[NYTr] US Line on Venezuela: "Politics of Fear and Division" Date: Fri, 13 Jul 2007 22:13:46 -0500 (CDT) Via NY Transfer News Collective * All the News that Doesn't Fit excerpted from VIO Venezuela Daily News Roundup - July 13, 2007. [U.S. diplomats discussed Venezuela Wednesday while in Brazil at an innovation conference, the Associated Press reports. Specifically, Nicholas Burns, Undersecretary of State, commented that "the way forward is not through the politics of fear and division but democracy, social justice, poverty alleviation, trade, integration in the Americas and good relations with the United States... This is not in Chavez's agenda." Under President Chavez, though, poverty has been reduced in Venezuela and great strides made toward achieving social justice through programs such as free health and education. Social programs have not come at the expense of regional economic integration, which is also a top priority for the Chavez administration and pushed through projects like the Bank of the South and a Bolivarian trading bloc. Tom Shannon, Assistant Secretary for Western Hemisphere Affairs, recognized that "the U.S. is the largest foreign investor in Venezuela... Close energy and commercial relations is the reality." -VIO] AP via San Diego Union-Tribune - July 12, 2007 http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/world/20070712-1455-brazil-us-chavez.html U.S. official: Venezuela's Hugo Chavez practices politics of 'fear and division' By Vivian Sequera The Associated Press BRASILIA, Brazil - A top U.S. State Department official criticized Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez on Thursday, decrying a "politics of fear and division" that impedes progress. U.S. Undersecretary of State Nicholas Burns, on a one-day visit to Brazil, told reporters that most countries in the region agree that "the way forward is not through the politics of fear and division but democracy, social justice, poverty alleviation, trade, integration in the Americas and good relations with the United States." "This is not in Chavez's agenda," said Burns, who later addressed the closing session of a U.S.-Brazil innovation conference. But Burns also downplayed Chavez's influence in the region. "Leaders tend to gravitate to other leaders who have a positive and constructive role," Burns said, naming Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and Chile's Michelle Bachelet. "I could name 10 other leaders, but Chavez is not one of them." Joining Burns was Thomas Shannon, assistant secretary of state for western hemispheric affairs, who spoke of strong commercial ties between Venezuela and the United States. "Venezuela is one of the largest Latin American investors in the U.S. and the U.S. is the largest foreign investor in Venezuela," Shannon said. "Close energy and commercial relations is the reality, which is not reflected in the rhetoric that comes from Caracas." Despite the strained relations between Caracas and Washington, Venezuela remains the fourth-leading supplier of imported crude and refined petroleum products to the United States. *** El Universal - July 12, 2007 http://english.eluniversal.com/2007/07/12/en_pol_art_us-intelligence-sees_12A898455.shtml US intelligence sees Venezuelan democracy in jeopardy A report submitted to the Committee on Armed Services, US House of Representatives, claims that the highest risk for democracy in Latin America is in Venezuela and Bolivia. The "highest risk" for democracy in Latin America is in Venezuela and Bolivia, according to a US intelligence report released Wednesday, which also pointed to "critics of free-market economy" in Ecuador and Nicaragua, AP informed. The analysis was submitted by Thomas Fingar, Deputy Director of National Intelligence for Analysis, Office of the Director of National Intelligence Council, to the Committee on Armed Services, US House of Representatives, during a hearing to assess global security, AP reported. In Venezuela and Bolivia, Presidents Hugo ChC!vez and Evo Morales "are taking advantage of their popularity to undercut the opposition and eliminate checks on their authority," said Fingar. The National Intelligence Council centralizes the work of all US intelligence agencies. According to Fingar's report, Ecuadorian and Nicaraguan Presidents Rafael Correa and Daniel Ortega, respectively, are "critical of free market economics and have friendly relations with Venezuela's President Chavez." The report attributes the elections of presidential candidates with leftist views to "the growing impatience of national electorates with corruption -real and perceived- and the failure of incumbent governments to improve the living standards of large elements of the population." Further, the document added that "public dissatisfaction with the way democracy is working is especially troubling in the Andes." This is the first time the National Intelligence Council speaks in the US Congress of "jeopardy" for democracy in Bolivia. Regarding Venezuela, however, the same warning has been made over the last few years. The paper listed a number of actions taken by the Venezuelan government, including the State growing participation in the energy business, nationalization of telecommunications and the end of open-signal operations conducted by opposition private TV station Radio Caracas TelevisiC3n (RCTV). Based on the report, ChC!vez "revoked the broadcasting license of a leading opposition television station, on 28 May, and has nationalized the country's main telecommunications enterprise and largest private electric power company." Stressing the Venezuelan ruler's growing powers, the report added that ChC!vez "has forced US and other foreign petroleum companies to enter into joint ventures with the Venezuelan national petroleum company or face nationalization. Negotiations on compensation and the autonomy remaining to the companies that have chosen to stay in Venezuela are pending." "Chavez is among the most stridently anti-American leaders anywhere in the world and will continue to try to undercut US influence in Venezuela, the rest of Latin America, and elsewhere internationally," Fingar claimed. The Council stressed that the Venezuelan President's "effort to politicize the Venezuelan Armed Forces and to create a large and well-armed military reserve force are signs that he is breaking with the trend in the region toward more professional and apolitical militaries." According to the report, Cuba remains Venezuela's closest ally. "This year may mark the end of Fidel Castro's domination of Cuba; but significant, positive political change is unlikely immediately," the document added. During presentation of the report, Fingar was joined by Robert Cardillo, Deputy Director for Analysis, Defense Intelligence Agency, and John A. Kringen, Director for Intelligence, Central Intelligence Agency. * ================================================================ .NY Transfer News Collective * A Service of Blythe Systems . Since 1985 - Information for the Rest of Us . .339 Lafayette St., New York, NY 10012 http://www.blythe.org .List Archives: https://olm.blythe-systems.com/pipermail/nytr/ .Subscribe: https://olm.blythe-systems.com/mailman/listinfo/nytr ================================================================