Chavez "the Caudillo" oversteps again.

by ipsiphi Sun Apr 30, 2006 14:14

Yesterday Evo Morales of Bolivia (whose route to democratic, constitutional, popuarly representative & peaceful election I covered completely at these artices since I was the first to translate his campaign objectives to english :- http://www.indymedia.ie/newswire.php?story_id=70194 )
Hugo Chavez of Venezuela (whose career, persistent opposition to the USA, his most strategic role in delaying the Iraq war, relentless loss of democratic, constitutional, popuarly representative status, I've covered since the beginning of this collective = use search engine)
&
Fidel Castro (many of whose exiles and and political dissidents have accepted exile in my home city and one of whom will join us tomorrow for the May Day march (c/f http://indymedia.ie/article/67753 ) & whose wonderful meetngs with luminaries including Diego Maradonna who he helped get off coke - I've covered - (c/f http://indymedia.ie/article/66700 )

held a summit in Havana to announce their "Bolivarian block of South America". This wll relying on Venezuela's wealth, and the genius of Garcia Linera ( http://indymedia.ie/article/73654 ) & under the "mock leadership" of the now ancient dictator who in his "non-aligned block and wonderful speeches at the UN garnered unquestioning support and admiration worldwide Castro, respect so deep that Maradona tattooed his face on his leg....

Oppose the USA by setting up an "alternative economic & political block". Oh yes. It will.

Meanwhile the 1st of May 2006 will see the first mass walk-out by hispanic non-regularised workers in the USA in history. This action has the support of all on the left (except for Castro who doesn't want his migrants back) and the RC church who are realing a bit since the global spanish language press are now publishing visual proof of simian intelligence - Gorillas depth sounding rivers - Chimpanzees solving jigsaws and computer games - Orang Utans and maths puzzles - &c..,

last bits in the "cuadillo" puzzle. For those who think its ok to have a young popular dictator like man opposing the USA, and ike to forget he will grow old like Castro, see installed an authoritarian regime and at end cause the dream to be shattered.

"hola Presidente! latest chavez news!
http://indymedia.ie/article/75582
"constitionalism for kids"
http://indymedia.ie/article/73471
"was Bolivar a democrat?"
http://indymedia.ie/article/73300

by average joe Sun Apr 30, 2006 15:09

So the mainstream media's smearing of Chavez in preparation of an invasion/coup/on going meddling, is not enough we now have the likes of 'ipsiphi' batting in their corner with this complete rubbish!

Un-f**king-believable. ....Well not really seeing as how many anarchists (a minority admittedly) are uncomfortably close to free market fundamentalists .

To see how transparently partisan the smearing of Chavez is on the mainstream media see,
Cartoon Time for Chavez and Venezuela
http://www.indymedia.ie/article/75728
http://www.medialens.org/alerts/06/060405_cartoon_time_...l.php

...John Pilger sent a letter to Channel 4 News complaining of Rugman’s report:

“This was a piece seemingly written by the US State Department, although Channel 4's Washington correspondent, Jonathan Rugman, appeared on screen. It was one of the worst, most distorted pieces of journalism I have ever seen, qualifying as crude propaganda. I have been in Venezuela lately and almost nothing in Rugman's rant coincides with reality. Factories are like ‘Soviet collectives‘; a dictatorship is on the rise; Chávez is like Hitler (Rumsfeld); and the media is under government attack. The inversion of the truth throughout this travesty is demonstrated in the ‘coverage’ of a cowed media. Venezuela is a country in which 95 per cent of the press and TV and radio are owned by the far-right, who mount unrelenting daily attacks on the government unhindered. The Latin American Murdoch, Cisneros, unfettered, controls much of it. Indeed, it is probably the most concentrated, reactionary media on earth - but that was not worthy of a single word from Rugman.” (Pilger, op., cit)...

And see

http://www.zmag.org/venezuela_watch.cfm

Chomsky Praises Venezuela
http://redpepper.blogs.com/venezuela/2006/02/by_providi....html
http://www.chomsky.info/articles/20040314.htm

The Revolution Will Not Be Televised
http://thepiratebay.org/details.php?id=3459028

Greg Palast "The poor marched on the city centre"
http://news.bbc.co.uk/olmedia/1985000/video/_1985670_ve...i.ram

Also see, the one sided 'we support the neo-liberal shock therapists' approach by similar with respect to Belarus....
The Reality of Belarus?
http://www.indymedia.ie/article/75351

And ipsiphi for another 'block' (see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_the_European_Union ) what's wrong exactly with South America developing in it's own interests?

by average joe Sun Apr 30, 2006 15:19

Oh yeah, I can smell the 'cruise missile left' can YOU?

They're just 'asking the bwave questions'...more like clamping down on dissent.

http://www.monbiot.com/archives/2004/04/07/the-bones-of...aint/
[.....]...And sustaining that confidence becomes even harder when the bones of an icon of the left, George Orwell, are dug up and used to clobber us. Jung said that you cannot take away a man’s god without giving him another, and Orwell, in this secular age, appears to have become our god; his Collected Essays our Bible. When you want to crush someone, you quote Orwell at him, and, like the Bible, Orwell’s work is sufficiently contradictory to be useful to almost anyone.

What Scott has done is to help us regain our confidence. In The Betrayal of Dissent, he has drawn a clear and important distinction between the perfectly legitimate aims of opening up debate, challenging allies and questioning their motives, and the rather less exalted aim of trying to suppress and even silence voices of dissent. Some of his material about Orwell, who is a writer I continue to admire, is truly shocking. I think he has also succeeded in showing that there has been an effort, among some of the peace movement’s contemporary critics, to shut us up. By helping us to understand what we are confronting, he helps us to stand up to it.

But it’s not my intention to summarise the book – I can leave that to Scott. I would just like to say that it’s a rare thing: a book which is intensely researched but also well-constructed and well-written..[.....]

The Betrayal of Dissent: Beyond Orwell, Hitchens and the New American Century
http://www.press.umich.edu/titleDetailDesc.do?id=114518

The Betrayal of Dissent: Beyond Orwell, Hitchens and the New American Century [extract available below]
http://www.word-power.co.uk/catalogue/0745321976/extract
'The intellectual's role generally is to uncover and elucidate the contest, to challenge and defeat both an imposed silence and the normalized quiet of unseen power, wherever and whenever possible.' Edward Said

by ipsiphi Sun Apr 30, 2006 18:14

& rubbish those who have defended him in the past who have in the last months begun to change tack on the global indymedia network, a simple reminder :- there is no Venezuelan indymedia.
In history there have been and still are many on the left, who began as popular leaders, inspired and united support, and drew parallels with historic struggles. Castro, Chavez and Mugabe have all in their day defied with eloquence imperialism and US hegemony. They have all, also restricted free speech, trade union activities, criticism. In the case of Castro and Mugabe the media is controlled by the state and the aparatchik class loyal alone to the regime which such leaderships allow flourish.
That alone is contrary to anarcho-syndicalist or libertarian socialist beliefs being the same recipe of the Soviet centralised tyrannies.
Until a few weeks ago, there were only 2 heads of government credited with control of trans-national media empires which include newspapers and TV channels, Berlusconi and Chavez.

I sincerly hope everyone watches
The Revolution Will Not Be Televised mentioned by a previous commentator. Its a brilliant documentary and accurately reflects Venezuelan society at that time.
http://thepiratebay.org/details.php?id=3459028
I'd also really like if people read Castro's speechs to the UN, and will try and find translations and compile them in the future, and thus not just think of Fidel as Che's only surviving comrade, an idiocy as devoid of analysis and true respect to the Cuban people as accepting De Valera as the sole surviving comrade of 1916.

I'm not suggesting people who read this site, but can not read an equivalent Venezuelan site, are so stupid that they may only see things in black and white, or even that if "Chomsky says so - it its true!" after all Chomsky makes mistakes regularly his recent declarations on Catalonia autonomy were laughably wrong. With Chavez or without, children still sniff glue on the streets of Caracas. These leaders are not "gods", they are not beyond criticism, and it is our responsibility to criticise them. I am presently most in favour of the Evo Morales / Garcia Linera regime in Bolivia. It is legitimate. I hope the future of South America follows their model and not that of either Chavez or Lulu. & most South Americans i meet and know, many involved in indymedia agree with me on that.

by (@ .:.) - (((think of this as the 2006 euromayday kickoff))) Mon May 01, 2006 02:51

But hey! its the second time this year, that Peru has recalled her ambassador to Venezuela in protest at its leader Hugo Chavez' illegal inteference in her electoral affairs. Does he stop?
But like! she can't afford to keep her ambassador out of the richest most powerful state on her continental proto-superstate quasi EU like various associations.

put it this way. The Irish wouldn't go burning the British embassy and not expect the shit to hit the fan for a while, till Easter did its wonder, and reptile princes went the concert hall. would they?


For their part, the state officialis of the Bolivarian republic of Venezuela at Caracas in a comunique of their state media relayed on the sole continental satelite and cable network reported they will not repricotate and withdraw their embassy to Peru.

Hugo made it clear, if the peruvians don't vote the way he wants, he'll withdraw the embassy. Imagine how difficult diplomacy gets when all you have in common is the TV made by the dominant!
Happy Mayday. Its a libertarian socialist / anarchist / anarchosyndicalist holiday. We have it because workers professing our libertarian socialist / anarchist / anarchosyndicalist politics were masacred a little over 100 years ago. For certain working conditions, we're still not sure if we have.
how many hours can you work a day for the pittance they give you? They didn't get statues. They didn't write a proclamation or print up posters with their names on them calling on Bloody God Almighty to guarantee their Victory Day / Movie. We don't even remember their names or know where to start to find them

we're all going to walk out now.

sin papales.
aliens.
apes.
drug takers.
piss takers.
union men.
union maids and not afraid.

happy mayday!

id it helps you to take drugs or to think I take drugs to read this or write it. you should support the 3 rights for great apes declaration http://www.greatapeproject.org/declaration.html

We'll never know his name. no poster. no relic. no flag. no god involved. no martyr no party.

We'll never know his names. posters. relics. flags. god's involved, martyrs. party. sacrifice her children for the common good on your knees.

"

by Topper Mon May 01, 2006 21:40

I'm afraid the case you've attempted to make against Chavez is threadbare (to put it in the politest terms possible) - just as bad as your feeble attempt to "prove" that the 1916 leaders were proto-fascists the other week. The plain and simple fact is, Venezuela is far more democratic now than it was before Chavez came to power. Chavez has put himself up for re-election several times and won with decisive majorities. Popular trust in the political system has sky-rocketed, as opinion polls have shown.

You refer to the recent elections with a low turn-out - but fail to mention that they were boycotted by the opposition because they knew they would lose heavily, thus making them irrelevant. The last time Chavez ran in an election that was considered vital, there was a 75% turn-out and he won almost 60% of the vote.

Meanwhile, the bulk of the media is still controlled by the opposition and used to churn out a relentless stream of anti-Chavez propaganda. No leader with authoritarian ambitions would have permitted this.

Your claim that Chavez has no democratic, constitutional legitimacy is quite simply a lie. There's no other way of putting it. Chavez is the elected, democratic, constitutional leader of Venezuela, and any claim to the contrary is dishonest rubbish. I suppose I'll get a smug response assuring me that I'm a deluded cheer-leader for a tyrant. Spare me the trouble, please - your analysis of Venezuela is a load of hot air with no substance.

Why a self-professed "anarcho-syndicalist" would find Chavez intolerable and Morales agreeable is a mystery to me - they were both elected by the people of their countries to change society. The main difference being, Morales has only been in power for a few months, so he hasn't had to face the same anti-democratic pressures from the Bolivian elites that Chavez has already experienced. I suppose if Morales does encounter the same pressures, and takes mild steps to counter criminal acts by the opposition, while preserving democracy, you'll be rushing to condemn him.

by iosaf Mon May 08, 2006 21:10

Alan Garcia has out-polled in opinion research (for the second time) Humala ahead of the presidential run-off at the end of this month. Remember that Peru has recalled her embassy from Venezuela in protest at Chavez "continuing inteference" and saw a motion to the OAS (organisation of american states) to monitor Venezuelan inteference in the poll. Humala whilst downplaying the Chavez insults to Garcia (he described the presidential candidate as a thief) announced if elected he'd follow the Evo Morales example and nationalise the natural resources of Peru. Peruvian media is now wrestling with the novel suggestion of using "lie detector machines" for their Televised presidential debate.
how it might go -
If your brother and father hate gays and whites and organised a neo-nazi organisation to cleanse the nation of them, and you don't appear to be able to open your mouth for more than 30 minutes without referring to the Peruvian race, will you really be tolerant to all Peruvian citizens and ensure the continued illegalisation of such militia?
If everyone thinks you represent thieves (even if they don't want to be told it by you know who) and are upto your eyebrows in US brokership, can you really be trusted to continue allowing the poorest peasants to grow coca?

Peruvian press supporting both candidates had a field day this last week on a joke by Chavez that he now has two brothers "Adan and Evo" (Adan is spanish for Adam). It was a lame joke, "adam and eve", making reference to his blood brother Adan Chavez who is the Venezuelan ambassador to Havana Cuba, and of course Evo Morales, who to serve the interest of his own people must find the best companies to exploit Bolvia's resources now. & most analysts reckon that the best options are not renew either Brazilian or Spanish contracts, nor even to choose Venezuela, but rather { & this is hard capitalism not politics } choose to completely upset the power balance and engage Chinese, Russian or Iranian state oil & gas companies.....

imagine how that would work.....

South America is not just about "politics", and a continent with 88,000,000 living in the lowest level of poverty recognised by the UN is not just about a few easy to remember names. Only a fool would miss the universal left-ist tendancy amonst South Americans, but only an idiot would not see the very clear nationalist differences. South American states will join with the EU this weekend in Vienna, and looking at the themes it really is quite astounding how not one neihbouring state on the continent has what can be described as a "normal relationship". I'm preparing an article to explain these issues better for the weekend and want make it clear that I'm don't wish people to understand it as "criticism" of the Chavez regime in Venezuela, but rather get the point across that his friends and enemies across the continent are consistently asking him to stop "playing the continental leader" or to quote one Spanish national daily today in its editorial stop being the 21st caudillo "Peron with petrol" . Because quite simply since Bolivar South Americans have fought more wars with each other than anyone else. Thats what made them so easy for the USA to conquer financially.

by Observer reader Tue May 09, 2006 13:56

I don't buy into iosaf's analysis but here's an up to date article on Chavez. For me the most telling comment is by one of his opponents.
"'I am completely against him. He is pushing our country into something that it's not. The social struggle that he talks about among Venezuela's classes - before he came it did not exist. He has strengthened the hate between the poor and the rich. He gives the impression that if they follow him they can all wear white clothes and drive nice cars. Unfortunately I don't think that it is going to stop. Once the idea has been sold there is no end to it."
I'm sure iosaf will have another.

Article
The new kid in the barrio

They call him the the new Che Guevara. Loved and loathed in equal measure, Venezuela's President Hugo Chávez has become the poster boy of the international left, revered by his disciples at home but reviled in Washington. On the eve of Chavez's visit to Britain, foreign affairs editor Peter Beaumont travels to Caracas and asks if the Castro-loving, Bush-hating, head of state is a revolutionary democrat or a dictator in the making?

[continues]

by iosaf Tue May 09, 2006 14:39

I have not said Chavez is a caudillo in his own state. I have merely reported that on his continent friends and enemies alike are now describing his foreign policy and posturing as that of a "caudillo". And more worryingly they have been doing so for at least six months. He's moved a step (up or down?) from being described as the "popularist".
this weekend all the south American states will be in the EU. They are united as ever before by ideology, having almost all chosen "left-ish" governments. They are also more divided than ever before, every single state has recalled ambassadors from another. Every state has increased military spending and has seen incidents on its borders with its neighbours. Every single state has seen an upsurge of nationalism. Every single state has demonstrations in its capital city on a regular basis calling for the "ancient enemy of the people on the other side of the big mountain / big river to be sorted out once and for all". The posturing of Chavez as "leader" of a "Bolivarian" continental reorganisation is honestly and objectively exciting very serious emotions and not all of them work the same way in Caracas as in Lima or Buenos Aires or Washington or London. His endorsement of the nationalist candidate in Peru, (which was never a Bolivarian republic) pushed it too far for many who admire his regime * within its own borders *. Unfortuanately his posturing plays to an anglo-saxon audience, who either like or loathe him and are unaware of the phenomona of "caudillism" or the very clear differences between South American states and their populations, or the dangers of "peronist" nationalism.
I repeat the idea that there is as much international socialist or justice or anti-imperialist sense in hoping that Russia, China or even Iran help the poorer economies of South America exploit thier hydro-carbons. There is no reason that it be Chavez's Venezuela that picks up the prize of nationalisation.

(read last comment and its link to the observer)

by ipsiphi iosaf Sun Jul 30, 2006 21:13

These 3 images are meant to get you thinking. & then of course maybe you'll read the article above, in light of Hugo Chavez' visits to Moscow to buy arms and Tehran http://indymedia.ie/article/77612 to offer support & safe haven for investment this week. In the comments above you'll read how rudely some people treat my words, theories & analysis... sniff. sniff. sniffle. But it's ok. I don't care. I enjoy being vindicated & generally only have to wait a while. I suggested above that the Chinese or Iranians tender to exploit Bolivian hydrocarbon resources. coz I'm an effin expert.

If you'd like to know what happened to Peru (& perhaps can find it on a map) Humala lost the elections and the swearing in of the deputies in congress last week was a real hoot.
http://indymedia.ie/article/77484

you're key Sunday Paper phrases this week to stencil on the walls are this :-
Hair is dead.
the war machine is exterior to the state apparatus and anatagonistic to same & has since the Persian or Carthaginian or Roman empires only served to close & restrict markets.

tasty tasty yum yum. By the 1950's "free markets" the heresy of the 20's had given prosperity. Ireland was to wait another 45 years.

.:. Dr Omar Sharif born in Egypt 1932 of Lebanese & Syrian parents - the only Muslim face Westerners were ever taught to trust +

If the war machine degrades this instrument of arbitration - the political machine may not use it to impose market sanctions. (the greatest mistake made by Bush on Iraq)

by don juan Sun Jul 30, 2006 21:26

But what exactly is the difference between a "caudillo" and a "maximo lider" ?

by Juan Gonzalez Sun Jul 30, 2006 23:54

Hugo Chavez & Francisco Franco, Both Fascists .Chavez come to Peru, we will give him a welcome the world shall not forget. Viva Peruvian Peoples

by hmmmmmmmmmmmñññmmmm Mon Jul 31, 2006 03:13

the adoption of the title by Franco complicated the matter as well. To be a caudillo in its orginal geographic and south american sence, one must satisfy several criteria - all of which Chavez does but interestingly Castro does not. Without boring the Irish reader with a potted history of Latin America, if he had been given time - Michael Collins might have become a Caudillo, if we had faced up to historical fact and seen him in a uniform more De Valera would quite probably have been referred to in spanish language text books on Eire's history as a Caudillo but in both cases recent history has been quite cruel and the best caudillos are forged in hindsight.

a supreme leader on the other hand doesn't need to identify with a national stream of historic consciousness or claim to be the liberator and court popularity. a supreme leader is in many ways easier to be. Any generalissimo can be a supreme leader given the right circumstances - which is Franco's first important title was the most apt.