Hugo Chavez calls for unity in post-coup Venezuela

The new Hugo Chavez sounded a lot like the old Hugo Chavez - The new Hugo Chavez sounded a lot like the old Hugo Chavez - this time, irked by criticism, and accusing rivals of refusing to share the blame for Venezuela's continuing turmoil.

"I asked for pardon," Chavez said at a meeting of the nation's governors and mayors Thursday. "I would like others to follow the example of accepting their responsibilities."

The meeting launched a series of formal debates meant to heal the national wounds of riotous demonstrations that toppled Chavez on April 12 and restored him two days later.

In Washington, the Organization of American States heard a report from the secretary-general, Cesar Gaviria, on his fact-finding mission in Venezuela. Gaviria pleaded with Venezuelans to ease their differences.

Seemingly chastened by the mass opposition uprising that led to the coup, Chavez had promised in recent days to "correct" his course and his manner. But after hearing critics on television accuse him of sponsoring killings, and after hearing mayors around him add complaints, Chavez erupted.

Looking around the room, Chavez said that the conspiracy against him "was mounted some time ago. And many of you, in my opinion, were used by the true conspirators."

He accused "rancid economic sectors" - apparently the rich - of manipulating the hundreds of thousands who marched against him on April 11. He repeated denunciations of news coverage that blamed his government for the 16 people shot to death that day, saying the first person shot to death was one of his own bodyguards.

"The coup d'etat never would have happened without the support of the communications media, especially the television," Chavez said. "If the communications media, especially television, want to continue encouraging this and we allow it, well, it will bring us to war."

He said businessman Pedro Carmona, who served as the coup's figurehead, had issued a "Mussolini-like decree" suspending congress, the courts and the constitution - and not even Mussolini, Chavez said, had sworn himself into office as Carmona did.

"Everything they have accused me of ... not that I would ever do it ... he decreed within four, five hours!" Chavez said of Carmona. "Imagine what he would have had coming! Tyranny!"

The discussion, which Chavez said was meant to "recover a sense of national family," was the start of a long series of national debates and discussion.

"There will be no taboo subjects, nor should there be," Chavez said. But he said Venezuelans must accept the 1999 constitution he promoted and which Venezuelans approved in a referendum.

Dozens more died Saturday and Sunday during widespread looting, and riots by loyalists preceding Chavez's return to power, and in widespread looting.

Venezuela's National Council of Commerce and Services said coup-related violence and looting cost dlrs 226 million in damages and left 80,000 people jobless, and it said the figures could rise.

Chavez 'Walking on Glass' in Divided Venezuela***Far from presenting a solid base of support for the reinstated Chavez, the country's armed forces, which were directly involved in both ousting him and restoring him, were still seething with divisions and dissent. "He (Chavez) is the cause of this situation, and he should watch out," Army Gen. Nestor Gonzalez, who had spoken out against the president a day before the failed coup, told Mexican television from a hiding place somewhere in Venezuela.

Gonzalez accused Chavez of ordering armed forces commanders to deploy troops against the anti-government demonstration and he said the commanders' refusal had triggered the original decision to remove the president to avoid bloodshed. Following his triumphant return on Sunday, an apparently chastened Chavez, clutching a crucifix and a tiny blue copy of the constitution, promised to seek a national consensus. Many foes, who had accused him of ruling like a dictator and trying to steer the oil-rich country toward a Cuban-style regime, were skeptical, saying they wanted action not words.***

Hugo Chavez - Venezuela

July 2001- More Cuban trainers in Venezuela***But the former army officer who led a failed coup in 1992 has touched an especially raw nerve by insisting that the reforms in the education sector should be aimed at ensuring the ``irreversibility'' of his revolution. parents and teachers' unions complain that Chávez is not merely fixing problems, but rather trying to establish a Cuba-like system of political indoctrination for young minds. Among the controversial actions:

A new constitution written by Chávez supporters requires all schools to teach ``Bolivarian principles'' ---- a code phrase for Chávez's brand of leftist populism ---- and the pro-Chávez majority in the legislative National Assembly is preparing a bill laying out the exact curriculum. Last month, the president issued Decree 1011, creating a corps of ``itinerant inspectors'' empowered to close schools and fire teachers that don't follow government-set procedures and standards.

``Political commissars,'' Agudo called them. Jaime Manzo, head of the national teachers' union, called it ``a sword hanging over the head of any teacher who refuses to sing Chávez's praises in the classroom.'' Parents' groups and the teachers' union have appealed to the Supreme Court to block the decree and submitted to the assembly an alternate education reform plan that guarantees a ``pluralist education'' and bans ``partisan politics'' from the classroom.

New history texts for fourth- and sixth-graders published in 1999 praised Chávez's coup attempt and branded as ``corrupt oligarchies'' the two parties that ruled Venezuela since the late 1950s, Democratic Action and COPEI. Chávez has also greatly expanded a system of paramilitary classes in public high schools that had long been on the books but were seldom held, portraying them as ``the founding stones of the new Venezuelan man.''

``He is promoting militarism, infecting texts with viruses that foster class hatreds ... and speak against globalization and privatization,'' Raffalli said in an interview. Chávez recently signed a deal with Cuba under which Havana will train Venezuelan teachers and provide educational materials, and Education Minister Hector Navarro last year approved a nationwide essay competition on the life of Argentine-born Cuban revolutionary Ernesto ``Ché'' Guevara.***

Chavez allies probe media for backing coup*** Chavez's allies within the National Assembly plan to investigate allegations that country's major media outlets, especially Caracas-based television stations, helped to foment the protests that led to a failed coup April 12 and 13. Chavez always has been critical of the media and will seek ways to control the press.

Attempts to crack down on the media will test domestic support for Chavez as well as his willingness to fly in the face of international criticism - two issues that lie at the core of Venezuela's future. The failed coup attempt has, on balance, strengthened Chavez politically within Venezuela - though not nearly to the heights of 2000 - while weakening his opposition. And though Chavez, with the eyes of the international community focused upon him, is making "conciliatory" statements to his foes, he may be even more emboldened to ignore international pressure to protect human rights and democracy for the sake of his own political survival.

While the sustainability of the Chavez administration remains in serious doubt, the president is in a position to further consolidate his power - which may include cracking down on the media. And there may be little that the international community can do about it. ***

Hugo Chavez Is Huge*** Given that the actual coup plotters proved as inept and feckless as anyone since Aleksandr Kerensky, it was easy for the left to take it from there and write, as Paul Krugman did, that "there we were, reminding everyone of the bad old days when any would-be right-wing dictator could count on U.S. backing." With next to nothing to go on, and knowing next to nothing about Hugo Chavez, the left was unleashed to go after Bush as if he were Nixon attempting to overthrow Allende or Ronald Reagan's National Security Council setting Iran-contra in motion. As if made to order, the figure of Otto Reich, a Cuban-born anti-Communist who became undersecretary of state for Latin America as a recess appointment after his nomination was blocked by anti-Communist loathing Sen. Christopher Dodd, now stands as the symbol of what the Bush haters think is their target. Everyone from the loonies at Media Whores Online to Joshua Marshall to Paul Begala smells a rat and the next scandal that this time could bring the administration down.

No doubt it will survive this brouhaha, and maybe even chalk it up to business as usual. But in fact it could have spared itself considerable grief had it not been so busy in the Middle East muddying signals about what its commitments in the War on Terrorism amount to. What seems to have escaped notice is that Hugo Chavez's survival and the huge embarrassment it has caused the administration mark an important setback in this war, particularly to U.S. credibility in dividing the post-9/11 world into those who choose to be with us, and those who risk annihilation if they choose not to be........ So long as the likes of Osama bin Laden, Saddam Hussein, and Yassir Arafat survive, the re-emergence of Hugo Chavez was the last thing the U.S. needed. ***

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.