, although Venezuela remained this country's No. 3 supplier of imported oil.

Friday Chavez either resigned his presidency or was forced from power by Venezuelan military commanders following a national strike and mass march in Caracas that resulted in at least a dozen demonstrators being killed and an estimated 250 wounded. His approval ratings had plunged from 80 percent to 30 percent, even among the poorest of Venezuelans who had once been his strongest supporters.

In effect, the revolution had eaten its young. Power had corrupted. Domestically, Chavez grabbed for power with both hands. He put his old military friends into high positions. He muzzled and intimidated Venezuela's free press, got rid of honest judges along with some corrupt ones, rewrote the constitution and attacked middle-class businessmen, the Roman Catholic Church and labor leaders. He set the nation's state oil monopoly on a path to ruin.

Chavez's revolution turned out to be a lost chance to fix the many wrongs that plague the ordinary citizens of Venezuela. But the former colonel betrayed the people, as do most leaders who seek absolute power.

It is unclear where Venezuela will go from this point. Pedro Carmona, the interim leader who heads the country's largest business association, has promised new presidential and legislative elections within a year.

The future of Venezuelans depends on the rule of law, honest judges, a free press, a more transparent government and a renewed dedication to the principle that all Venezuelans should be treated fairly and humanely and with dignity. On this, history must wait. [End]

[Joe Boucher]

Hugo chavez, fidel castro and any other despot should get what they deserve, to be turned over to the people they repress. Let them be dragged through the street and hung from a light pole. Hurray Venezuela and Venezuelans.

[Cincinatus' Wife]

Hurray!

Venezuelans destroy cars in front of the Cuban Embassy in Caracas April 12, 2002. Military officers forced Hugo Chavez out as Venezuelan president in a coup, installing a civilian business chief as interim president of the world's fourth-biggest oil exporting nation. REUTERS/Chico Sanchez

[OldFriend]

Obviously Chavez' friendship with Cuba and Iraq annoyed more than the Americans!! Seems the people in Venezuela had an opinion on those friendships as well. The media trying to spin attention away from the TRUTH, once again.

[Cincinatus' Wife]

Yes. The drum beating, un-American media is saying Chavez's friendship with Cuba and Iraq irritated the United States .

[Luis Gonzalez]

"Cuban Foreign Minister Felipe Perez Roque told journalists the Cuban diplomats had been instructed to protect the mission "with their very lives."

OK, that seems fair enough.

[Nat Turner]

VIVA VENEZULA!!!!

[Free the USA]

Check the Bump List folders for articles related to and descriptions of the above topic(s) or for other topics of interest.

[aristeides]

According to this story, the demonstrators seem not to have gotten inside the embassy.

[Cincinatus' Wife]

OK, that seems fair enough.

I agree. Looks like a lot of Chavez rats scurried to the Cuban Embassy. Maybe the new Venezuelan president should go in and remove them like Castro removed the Cubans from the Mexican Embassy in Havana. Seems like what's good for the goose is good for the gander.

[Cincinatus' Wife]

Thanks!

[Cincinatus' Wife]

Bump for freedom!!

[Free the USA]

bttt

[Grampa Dave]

Travis sweet indeed.

This brave action to dispose of the Commie in charge of Venezula has resulted in 12 to 14% price reduction of bulk gasoline. Those decreases will be showing up at our pumps next week>

Also, this may be the end of the vile Opecker Princes and their cartel Opec. The new government will supply the oil to meet market demands.

Shermy, would you please go to Drudge to get an article on what is happening re maybe the end of Opec, and post a thread on what is happening down in Venezuela. I will be leaving to do Grampa things and to help my DIL to plant flowers and other green things in her new back yard.

[McGavin999]

Gee, aren't you "cuban exiles" powerful? LOL

[Cincinatus' Wife]

Cuba protests ouster of Venezuela's Chavez*** Rodriguez criticized the United States for not condemning Chavez's overthrow, saying that "the Yankees are almost always behind coups ... and install dictators."***

[Travis McGee]

BTTT!

[fieldmarshaldj]

"But the charismatic former paratroop colonel, who had staged a failed military coup in 1992, betrayed the voters and proved to be more of a pompous, left-leaning egomaniac than a true democrat."

But I thought true democrats ARE pompous, left-leaning egomaniacs !

[Grampa Dave]

Here is the link that I mentioned above!

Maybe our new friends in Venezuela have started to drive the wooden spike in the heart of the Vampire Opec!

This could be the beginning of the end of the vile Opecker Princes and Opec: (The beginning of the end of the vile Opecker Princes and Opec!)

[Cincinatus' Wife]

Venezuela syncrude challenging Mideast oil in U.S.--[Excerpt] The first shipment of Sincor will go to TotalFinaElf's refinery in Port Arthur, Texas, this month. Sincor is expected to hit full production by the end of the year.

U.S. refiner Ultramar Diamond Shamrock Corp., a unit of Valero Energy Corp. has signed a three-year contract to take 45,000 bpd of the new ``Zuata Sweet'' crude to its Three Rivers refinery near Corpus Christi, Texas.

While analysts and oil companies warn that new oil terms put in place under Venezuela's new hydrocarbon's law may prevent further heavy oil investment, the Ministry of Energy and Mines said the tar belt would provide stable supply for decades.

``We have oil in the Orinoco to last for the next 35 to 40 years,'' said a Ministry spokesman. [End Excerpt]

[Cincinatus' Wife]

LOL!!

[The Bolt]

In effect, the revolution had eaten its young. Power had corrupted. Domestically, Clinton grabbed for power with both hands. He put his old military friends into high positions. He muzzled and intimidated America's leftist free press, got rid of honest judges along with some corrupt ones, rewrote the constitution and attacked middle-class businessmen, the Roman Catholic Church and labor leaders. He set the nation's U. S. Attorney's on a path to ruin. I thought they were talking about the big creep.

[bourbon]

para hispanohablantes:

Excellent editorial in a Venezuelan newspaper

Here's hoping that most of the Venezuelan people feel the same way this guy does!

FYI angloparlantes, here are some of the things this fellow calls for in his editorial. 1) an immediate end to diplomatic relations with Cuba and the expulsion of all Cuba ambassadors from Venezuela. 2) support for the Uruguayan measure submitted to the UN condmening Cuba for interfering in Venezuelan internal affairs. 3) a return to military cooperation with the government of Colombia and increased support for their civil war against FARC. [and my favorite] a declaration of the democratic character of the Venezuelan society and total support for the international war against terrorism!

isn't it fun to witness liberty and clear-thinking on the rise for a change?! The events in Venezuela should give hope to liberty-loving people worldwide. Pray for our brothers in Venezuela!

CW, I have greatly enjoyed your postings on this topic. Keep up the great work. You're faster, smarter, and a damn sight more thorough than the major media!

[bourbon]

(((ping)))

[PatrickHenry]

Last night, PBS' NewsHour with Jim Lehrer did a segment on the resignation, with two guests to discuss the situation. Not once did anyone mention that Chavez was a communist. Transcript Here.

Probably just an innocent journalistic oversight.
</sarcasm>

[Let's Roll]

"But I thought true democrats ARE pompous, left-leaning egomaniacs ! "

Just the US variety!

[Cincinatus' Wife]

They never use the word communist. Hell, they hardly ever refer to "president" Castro as a communist. No, the closest they like to go is "left-leaning, fire-brand Hugo Chavez, who held such promise to help the poor." He wanted to use the poor to stay in power. He's a criminal and I hope they put him in jail.

[Cincinatus' Wife]

I loved reading your post. Thank you.

[Shermy]

Yes. thanks very much for the ping.

[Erasmus]

``We have oil in the Orinoco to last for the next 35 to 40 years,'' said a Ministry spokesman. [End Excerpt]

Enya even sang a song about it!

[Deb]

From what I can gather of the coverage to date, the term "Communist" has been changed to "Populist".

The Left Angeles Times reported the story in an equally mystifying way. It even had a "Time-Line" of Chavez events without mentioning he was Che-adoring, Marxist revolutionary who tried to overthrow the government and created a peasant-led groundswell that got him elected by lying to the poor, ignorant peasants and using class envy in a vicious campaign against the government.

The Times called his actions of eliminating the Venezulean Congress and installing his fellow revolutionaries in the Supreme Court "reforming the government".

If I hadn't been following this story for years I wouldn't have recognized the person they were talking about as Chavez. John Ashcroft gets worse press than Chavez (or Arafat).

[tet68]

Ya sure that isn't Algore on the right?
Seems I saw him in an outfit like that before.

Fidel and Hugo ride the wild rapids at Six Flags over Cuber.
(Look at them, you KNOW they just burned a fat one!)

[Cincinatus' Wife]

John Ashcroft gets worse press than Chavez (or Arafat).

Well, this morning the media is having a field day believing Castro II is going to be back in the palace and in control again. Ugh!!

[Lucius Cornelius Sulla]

What happens when the hundreds of thousands who thought he was gone wake up to find out he is back??!!

[Cincinatus' Wife]

They'll probably be thinking they should get out while the getting's good.