April 2nd., 2009

Isolated From The Internatonal Community

The third cycle of the Revolution starts with Chávez´ trips to Qatar, Iran, Japan and China, as written by the President in his column, Chávez´ Lines.  He participates in the Arab-South America Summit.  “In Iran we will formalize a bi national investment fund and we will review 74 signed projects.  With my friend, President Mahmud Ahmadinejad, we will inaugurate the Iranian-Venezuelan bank, which we aspire will become the international oil bank”.  Before he left, he had a furious message for his party men, who, he said, do not understand that the anti crisis plans demands to reduce unjustifiable expenses.  “Luxury and squandering of money, which is common to the oligarchy, is contradictory to the way of life of a Revolutionary, and regrettably some of our comrades have fallen to it, they have allowed to be seduced by the honey of power”.  The 2D movement replied that he should precede with his own example since he knows how costly his continuous trips abroad are, on board of his Airbus with a 150 passenger capacity, with a Presidential Suite and a conference table for 24 people, and how expensive it is to pay for the entourage that travels with him to prepare the visits, accompanied by Ministers, family members and guests.  According to a columnist from El Universal, Chávez has perverted power. In his hands, he has blown away more than Eight Hundred Thousand Million Dollars, his suits are tailored in London, his shoes are bought in Italy and he shows off a US$ 12,000 Swiss watch, and his family is accused of having appropriated a great deal of lands in Barinas, showing off their scandalous prosperity, when everybody knows of the humble origins of Chávez and his family.

Apparently, Chávez feels offended for not being invited to Chile to the Summit of Progressive Leaders, which was attended by the most recognized figures of Socialist Democracy and relevant people of the world’s center left wing.  The meeting took place in Viña del Mar and the Presidents of Brazil, Spain, Argentina, Uruguay, the British Prime Minister, the Vice President of the United States and logically, the hostess, Michelle Bachelet were present.  In Qatar, Chávez had strong words for the Latin American government that are entering the progressive current.  He particularly criticized Mrs. Bachelet:  “ The President of Chile met with the US Vice President and the British Prime Minister, two of the representatives of the Empires.  I don’t understand anything.  I believe that the South American Union is in danger”:  The Chilean government rejected Chávez´ expressions.  “The President is a symbol of dialogue and unity in South America.  She represents precisely the opposite of what has been affirmed by the Venezuelan President, she is capable of building spaces for agreements”.  The main Chilean parties and the means of communication formulated strong critics to Chávez´ comments against Bachelet.

The final Doha declaration was frustrating for Chávez.  There was no consensus over his proposals.  He was the showman of the meeting even though his interventions, of Aló Presidente style, were received coldly and with some laughs.  It is worth mentioning though, that he maintained his strive for confrontation, division and alignment, rejected by Arabs and South Americans, which show his increasing isolation from the International Community.

NONSENSE AT QATAR

Chávez, upon arriving at Qatar, he forwarded a proposal:  the oil currency.  He explained that such currency would be based on the oil reserves of the major producers.  “As in ancient times, gold was used, now it would be oil.  It is an initiative against the US, who has flooded the world with Dollars, of no value”.  He criticized the International Criminal Court for requesting the detention of the Sudanese President, Omar Hassan al Bachir, who was condemned for war crimes and crimes against humanity.  According to the United Nations, the civil war in the Sudanese province of Darfur left 300,000 dead and caused 2,78 Million displaced.  Chávez met with Bachir and invited him to Caracas.  Venezuela signed the Rome Statute which allowed the birth of the International Criminal Court and the authorities would have to apprehend him.  Chávez assured him that this would not occur.  The initiative represents a challenge for International Law.  If the African leader visits the country and he is not detained, Venezuela would place itself on the margin of world legality.  Venezuela opened an embassy last year in Jartum and awaits for that country to do the same, to “strengthen friendship and solidarity between both nations”.  Professor Angelina Jaffe assures that Chávez´ action has two readings:  a provocation to get the world’s attention and to move ahead on the fear that the International Criminal Court will issue a similar order against him in the future.  Chávez encouraged the International Criminal Court to issue the capture of the President and Prime Minister of Israel and of George Bush, as the responsible ones for the genocide in Gaza.  He also met with his homologous parties in Lebanon, Syria and Libya to strengthen friendship ties, “based on the great empathy that exists and the need to jointly face North American Imperialism”.  With the OPEC members, he spoke about oil prices and the need to reduce production “until a fair price is reached”.  He announced that his port of call in Iran and China will allow him to continue his efforts to establish economic and diplomatic ties “to confront the USA”.  Regarding Obama, he said that he was a “poor ignorant” and offered him to welcome in Venezuela the terrorists detained in Guantanamo.

What was expressed by Chávez concerned those participants who have given him support.  His opinions regarding the International Criminal Court were received with an evident disgust on the part of Lula, since Brazil was successful in the Itamarati efforts so that a Brazilian citizen was part of the novel Court.  Mrs. Kirchner left the room whilst Chávez ranted against Israel.  His aggressions against the US were commented by the Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton, who said that her government will not respond to infantile adjectives from Chávez to Obama. “We have many problems with Chávez and the way that he is mistreating the Venezuelan people.  The way that he treats his neighbors.  Democracy is not only about having elections”, was her expression in reference to Chávez´ argument any time he is questioned about his democratic credentials.  Regarding the XXI Century Socialism, she said that these were past failed politics and she expects Chávez to “change his behavior for the benefit of Venezuela, its neighbors and the whole hemisphere”:  Clinton´s comments have been the strongest since Obama´s  inauguration.

Chávez´ behaviour in Qatar has had a strong rejection in the international and Venezuelan media, and the alarms are starting to go off, since they sense that the grave economic crisis is being dealt by a President who is outdated, an egomaniac, and whose motivation is to impose a regime based on force, supported by the military.

REVOLUTION WITH DOM PERIGNON

From Qatar, Chávez traveled to Iran, in his seventh official visit.  He proposes to broaden the “excellent political relations between both countries”.  The visit includes, as the most highlighted event, the inauguration of the bi national Iran-Venezuelan Bank that will start working with US$ 1,600 Million, “a pioneer response to face the world crisis and create an alternative and independent structure of the international financial system”.  The two heads of state reviewed diverse cooperation projects, especially military ones, a very active sector that is being developed in the outmost secrecy.  In previous Venezuela Hoy editions, we have discussed that Chávez wishes for Iranian support to develop his nuclear energy project and has offered Iran the abundant uranium resources that exist in Venezuela.  The issue constitutes the biggest concern for those who fear that the authentic project is the nuclear bomb, and that Venezuela may share the technology.  In the visits´ agenda, an homage for Chávez is included for having broken relations with Israel during the military offensive at Gaza.

Chávez alliance with the Iranian government is questioned by his partners in OPEC.  Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, are uneasy for the nuclear program in Teheran and its hegemonic attitude of the region.  Persia always confronted the Arab world, they are all Muslims, but the Iranian Shiites have determined to knock down the Gulf monarchies, all Sunni Muslims, who are accused of being accomplices to the North American Imperialism and European Colonialism.  Iran has not paid attention to the decisions from the International Atomic Energy Agency, nor of the Nuclear Non Proliferation Treaty.  In Vienna, it only received support by Syria, Cuba and Venezuela, in as much as the Arab countries have voted against it.

Chávez current travels, upon isolating him internationally, as stated by a qualified expert, exposes Venezuela to be included in the so called fugitive or outlaw States.  Distaste for his activities and farfetched declarations increases in the public national opinion. In practice, upon his disqualification of the Governors and Mayors of the opposition, he has openly placed himself on the margins of the Constitution, justifying the characterization of his regime as an authoritarian autocracy. The fiscal problems have his party men publicly claiming the delay in the payment of salaries and the denial to sign collective job contracts with workers.  A columnist from El Universal, writes the following:  “Chávez´ Socialist gospel looks like the Decalogue’s of lies.  He preaches austerity, honesty and righteousness and the facts are the contrary.  While the country faces the problems of the world crisis and of his package, he travels around the globe squandering the oil income.  He makes the Revolution with Dom Perignon Champaign, the favorite drink in his famous Jet”.

In as much as the G-20 leaders adopt plans to reactivate the economy, Chávez, indifferent or ignorant to this world catastrophe, which is of no escape to Venezuela, gives orders to incarcerate Manuel Rosales, the candidate that faced him in December 2, and Raúl Baduel, the General that had returned him to power on April 13, 2002, when the High Military Command detained him on account of him being responsible for the massacre against demonstrators that days before demanded for his resignation.  The State TV broadcasts his tour, between commercials that demand the re election of the Comandante, for him being the only one that may, from the Presidency, guide the post Capitalist Revolution.