July 31th., 2006

THE CHALLENGE TOUR

ABSTRACT:

•  Venezuela will transform MERCOSUR in a political project, contributing with oil as a key factor of integration.

•  MERCOSUR gives away the democratic clause.

•  “Chávez took away Brazil’s hegemony of the southern continent, states newspaper La Tercera, of Chile.  It coincides with the government’s organ in Caracas. 

•  “If Lula had taken care of the region, Chávez would not have gained so much terrain”, affirms the Brazilian ex president, Fernando Henrique Cardoso.

•  Chávez promised that Venezuela will be on the side of Iran, at all times and under any conditions.

•  Venezuela, first military potency of the Latin America.

•  Military cooperation agreement with Lukashenko in Byelorussia.

•  In Moscow, he bought 24 Sukhoi SU-30 bomber planes, 53 multipurpose helicopters and showed interest in the TOR M1 system to bring down auto directed bombs and missiles.

•  According to Putin, Moscow and Caracas will be allies of trust.

•  Alarm voices from Brazil and Colombia.

•  The FARC and the General Secretaries of 50 communist parties of the world offer unconditional support to Chávez.

•  It is time for the European and Latin American democracies to be conscious of it in their deals with Chávez.

• Chávez accused Israel of practicing fascist terrorism against the Hezbola, the organization he did support.

•  In his opinion, the Pentagon planned the attack against Lebanon.

•  “What Israel does to Lebanon is similar to what Hitler did”.

•  He was present in the gun powder of the Middle East, to affirm the world leadership he aspires.

•  Double message regarding oil supply to the USA.

•  Visit to Vietnam and El País´ editorial in Madrid.

THE CHALLENGE TOUR

The current tour is a strong bet of Chávez oil diplomacy.  His circumnavigation is television broadcasted, in a way mandatory by the traditional radio and television “chains”.  The information highlights areas that may supposedly upset Washington.  Upon its beginning, he declared that Venezuela will give new impulse to MERCOSUR, “that we must reformulate, since it is not about free trade, as the neoliberal model of the North American imperialism, but about a political project. The Venezuelan contribution is the energy, the key factor for integration.”  He gave away the script that he proposed to develop:  Israel’s offensive in Lebanon is a genocide, the threats against Syria and Iran are unacceptable, North Korea has the same right as other countries to nuclear development.  About MERCOSUR, apart from the support obtained for the Security Council, the presence of Fidel was highlighted in the “chains”, as a rejection of US policy.  Southern newspapers pointed out that the democratic clause was being violated, but they gave more importance to the South Bonus (Bono del Sur).  According to Argentinean analysts, the sub continent countries will not have to turn to the Monetary Fund with financing problems.  They count on Venezuelan money and Chávez qualification of the low risk country.

For the La Tercera newspaper of Chile, the main conclusion of MERCOSUR´s reunion is that Chávez took away the hegemony of the continent from Brazil.  It coincides with the newspaper Vea of Caracas, an organ of the government:  “A new leadership is confirmed in the region, led by our new President”.   Objectively, Chávez, in a regional leadership, acts in the same autocratic way as in Venezuela.  In Volvograd, (former Stalingrad) he affirmed that he will extend a gas pipe line that would cross all of South America and wants to sign an agreement for the construction of the piping, with Venezuelan steel and Russian technology.  Maybe it is one of the reasons for President Fernando Henrique Cardoso to recriminate to his successor:  “If Lula had taken care of the region, Chávez would not have gained so much terrain”.  Case on point, the appreciation for the leadership of the Lieutenant  Colonel transcends the continent.  In Teheran, Mahmud Ahmadinejad, upon receiving Chávez a the Presidential Palace, proclaimed that Chávez was the hope of the Latin American revolutionaries.  “I feel as if I have met a brother in trenches”, he added.  Chávez promised that Venezuela will be on the side of Iran at all times and under any condition.  Together, he assured the Iranian President, we will be able to defeat imperialism.  Upon granting the highest Iranian decoration, Ahmadinejad gave testimony that it was an expression of gratitude for the support to his nuclear program and accepted the invitation to visit Venezuela.  From Teheran he parted to Hanoi, wherein he praised Vietnam’s communist regime as a model of his socialist revolution and he equaled Ho Chi Minh with Simon Bolívar.  “Vietnam defeated imperialism in the battle field and in the ideological field”.  

ARMS RACE WITH IDEOLOGY

Venezuela turns into the first military potency of Latin America, as affirmed by Alexandre Goltz, Russian arms specialist, reported by AFP.  It is the same opinion from Brazilian ex president José Sarney, who affirmed that Chávez arms race project includes high technology equipment, requested to China, that would grant a systemic character to the armed forces components.  In Byelorussia, he signed an agreement of military cooperation with Lukashenko, the last communist dictator in Europe, who he congratulated for his capacity of quieting opposition demonstrations and whom he proposed a strategic alliance.  He declared “here is the model of society that we want for Venezuela”. 

In Moscow, the affirmed that Venezuela could develop its own nuclear energy industry.  (Thursday, July 27).  On the same day, the arms exportation agency confirmed the sale of 24 Sukhoi SU-30 bomber planes, including maintenance and pilot instruction, 53 multipurpose helicopters and the possibility of negotiating patrollers and Armour type submarines.  On the previous day, during his visit to Izhevesk, he showed interest in the TOR M1, a system to bring down auto directed bombs and missiles.  He informed that in a period of two years, Venezuela will start to manufacture Kalashnikov rifles and that the eventual acquisition of the TOR M1 was part of the conversations with Moscow.

In his appearance before the press, at the Kremlin, a smiling Lieutenant Colonel synthesized the following as achievements:  an extraordinary advance in techno military cooperation, Washington’s failure to obstruct the arms negotiations and the Russian support for the entrance of the permanent Security Council, only amounted to 3,000 million oil dollars.  According to Putin, Moscow and Caracas coordinate their positions in the seat of the UN and will be trust allies.

Chávez opponents sustain that the Venezuelan military power has diminished, upon obsolescence of air and naval equipment, and that the acquisitions are to offer new toys to the military and share commissions with war dogs.  The neighboring countries do not have the same opinion.  From Brazil, the warnings were heard from ex presidents Sarney and Cardoso.

The current Ministry of Defense of Colombia, Juan Manual Santos, is worried about the destiny of the Russian rifles, which are the same as used by the FARC.  This drug guerilla, with a notorious and influential presence in the Venezuelan-Colombian border, sent a very clear message:  “Count with us if Imperialism hurts you”.  This was the same offer of the General Secretaries of the communist parties of the 50 countries, gathered in Caracas on July 18 and 19, in rooms wherein once again, the sickle and the hammer waved, with giant pictures of Marx, Lenin, Stalin, Fidel and Chávez, and an enthusiastic International was chorused.  They offered unconditional support to the Bolivarian revolutionary process.  How many divisions do they have?  The future will tell.  As of now, the offer to nurture the XXI Century Socialism predicated by Chávez with ideology and international experiences.

DRAMATIC ALERT FROM EUROPE

The tour was effected within the frame of the Middle East conflict.  Chávez has a defined position.  On July 16, the Venezuelan Confederation of Israeli Associations published a letter condemning an agreement of the National Assembly (totally comprised of Chávez´ followers), wherein one of its Consideration clauses denounces that Israel is using biological and chemical weapons.  On July 17, the Minister of Foreign Affairs issued a communication against Israel, which content determined that in Tel Aviv, the person in charge of our Embassy was called on consultation in order to obtain a clarification.  Chávez, in an event with students form the University of Teheran, accused Israel of practicing fascist terrorism in its confrontation against the Hezbola, organization that he did support.  According to the government’s press office, (ABN), Chávez is of the opinion that the Pentagon planned the attack against Lebanon, and that Israel’s army acts as an executor arm of an assassination.  In the Information Ministry web page, it is stated that Chávez declared to the news channel Al Jazira:  “What Israel is doing in Lebanon is similar to what Hitler did”.  All over the country, activists of the government organize demonstrations against Israel, stimulating the emigration of the Jewish community, with antique and notable contributions to culture, science, arts and Venezuelan productive activity.

 Chávez anti Jewish prejudice is not new.  On this occasion, more than becoming present in the gunpowder of the Middle East, to affirm the world leadership he aspires, he obtains support for his inclusion in the Security Council, which to date, is the pulse that he maintains with North America.  Last month he attended the African Unity Organization meeting, of which he is an observer, as well as of the Arab League.

Once again, the Lieutenant Colonel shows his craftiness to limit the North Americans.  On Sunday July 30, the Energy Minister announced that Chávez is studying the possibility of stopping the supply of oil to the United States.  On the same date, the Embassy at Washington published a letter for Senator Richard Lugar, guaranteeing that there is no type of threat of a cut in supply.  Lugar is concerned about the impact of Venezuelan oil in the security and economy of the US and the little influence of his country in the energy relationship with Caracas.  It seems to him evident that Chávez is using oil as a political weapon.  With this appreciation, coincides the newspaper El País, of Madrid, with another perspective.  His visit to Vietnam is the colophon of a trip profiled as an intent to coordinate a great antidemocratic front, with the excuse of the struggle against imperialism.