Hugo Chavez, imperialist

Washington Times ^ | March 6, 2006 | Stephen Johnson

[RWR8189]

Dictators and strongmen enjoy basking in their own glory. Spain's Generalisimo Francisco Franco waved from balconies to arranged crowds. North Korea's Kim Jong-il once preferred to be called "Dear Leader." Uganda's Idi Amin loved to show off in race cars. Cuba's Fidel Castro turned olive-green fatigues and seven-hour speeches into trademarks.

None managed to extend their charisma much beyond their borders. But Venezuela's authoritarian President Hugo Chavez seems to be making waves -- not only in South America, but also in the United States, throwing money around from his country's oil industry, which he controls.

Here, his government reportedly pays lobbyists up to $100,000 a month to conduct publicity campaigns and convince Congress he's a good guy, despite all the epithets he has called U.S. officials since his election in 1998.

His government supports the Venezuela Information Office, a firm employing writers and publicists operating under the Foreign Agents Registration Act. Allied pro-Chavez activist groups called "Bolivarian Circles" have now surfaced in Miami, Chicago and other cities.

This weekend, Venezuela's embassy helped organize a National Solidarity Conference on Venezuela at George Washington University along with the Committee in Solidarity with the People of El Salvador (CISPES), Committee for Indigenous Solidarity-D.C. Zapatistas, and Code Pink-D.C., all a stale wind from the 1980s, when radical groups

[Shermy]

"Allied pro-Chavez activist groups called "Bolivarian Circles" have now surfaced in Miami, Chicago and other cities."

Brought to you by CITGO

[lesser_satan]

Here, his government reportedly pays lobbyists up to $100,000 a month to conduct publicity campaigns and convince Congress he's a good guy, despite all the epithets he has called U.S. officials since his election in 1998.

Is this legal? I find it far more disconcerting than any of that POS Abramoff's malfeasance.

[Brilliant]

Dodd's favorite Latin American "President."



I don't know why I'm the only one who points this out. The Dems who've supported this guy should be made to pay. Remember when Dodd scolded Rice for saying bad things about Chavez? The irony is that it was not the US that was saying bad things about Chavez, but Chavez who was saying bad things about the US. But no one points these things out.

Chavez is Dodd's boy. Remind folks of that every time you get.

Another of Dodd's boys is about to become President of Nicaragua, Daniel Ortega. Why don't conservatives give Dodd credit for all the pain he's causing?

[The Cuban]

Don't forget another of Dodd's boys, Fidel

[marron]

Here, his government reportedly pays lobbyists up to $100,000 a month... Is this legal?

This is how modern espionage is conducted, right out in the open.

Think tanks, institutes, NGOs and charitable organizations, Political Action Committees, PR firms, law firms, lobbyists which are often connected to PR firms and law firms, donations to political campaigns, leaks to news organizations, this is how its done.

Bags of money are still passed under tables to secret agents, but there are more effective, legal and semi-legal ways to conduct espionage operations. And, when you get caught, you are immune from prosecution.