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Gold9472
09-16-2005, 08:14 AM
U.S. says Venezuela no longer ally in war on drugs
Bush stops short of cutting aid to the nation because money helps fund democracy efforts

http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/world/3356406

9/16/2005

By STEVEN DUDLEY and PABLO BACHELET

WASHINGTON - President Bush has taken Venezuela off his list of allies in the war on drugs, saying that President Hugo Chavez spurned anti-drug cooperation with U.S. officials and fired its effective law enforcement officers.

But the White House waived the cuts in U.S. foreign aid usually attached to the "decertification" so that it can continue to support pro-democracy groups in Venezuela that oppose the leftist Chavez.

Bush's decision is expected to sharply exacerbate already bitter U.S.-Venezuelan relations roiled by Washington's charges that Chavez is promoting subversion around the hemisphere and the Venezuelan president's allegations that Bush is out to kill him.

Venezuela provides 12 to 15 percent of U.S. oil imports.

The U.S. State Department's No. 3 official, Nicholas Burns, announced the Bush administration decision Thursday in New York City about the time Chavez was arriving there for a U.N. summit gathering.

Accompanying Burns, U.S. drug czar John Walters said that in the past Venezuelan cooperation on drugs was "quite successful" but that Chavez now "no longer wants a productive relationship."

Venezuelan Vice President José Vicente Rangel said of the annual certification process required by U.S. law, "We reject it. ... it's infantile."

The White House said Venezuela had "failed demonstrably" to stem the flow through its territory of 150 tons of cocaine and growing amounts of heroin, mostly from Colombia.

Venezuela's chief narcotics prosecutor, national counter-narcotics director and head of the financial intelligence unit "were fired and replaced with Chavez loyalists who lack the necessary training," the statement added.

Last month, Chavez ordered his government officials to stop cooperating with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, accusing it of espionage and drug trafficking. U.S. officials denied the charges, and Venezuelan investigators continued to work with the DEA.

The waiver of the decertification sanctions will allow the U.S. government to support democratic institutions there and "strengthen Venezuela's political party system," the White House said.

At the U.N., Chavez denounced the U.S.-led war in Iraq on and told world leaders they should consider moving the U.N. headquarters out of the United States because of it, noting that some have suggested Jerusalem as a new home.

World leaders had been asked to speak for five minutes, and when Chavez kept talking, the presiding diplomat passed him a note that his time was up. Chavez threw it on the floor and said if Bush could speak for 20 minutes at Wednesday's opening session, so could he.

Uber Commandante
09-16-2005, 11:40 AM
U.S. says Venezuela no longer ally in war on drugs
Bush stops short of cutting aid to the nation because money helps fund democracy efforts

http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/world/3356406

9/16/2005

By STEVEN DUDLEY and PABLO BACHELET

WASHINGTON - President Bush has taken Venezuela off his list of allies in the war on drugs, saying that President Hugo Chavez spurned anti-drug cooperation with U.S. officials and fired its effective law enforcement officers.

But the White House waived the cuts in U.S. foreign aid usually attached to the "decertification" so that it can continue to support pro-democracy groups in Venezuela that oppose the leftist Chavez.


Bush's decision is expected to sharply exacerbate already bitter U.S.-Venezuelan relations roiled by Washington's charges that Chavez is promoting subversion around the hemisphere and the Venezuelan president's allegations that Bush is out to kill him.

Venezuela provides 12 to 15 percent of U.S. oil imports.

The U.S. State Department's No. 3 official, Nicholas Burns, announced the Bush administration decision Thursday in New York City about the time Chavez was arriving there for a U.N. summit gathering.

Accompanying Burns, U.S. drug czar John Walters said that in the past Venezuelan cooperation on drugs was "quite successful" but that Chavez now "no longer wants a productive relationship."

Venezuelan Vice President José Vicente Rangel said of the annual certification process required by U.S. law, "We reject it. ... it's infantile."

The White House said Venezuela had "failed demonstrably" to stem the flow through its territory of 150 tons of cocaine and growing amounts of heroin, mostly from Colombia.

Venezuela's chief narcotics prosecutor, national counter-narcotics director and head of the financial intelligence unit "were fired and replaced with Chavez loyalists who lack the necessary training," the statement added.

Last month, Chavez ordered his government officials to stop cooperating with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, accusing it of espionage and drug trafficking. U.S. officials denied the charges, and Venezuelan investigators continued to work with the DEA.

The waiver of the decertification sanctions will allow the U.S. government to support democratic institutions there and "strengthen Venezuela's political party system," the White House said.

At the U.N., Chavez denounced the U.S.-led war in Iraq on and told world leaders they should consider moving the U.N. headquarters out of the United States because of it, noting that some have suggested Jerusalem as a new home.

World leaders had been asked to speak for five minutes, and when Chavez kept talking, the presiding diplomat passed him a note that his time was up. Chavez threw it on the floor and said if Bush could speak for 20 minutes at Wednesday's opening session, so could he.


First of all, doesn't anyone care to mention that Hugo Chavez IS!!!!!! a democratically elected president???? When he was removed forcibly from power by an illegal coup backed by the US (and a corporation-friendly president was appointed), two days later Chavez was back in power due to an unprecidented popular uprising that quashed the coup and put Chavez back in power. So, no only was he elected the first time, but he was manhandled back into power by regular people. Because he is enacting social, non-capitalist, reforms in Venuzuals he is being deliberately demonized by the US politicians and their lapdog Media cohorts. For the record, Venuzuela is now being referred to as a 'Roque Democracy'. What a bunch of bullshit - Don't believe these lies.

Secondly, after the disaster in New Orleans, we certainly have some nerve to say that Chavez is putting unqualified people in charge of stuff. Holy Shit!!!

US politicians and their trans-national corporate handlers simply are trying to force Venezuela to tow the line. In other words, to force Venezuela to make sure that all of the countries vast resources and oil wealth end up being controlled by these same trans-national corporations.

In Venezuela, which has an 80% poverty rate, regular people now have access to doctors and dentists, and subsidized food so that malnutrition is far lower then it was. Land redistribution to small farmers is helping to create local jobs and make Venezuela become less dependant on food imports.

Even in the US, Chavez is working to bring subsidized oil to poor US communities (at a savings of about 30%) - This drives US corporations NUTS! How dare that bastard cut into corporate profits by helping the poor.

Again, don't believe these lies. Chavez is a threat to the international capatalist system that works for only a very few, while leaving the rest of us in the cold.

Uber Commandante
09-16-2005, 11:59 AM
Oh yea,

Chavez also has a weekly radio and TV show where he takes live calls from regular people asking him about this or that. My god! Could you imagine?? Place that in contrast with the cowardly, murdering, hypocrite we have who can only get it up with an audience of sterile eunichs.

911=inside job
09-16-2005, 12:07 PM
this is total bullshit.... we are such assholes...

Gold9472
09-16-2005, 12:13 PM
Oh yea,

Chavez also has a weekly radio and TV show where he takes live calls from regular people asking him about this or that. My god! Could you imagine?? Place that in contrast with the cowardly, murdering, hypocrite we have who can only get it up with an audience of sterile eunichs.

Did you know at last night's Presidential Speech, not a single person from the public was allowed to attend, and journalists were forced to stay on topic, or stick to talking points....

PhilosophyGenius
09-16-2005, 05:48 PM
In the word's of Michael Moore, "Dude, where's my country?"