US State Department issued a statement regarding yesterday's elections in Venezuela. The choice of words is very interesting (1):
“The United States stands by the people of Venezuela, and their constitutional representatives, in their quest to restore their country to a full and prosperous democracy.”
“We will continue to take strong and swift actions against the architects of authoritarianism in Venezuela, including those who participate in the national constituent assembly as a result of today’s flawed election.”
According to political scientists and journalists, USA itself - not only President Trump - has become more and more authoritarian. During the spring, Los Angeles Times published a six-part series of editorials where it analyzed President Trump's authoritarian politics. In the third part of the series, the newspaper wrote (2):
"In a way, Trump represents a culmination of trends that have been years
in the making.
Conservative talk radio hosts have long blasted federal judges as 'activists' and regulators as meddlers in the economy, while advancing the myth of rampant election fraud. And gridlock in Washington has led previous presidents to try new ways to circumvent the checks on their power - witness President George W. Bush’s use of signing statements to invalidate parts of bills Congress passed, and President Obama’s aggressive use of executive orders when lawmakers balked at his proposals.
What’s uniquely threatening about Trump’s approach, though, is how many fronts he’s opened in this struggle for power and the vehemence with which he seeks to undermine the institutions that don’t go along."
Christopher Weber, Christopher Federico and Stanley Feldman wrote about the way authoritarianism is shaping US politics (3):
"As political scientists Marc Hetherington and Jonathan Weiler have argued, authoritarianism has become more strongly associated with Americans’ partisanship. Those who value deference to existing norms and authorities are more likely to identify with the Republican Party, while those who value those things less are more likely to identify with the Democratic Party. Hetheringon and Weiler suggest that these trends have arisen as issues where opinions are correlated with authoritarianism - such as terrorism - have become more central to the partisan divide."
Weber, Federico and Feldman predicted (3):
"...the growing salience of authoritarianism in American politics is likely to resonate in many ways - directly shaping attitudes, increasingly cleaving the parties, and ultimately shaping how politicians communicate to a divided American public."
Henry A. Giroux wrote in 2013 (4):
"...Noam Chomsky, Chris Hedges, Sheldon Wolin, Stanley Aronowitz, Judith Butler, Robert Scheer, Jeffrey St. Clair, Matt Taibbi, Angela Davis and David Theo Goldberg, among others, have long recognized the transformation of the United States from a weak democracy to a spirited authoritarian state. All of these theorists have challenged the permanent war economy, the erosion of civil liberties, the power of the corporate state, the moral bankruptcy of the liberal intelligentsia, the corporate control of the media, the criminal wars of repression abroad, the rise of the torture state and the increasing militarization of everyday life.
However extremist the Republican Party has become with its ongoing war on women, immigrants, young people, the welfare state, voting rights and all manner of civil rights, this should not suggest that the Democratic Party occupies a valued liberal position. On the contrary, policy in the United States is now being shaped by
a Democratic Party that has become increasingly more conservative in the last 30 years along with a Republican Party that now represents one of the most extremist political parties to ever seize power in Washington."
"Both parties support bailing out the rich and doing the bidding of corporate lobbyists. Moreover, both parties reject the idea of democracy as a collectively inhabited public space and ethos that unconditionally stands for individual, political and economic rights."
SOURCES:
1) Sibylla Brodzinsky: "Venezuela heading for dictatorship after 'sham' election, warns US amid clashes" The Guardian 31.7.2017
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/jul/30/fear-of-violence-hangs-over-venezuela-assembly-election
2) Los Angeles Times: "Trump's Authoritarian Vision" 4.4.2017
http://www.latimes.com/projects/la-ed-trumps-authoritarian-vision/
3) Christopher Weber, Christopher Federico and Stanley Feldman: "How authoritarianism is shaping American politics (and it’s not just about Trump)"
The Washington Post 10.5.2017
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/monkey-cage/wp/2017/05/10/how-authoritarianism-is-shaping-american-politics-and-its-not-just-about-trump/?utm_term=.18ae653cfc5b
4) Henry A. Giroux: "Has America Become an Authoritarian State?"
Alternet 25.1.2013
http://www.alternet.org/has-america-become-authoritarian-state
INVESTIGATIVE INFORMATIONIST
Showing posts with label Venezuela. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Venezuela. Show all posts
29 July 2017
SUPPORT FOR VENEZUELA
The situation in Venezuela has been extremely difficult. Mainstream media seems to have paid attention mostly to the violent demonstrations and casualties, not so much to the US sanctions and other political manoeuvres. Here are some different views.
Peter Koenig attended a press conference hosted by Venezuela's ambassador in Switzerland at the beginning of June. Koenig wrote (1):
"...the Ambassador introduced the issues at stake by explaining that Venezuela today has the largest known oil reserves in the world and the fourth largest deposits of gas; that the US is importing 60% of its lush energy use (a distant first of the globe’s per capita energy users), mostly from the Middle East, where it is subject to long and costly transport (40-45 days), and to many risk factors, including the Gulf of Hormuz, controlled by Iran, where today about one third of all the world’s petrol must pass through.
By contrast, shipments of petroleum from Venezuela across the Caribbean to the refineries in Texas takes only 4-5 days.
This is the main reason why Venezuela is in the White House’s crosshairs, plus,
of course, the fact that for Washington it is totally intolerable to have a sovereign socialist Republic in its ‘backyard’ – and so close, the same syndrome applies also for Cuba, a genuinely successful socialist nation, having survived almost sixty years of atrocious and criminal American strangulation. There is no tolerance for sovereign independent countries that do not bend to the dictate of the United States and her behind the scene handlers."
Sources:
6) Gregory Wilbert: "Time for the “International Left” to Take a Stand on Venezuela" Counterpunch 17.7.2017
https://www.counterpunch.org/2017/07/17/time-for-the-international-left-to-take-a-stand-on-venezuela/
Peter Koenig attended a press conference hosted by Venezuela's ambassador in Switzerland at the beginning of June. Koenig wrote (1):
"...the Ambassador introduced the issues at stake by explaining that Venezuela today has the largest known oil reserves in the world and the fourth largest deposits of gas; that the US is importing 60% of its lush energy use (a distant first of the globe’s per capita energy users), mostly from the Middle East, where it is subject to long and costly transport (40-45 days), and to many risk factors, including the Gulf of Hormuz, controlled by Iran, where today about one third of all the world’s petrol must pass through.
By contrast, shipments of petroleum from Venezuela across the Caribbean to the refineries in Texas takes only 4-5 days.
This is the main reason why Venezuela is in the White House’s crosshairs, plus,
of course, the fact that for Washington it is totally intolerable to have a sovereign socialist Republic in its ‘backyard’ – and so close, the same syndrome applies also for Cuba, a genuinely successful socialist nation, having survived almost sixty years of atrocious and criminal American strangulation. There is no tolerance for sovereign independent countries that do not bend to the dictate of the United States and her behind the scene handlers."
The relationship between Venezuela and USA has become more and more antagonistic and the two countries haven't had full ambassadorial relations since 2010. When USA imposed sanctions on Venezuela in 2014 on grounds of human rights violations, some political analysts were sceptical. Mark Weisbrot, director of Center for Economic and Policy Research, said that the sanctions would serve only "as an annoyance that further weakens US credibility among its American neighbors." He added (2):
"Of course it has absolutely nothing to do with human rights, as everyone knows."
“Ironically, it comes at a time when almost everyone sees that more than half
a century of sanctions against Cuba have failed, and the Obama administration has worse relations with Latin America than any previous administration including Bush, and is even more isolated than ever before on Cuba.”
Right-wing US congressmen have wanted to destabilise President Maduro.
David Smilde from Washington Office on Latin America predicted in 2014 (2):
“With the Republicans in control of both houses of Congress, it should not surprise
if there will be more measures to tighten the screws on the Maduro government in the coming years.”
"Of course it has absolutely nothing to do with human rights, as everyone knows."
“Ironically, it comes at a time when almost everyone sees that more than half
a century of sanctions against Cuba have failed, and the Obama administration has worse relations with Latin America than any previous administration including Bush, and is even more isolated than ever before on Cuba.”
Right-wing US congressmen have wanted to destabilise President Maduro.
David Smilde from Washington Office on Latin America predicted in 2014 (2):
“With the Republicans in control of both houses of Congress, it should not surprise
if there will be more measures to tighten the screws on the Maduro government in the coming years.”
Now USA has been considering new financial sanctions on Venezuela, if President Maduro will go ahead with the Constituent Assembly election tomorrow, on the 30th of July (3,4). Brazil, United Nations, European Union and the Organization of American States (OAS) have demanded that Venezuela should drop plans for
the assembly (4). There have been concerns that Venezuela is on the edge of civil war after "the fake referendum" on the 20th of July (5). Gregory Wilbert called on "international left" to take a stand on Venezuela (6):
"The possibility of civil war becomes more likely as long the international media obscure who is responsible for the violence and as long as the international left remains on the sidelines in this conflict and fails to show solidarity with the Bolivarian socialist movement in Venezuela."
the assembly (4). There have been concerns that Venezuela is on the edge of civil war after "the fake referendum" on the 20th of July (5). Gregory Wilbert called on "international left" to take a stand on Venezuela (6):
"The possibility of civil war becomes more likely as long the international media obscure who is responsible for the violence and as long as the international left remains on the sidelines in this conflict and fails to show solidarity with the Bolivarian socialist movement in Venezuela."
Former Venezuelan ambassador Julio Escalona said that some of the diplomatic tactics that are being used against President Maduro are similar to those used against former Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi (7):
"They are applying here, in some sense, the Libyan model. They succeeded in having the Arab League condemn Libya, they managed to isolate it diplomatically. Once isolated, it took to the Security Council and condemned Libya. That is what they wanted in Venezuela."
"They wanted the OAS to condemn Venezuela to then apply everything that has
the imperial plan and that is why they invented the plebiscite, the so-called popular consultation.”
The former ambassador continued, that USA hasn't been able to attack Venezuela the same way because Venezuela isn't isolated internationally. Venezuela has been working closely with several international organizations. Russia, Cuba, Bolivia, Nicaragua, El Salvador, Ecuador and many other countries have expressed their support for President Maduro (7).
the imperial plan and that is why they invented the plebiscite, the so-called popular consultation.”
The former ambassador continued, that USA hasn't been able to attack Venezuela the same way because Venezuela isn't isolated internationally. Venezuela has been working closely with several international organizations. Russia, Cuba, Bolivia, Nicaragua, El Salvador, Ecuador and many other countries have expressed their support for President Maduro (7).
In the summit last week, the presidents of the Southern Common Market, Mercosur, had plans to threat to expel Venezuela from the organization and to demand that President Maduro should suspend the elections for the Constituent Assembly. However, the presidents backed away from the threat and only issued a declaration where they called on both Venezuelan government and opposition "not to take any initiative that could divide Venezuelan society even more, or aggravate institutional conflicts." The president of Bolivia Evo Morales did not sign the declaration. He had stated in the summit earlier (8):
"Our obligation as a region is to avoid any foreign intrusion, any intervention."
"For nobody is it hidden or a secret that behind the political problems of Venezuela is the United States. Behind this blow to Maduro are economic interests that are looking for Venezuelan oil."
During the Mercosur summit in Mendoza, Argentina, social movements at
the People's Summit gave their full support to Venezuela. The Venezuelan ambassador to Argentina, Carlos Eduardo Martinez, said to the alternative forum delegates (9):
the People's Summit gave their full support to Venezuela. The Venezuelan ambassador to Argentina, Carlos Eduardo Martinez, said to the alternative forum delegates (9):
"We must keep in mind that what is happening today in the continent, especially in Venezuela, is an imperialist attack that has as fundamental objective to recolonize us, to end our sovereignty and to take possession of all the abundant natural resources with which our countries count."
Last Friday, member countries of the Bolivarian Alliance for the Peoples of Our America (ALBA) released a statement where they rejected US interventionist threats against Venezuela (10):
"ALBA countries reject those countries that not only ignore the Venezuelan legal system and the constitutional and legitimate government of President Nicolas Maduro, but also put at risk the status of Latin America and the Caribbean as a zone of peace.”
"[The imposition of sanctions] constitutes a clear violation of international law and
an unacceptable interventionist application of U.S. law.”
an unacceptable interventionist application of U.S. law.”
"[The sanctions] do not contribute to the resolution of the situation that the country is going through."
1) Peter Koenig: "Why is Venezuela in the White House's Crosshairs?"
Global Research 11.6.2017
Global Research 11.6.2017
2) Jonathan Watts: "Venezuela to face US sanctions over violence against protesters" The Guardian 12.12.2014
3) CNBC: "US weighs financial sanctions to hit Venezuela's oil revenue, sources say" 21.7.2017
4) Al Jazeera: "Maduro's July 30 vote to go ahead amid Trump threat" 19.7.2017
5) David W. Pear: "Venezuela on the Edge of Civil War" Counterpunch 25.7.2017
https://www.counterpunch.org/2017/07/17/time-for-the-international-left-to-take-a-stand-on-venezuela/
7) Telesur: "Global Support for Venezuela Deters US Attacks: Ex-Ambassador" 21.7.2017
8) Telesur: "Mercosur Backs Away from Threat to Expel Venezuela" 21.7.2017
9) Telesur: "People's Summit Expresses Support for Venezuela" 20.7.2017
10) Telesur: "Bolivarian Alliance Rejects US Threats Against Venezuela" 22.7.2017
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