venezuela – Page 2 – Citizen Reporter

bm115 A Visit to Venezuela, the Observations of Steve Shalom

It becomes hard to tell what is really happening in Venezuela with all the conflicting reports coming from the United States government, US media, the international press, and the country itself. How you view the situation seems to hinge on whether you are pro-Chavez or anti-Chavez. While I was in New Jersey in December, my former professor and good friend Steve Shalom informed me that he was going to be part of a group from my alma mater, paying a special visit to Venezuela this month. He recently returned and in the podcast I bring you his observations; the good, the bad, and the still-too-early-to-tell.

Music –
Various songs from Luis Silva
Los Amigos Invisibles – Esto es lo que hay
Un Solo Pueblo – Venezuela

Also: Panel Discussion on US Drug Policy and Latin America at NYU coming up. Anyone interested and in the area, read about it over at the LatinAmericanist blog.

As discussed in the show, here is the photo from the cover of the NY Times, I labelled it.

Its true, I admire Chavez

I don’t like bullies. I don’t care for military things. I don’t even dig people who are full of themselves and constantly making things “about them.” But as ye dear readers probably know, I’m an admirer of Hugo Chavez. I don’t love everything he does, I don’t even trust him 100%, but still, he is the champion underdog on the international scene.

I’ll explain further. Over the past decades, plenty of Latin American presidents have come and gone, and during their tenure they’ve licked the boots of the United States governments, bending over and filling their pockets with the money of multinational corporations, while the masses have remained poor and in many cases, gotten poorer. Upon further reflection, it’s probably hard to go against the whims of the United States and those companies, if you piss them off you risk loosing their investment, their assistance… you lose that lifeline… it’s a big risk.

But in 1998, Hugo Chavez came along, in his red beret and military uniforms, and he swept into office. And since that day, the wealthy of Venezuela, the multinationals, and yes… a large segment of the middle class in Venezuela, have hated him. And I mean hate. HATE HATe. I’ve spoken to some who would take up arms against him, and well – some did a few years ago. They don’t like how he’s friendly to the hated leaders of the world, like Castro. Myself, I wish he wasn’t such a strong supporter of Zimbabwe’s president, but like I said, it’s not that I love all his decisions – but I love the spirit of defiance. And defy he continues to do.

So now there are elections, and as much as some powerful people would like to see the upper class take to the polls and vote him out. It hasn’t happened. Not to mention the fact that they boycotted the vote to begin with, with doesn’t help when you want to get elected. And they cry corruption, which hey – could be possible. But you know, with all those international observers saying the vote is legit, it becomes harder and harder to accuse the big guy of rigging the election.

Anyway I’m glad we’ve got a Chavez in this world. Later on, he might do some questionable stuff. I also fear he won’t step down once his term is up. But then again, that kind of stuff happens indirectly in most democracies anyway (you know, somehow staying in power forever). And I have to say, the Venezuelan governments initiatives to help poor communities of the united states by offering cheap heating oil is impressive. I’ve heard the reports that in the Bronx it’s already happening… if you work for the government of Newark or Detroit, or whatever city full of struggling people, call Citgo and get your community involved in this deal, it’s something the world could use a little more of — compassion.

When Bloggers Hit the Streets

Well Well Well. Here we are again. Blogger and Reader. Friends. Romans. 7th day adventists. Are you worried? Rightfully so, traditionally, it’s the regular folks who suffer regardless of the outcome. But hey, let’s have some fun out there today!

The news is just pouring in here at the Bicyclemark ranch, which I’ve now renamed “the compound” since I’ve barricaded myself in, fearing the violence that will be sparked on the touristy streets of Amsterdam when it all comes down. Judging by Dutch public television, this is the most important election the Netherlands has seen in its history. Hence the 24 hour trailer-park trash coverage of Floridians I’ve been exposed to for the last week.

HERE COMES GOOD NEWS – THIS JUST IN: The left wing coalition has taken the Uruguayan presidency. Now there’s a real axis of excitement, or coalition of the thinking, if you will, in South America, made up of Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Paraguay, and Venezuela. I’m sure congress and the president select will consider going to war with South America to stop the pink menace of social-democracy.

Anyone noticed the changes in the electoral vote poll map thingy? Suddenly JFK is romping. I was surprised, but I do enjoy this map. And as I was discussing with Brian of Thestateimin, we without a landline will never be polled. (that and we living abroad have even less of a chance) I wonder how many americans only have cell phones? Couple of million?

I wanted to highlight and pay some respect to the bloggers that on this “magical” day have dragged their carpal tunnel hands away the keyboard and hit the streets to do whatever-it-is that campaign volunteers or voting monitors do. That would include Mr. B, professor B’s other half, who I imagine is running around the midwest trying not to get beat up with all his Kerry pins and friendly smile.

And then there’s Majikthise, one of my favorite bloggers, especially during this campaign hysteria, she’s getting out the vote in crazy Pennsylvania.

And just when things were going good for the grassroots buzz, the canvassing car took heavy damage.

Asia the deconstuctionist is going election crrrrazy in Oregon, and she’ll be dragging voters in off the streets today.

Makes me feel proud that some bloggers put their bodies and cars on the line for what they believe in. If I believed in the US electoral process, I might also not be sitting in my pajamas right now.

As part of my ~~annoying~~ EXPANDED election coverage, I wanted to give you this funfact:

In the last election, when the mysterious electoral college went to vote, “one elector from D.C., Barbara Lett-Simmons cast a blank ballot in protest of D.C.’s not having representation in Congress.” (according to the U of Kentucky electoral vote site) I like her style, but can we get the names and addresses of other electoral college cabal members? So we know where to throw fruit and burn effigies. I forget where I left my effigy.

MORE ELECTION NEWS — THIS JUST IN: No Clear Winner After Votecount in Ukrainian elections! Yes its true, no president. Sounds familiar.

Today’s Sounds: The Shins – Chutes too Narrow

Puerto Rican Style

I grew up in New Jersey, and I was a teenager in the days of all the TEAM USA Basketball hype. Perhaps some of you remember, it was when the US decided to send their professional NBA types, instead of those college guys who I guess were losing all the time to teams like Yugoslavia or something. I wasn’t excited at the idea, nor am I a big sports fan, but it was interesting back then… Magic Johnson and Michael Jordan representin the US, it was as it was called – a dream team. I guess.

But man oh man. Seems that since winning every match in Atlanta 96 and then again in Sidney 2000, the dream is dead. I watched this lame-ass effort last night, and I laughed my ass off, when I wasn’t being offended at the level of play by the Americans. Puerto Rica was superior in every way. And from what I hear, this US team lost their qualifier to Italy as well. How lame. And on the other hand, hooray for the rest of the world, no more one-country domination of that sport.

Recall elections seem to be the trend in the world this year. Chavez won his yesterday, and will therefore continue being president of Venezuela for the remainder of his term. I love populism and mass hysteria as much as the next guy, but I find it very annoying that officials are now elected for a fixed-year term, yet suddenly you can demand a recall election to get him/her out early. Sounds like politics is starting to resemble a trip to the local department store; you buy something, but then you don’t like it when you get home, and you return it. Bad metaphor? Well my point was to stress why so-called liberal-democracies are full of non-democratic quirks.

Being that I am such a fan of blogs from around the world, I noticed Jill’s post today about Chinese blogs. Which led me to an ex-pat in Asia’s blog that I’m now beginning to read. (And I’m glad its written in English, I’ve got no Chinese characters on my windowsxp setup) Its an especially good for its blogroll, including all kinds from Hong Kong as well as “plain old China.”

Today’s Music: Franz Ferdinand (everyones listening to it I guess)

There is much to speak about regarding S-Korea, N-Korea, Ivory Coast, Nigeria, Venezuela, and Equador…. but let the focus first stay with Iraq. Beyond just speaking about Iraq, what really needs to be spoken about is the American mainstream media’s state-run pro-war campaign.

There is fundamentally no difference between the behavior of the press in China and the United States of America. The only difference is one is state sponsored censorship and the other is self-censorship…. either way the news you receive ignores facts that could change public perception of a conflict.

For every sentence about Iraq in the Washington Post there is a cynical editorialized sentence. A writer will say “Iraq has fully coorperated with UN inspectors” and then there’ll be a comma “, for now.” As if this reporter knows the future, they throw in their opinion that war is eminent. Heres that example… the writer is Rajiv Chandrasekaran who has a “military matters” column:

HEADLINE: Inspectors Get Red Carpet in Iraq — So Far

The headline alone says it all. This is a pro-war journalist… and shouldn’t be read as objective or even balanced in his reporting. Essentially he works for the American military, for free.

FACT: Bush wants war.

FACT: Iraq is coorperating in the inspections in an enthusiastic manner

FACT: EVERY AMERICAN MEDIA OUTLET is already talking about war as if it’s a reality.

For my take on the US and ISraeli political futures, see my blog from three days ago. (ps… this is a blog.. what youre reading)

Today some attention will be given to the politics of Latin America…. commonly known as… the American sandbox… where US business frolic and seek profit. Something wonderous has been happenning in Latin America… and it should be kept quite quiet or else the CIA may start assasinations again….

THE LACKIES ARE BEING VOTED OUT! You heard right… all the US boot lickers are getting the boot… and in their places the people are electing independent, critical, and grassroots leaders of the “left”. Course, left is a relative term… as left as you can get when youre up to your eyelids in globalization and foreign debt…. But nonetheless, its quite a site to see… its quite pleasant to listen to…. the whining and complaining from rich american and latin-a businessmen who are shaking in their armani’s that their industries are going back into the hands of the public… or that their profit is going to disappear… can you hear them? Oooh theyre scared.

Lets count them shall we…. its so fun… Well… theres Chavez in Venezuela…. rough around the edges and frequently drawing protests; there’s (i believe) Lagos in Chile… a mildmannered socialist, first one since Allende got couped out by the CIA; In Equador theres that military guy…. loved by the common folk.. hes going to win…. In Brasil we have the sweetest of all – LULA! Working class all the way… no matter what they say… its only a matter of time before Argentina joins em… cause lets face it… where did all that libralization privatization get them….. poor and hungry! Why is this happenning? Cause people are tired of being shit on by big business.. and thats whats been happenning for far too long! The only drawback is that these elected officials may not have the power or the will to really fix the situation. STILL — ITs SWEET TO WATCH!

(please note Colombia doesnt count… its an American colony under military rule) (Peru is still getting over being mugged by their pres. so they dont count either… and Uruguay, Paraguay, and Bolivia…. I didnt have time to research)