viernes, 23 de octubre de 2009

Chavez's "blitzkrieg" in the hemisphere.



Hugo Chavez is currently conducting a political and financial “blitzkrieg” in countries such as Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama, Bolivia, Paraguay, Costa Rica, Peru and Colombia. So far, country responses to his aggressive efforts have been rather languid, with the exception of Honduras, where a rapid civic and military reaction has checked the progress of his offensive.
The case of the Honduras “coup” is already well known. Former President Zelaya attempted a coup, conducting an illegal referendum to change the constitution to allow for indefinite presidential re-elections, a change that Chavez had already imposed on the Venezuelan people. Chavez promoted this action by lending him logistical and financial support. After being ousted, Zelaya remained wholly dependent on Chavez’s money and aircraft support for his every move in the hemisphere.
In Nicaragua members of the Supreme Court aligned with President Daniel Ortega met to “nullify” article 147 of the existing constitution that forbids the presidential re-election. Alejandro Serrano, a former president of the court has called this action a “vulgar coup”, adding “They are manipulating the constitution and the rule of law in an unthinkable way, since the Supreme Court does not have the authority to declare the constitution unconstitutional”. This action confirms the claims of those who say that both the Honduran and the Nicaraguan initiatives respond to a concerted strategy promoted by Hugo Chavez, to install fascist-socialist, authoritarian regimes, in as many countries of the hemisphere as possible. The Organization of American States has yet to say a word about the Nicaraguan coup while it continues to debate aimlessly about Honduras.
In Panama the Minister of Government and Justice, Jose Raul Mulino, was surprised to find members of the Venezuelan embassy giving lectures throughout the country in which the so-called Bolivarian revolution of Chavez is presented as the solution for Panama. When asked about these actions the Venezuelan Ambassador to Panama, Jorge Luis Duran, claimed that they had “a right to inform the Panamanian population about the positive results of the Chavez revolution”. Some 50 pro-Chavez groups have been established already in Panama and this has caught the attention of the new president of the country, Ricardo Martinelli, who is a firm opponent of Chavez. The Venezuelan ambassador is being called to the Ministry of Foreign Relations to explain is actions. Former Panamanian vice-president Guillermo Ford called these actions by the Chavez embassy “disrespectful and interventionist”.
In Bolivia Chavez has been financing the presidential campaign of Evo Morales and is openly intervening in the internal affairs of that country. While in the Bolivian city of Cochabamba he defended the recent acquisition of weapons and aircraft by impoverished Bolivia, accusing the Paraguayan critics of these acquisitions of “plotting to oust [Paraguayan] President Fernando Lugo”.
In Costa Rica the government of Hugo Chavez has already installed a so-called “Peace Base”, designed to counter the agreement on military cooperation between Colombia and the U.S. The reaction of the Costa Rican government has been slow. The Minister of the Presidency, Rodrigo Arias, has said that this could represent an intervention of the Venezuelan regime in Costa Rican life and has asked for an investigation, while President Oscar Arias has said “Venezuela has nothing to teach us Costa Ricans about peace”. Similar bases have already been installed by Venezuela in Cuba and Nicaragua.
In Peru Venezuela has promoted the installation of ALBA houses, which essentially transmit propaganda in favor of the socialist movement led by Chavez. The Peruvian government has complained mildly and is just starting to investigate the money transfers made by the Venezuelan regime to Ollanta Humala, the leftist presidential candidate defeated by current President Alan Garcia.
In Colombia the political activity of the Chavez regime is most intense in connection with the FARC, the terrorist guerrilla group that receives his logistical and financial support. Colombian Senator Piedad Cordoba, a friend of, and occasional spokesperson for, the FARC, is one of the frequent visitors to the Venezuelan presidential palace and is rumored to receive significant financial aid from the Venezuelan government to help in her activities against Colombian democracy.
None of these activities have received any attention from the Organization of American States, OAS, since its Secretary general, Jose Miguel Insulza, is strongly biased in favor of the ideology promoted by Chavez. Insulza is actively seeking re-election as leader of this organization.
The attitude of the United States in connection with the Chavez’s “blitzkrieg” has been passive, even as Chavez has extended his initiatives to the U.S. academic world, Washington think tanks, Hollywood and, even, the U.S. Congress, where he is making modest but clear inroads. The U.S.government continues to define the ousting of former Honduran President Zelaya as a “military coup”, in spite of overwhelming evidence to the contrary that includes a report by the U.S, Congress.
The hemisphere ignores the Chavez’s threat at its peril.


3 comentarios:

AB dijo...

Colombian Senator Piedad Cordoba, a friend of, and occasional spokesperson for, the FARC, is one of the frequent visitors to the Venezuelan presidential palace and is rumored to receive significant financial aid from the Venezuelan government to help in her activities against Colombian democracy.

Gustavo, this is no longer a rumour, for there's is publicly available evidence that proves that Venezuelan tax payer's money has been used to prop up and support Piedad Cordoba. I wrote about it here:

http://infovenezuela.org/noticias/injerencia-hugo-chavez-colombia.php

Gustavo Coronel dijo...

Thank you, Alek. I did not have the certainty. Now I do.

Anónimo dijo...

HABLAN VÍCTIMAS DEL OBISPO VIOLADOR FERNANDO LUGO

Benigna Leguizamón (26), responsable de la segunda demanda por filiación en contra del clérigo-presidente Fernando Lugo, también lo acusó de haberla sometido sexualmente. “Lugo me violó”, afirmó la denunciante.
La mujer relató que un día, el entonces monseñor Lugo, la hizo buscar por su chofer, quien la llevó hasta el Obispado de San Pedro, alegando que el obispo estaba enfermo. Sin embargo, según comentó, al llegar Lugo la encerró en su habitación y la forzó a tener sexo con él. “El Obispado era de dos pisos, me encerró bajo llave en una habitación y allí me sacó la ropa a la fuerza y me sometió sexualmente. No había cómo escapar de él”, comentó.

VIVIANA CARRILLO

No menos escandaloso es el testimonio de Viviana Carrillo, donde expresaba que su relación con Lugo se había iniciado siendo ella menor de edad.
"Siendo muy joven aún (tenía 16 años), aproximadamente en el 2000; y al tiempo en que realizaba mi preparación para realizar mi confirmación dentro de la religión católica en la cual fui bautizada por mis padres, conocí al Obispo Fernando Lugo en el Departamento de San Pedro de donde soy originaria; cuando vivía en la casa de la señora Edith Lombardo de Vega", señala el escrito.
Continúa explicando que aparte de acompañar a la demanda con fotografías y el certificado de confirmación firmada por el entonces obispo, "desde aquella tierna edad, el demandado me sedujo, y empezamos a tener un relacionamiento amoroso, el cual se inicio porque él se quedaba a dormir en la casa de mi madrina Edith Lombardo de Vega en la localidad de Choré, en cuya casa también vivía yo".
"Todo se inició una vez cuando le llevé las ropas de cama a su habitación, y al preguntarle si necesitaba algo más, el me dijo que sí, que a mí era a quien él necesitaba, siendo a partir de ese momento constante su acoso, hasta que debido a mi corta edad e inexperiencia, fui seducida por su forma de hablar, por sus palabras bonitas, por sus expresiones bellas, y por las promesas que me hizo de renunciar a su cargo por mí, y que pretendía compartir una vida conmigo y que tengamos muchos hijos y formemos un hogar, habiendo sido él mi primer y único hombre", detalla la demanda.
Explica luego que "poco tiempo después, al sospechar mis padres y mi madrina lo que estaba ocurriendo, todos mis familiares y personas cercanas me dieron la espalda, diciéndome que eligiera vivir en el pecado (por estar con un sacerdote) o que me arrepintiera y me olvidara por completo de lo que había pasado".
La mujer relata luego que el motivo que detonó su demanda fue la desatención en la que Lugo tenía al hijo y expresa que una vez discutiendo sobre el asunto "me dio un golpe en la cara", molesto porque le dijo que al parecer él no quería al niño.