Be Bold!

[Cheung Mo]

http://www.mikemalloy.com/board/viewtopic....ccc8307a8fae0ce (http://www.mikemalloy.com/board/viewtopic.php?t=45602&sid=963369fde76e28eaeccc8307a8fae0ce)

[Whitten]

The only thing I can really say is that Chavez was right, Bush is the devil.

[fuerzasocialista]

*sniff*

smells like sulfur...

They're not gonna do shit. Chavez has armed militias ready to respond if the US tries to do something. If anything, the country could be plunged into civil war with the CIA backed opposition against the national militias preserving the rightfully elected government of Chavez.

[Xiao Banfa]

The AK's and planes (that Venezuela bought from Russia) are quite possibly to be used against an internal counter-revolution.

To repel the US he would need more shoulder-fired missiles and anti-air defenses.

Maybe next purchase.

[Anton]

Originally posted by Tino [email protected] 29, 2006 12:26 am
The AK's and planes (that Venezuela bought from Russia) are quite possibly to be used against an internal counter-revolution.

To repel the US he would need more shoulder-fired missiles and anti-air defenses.

Maybe next purchase.
the main thing he will need to repel the US is support form the vast majority of his people and although i'm not in Venezuela, from what I've heard he seems to have that.

[Xiao Banfa]

They also need hardware.

[phoenixoftime]

I say fund the secret service to get rid of these foreign agitators and socialize the media! :P

But seriously the shoulder fired missiles are a good idea - the fighter jets will be nigh useless if the US gets involved (even though the tech is world-class - just not enough numbers, physically or in terms of support systems).

[Anton]

i'm pretty sure Russia will ocntinue selling them weapons and as the threat from the US grows, more will be sold.
Not that I think Russia cares about the rights of the Venezuelans but it would be a great prmotion for their growing weapons export market that a country can use their weapons to effectively resist the US

[Ander]

I say we prepare the International Armed Revleft Brigade!

But seriously, if there is indeed a huge anti-Chavez protest after the election, I hope (and expect) an even bigger pro-Chavez crowd to meet them. I don't love Chavez, but he is one of the better leaders in power right now and such a massive show of support by the people would be an inspiring action.

[metalero]

the article is very realistic, but they rather pictured the events as it happened in the 2002 coup. This time the working class is more radicalized and alert. For every "protest" the CIA backed opposition does, the working class will respond with mega support marchs, that vastly outnumber those of US lackeys. Venezuelan working class and progressives next to Chavez have more voice thanks to Telesur and all the alternative media recently created. And the pretext of "fraud" despite the huge pressure over venezuelan government and the obvious working class mobilization, is already burnt. The next step for the oligarchy will be holding on their fairly big support in the oil rich state of Zulia, whose actual Gobernor is Manuel Rosales; then they will continue with the "regionalist" programme looking to start a separatist movement, that will include U.S. support, through neighboring Colombia. But in that case, they will have to deal with FARC first...let's keep our eyes open comrades!

[Janus]

It's on a forum linked to someone's blog. I think a coup is very possible but Chavez seems to have consolidated his support and military to a position which the US would have to be suicidal to challenge directly through an invasion.

[Guerrilla22]

I don't think that would fly. especially considering the immense support Chavez has from the Venezuelan populus, remember, during the coup attempt in 2002, thousands of members of the Bolivarain circles hit the streets in protest, I can only imagine the same thing would happen only on a much greater scale.

[Tekun]

Like Janus, Im looking at the source of this article :huh:
The article makes some interesting analysis, but I think that Chavez has for the most part protected himself and his country from the imperialists
Though u can't rule them out
Nevertheless, last poll I heard had Chavez up by more than 10%pts
And any action to overthrow or replace him behind or in front of the scenes would be condemned by most of South America and would definitely shine the light on the American gov in an unfavorable way

[Ander]

Maybe I'm just being paranoid, but an article posted in Newswire:


Venezuela's Chavez Says Plot Was Foiled
By FRANK BAJAK, Associated Press Writer

Thu Nov 30, 11:20 PM

CARACAS, Venezuela - President Hugo Chavez said Thursday during a marathon news conference that authorities had foiled a planned sniper attack against his main opponent in this weekend's elections.

As campaigning ended ahead of Sunday's vote, Chavez said "fascist" militants had planned to use a rifle with a telescopic sight to shoot Manuel Rosales during a speech and then blame it on Chavez's government in hopes of derailing the balloting.

"It was to say that Chavez sent them to kill him, and generate chaos," Chavez told reporters at the presidential palace.

The Venezuelan leader used the 3 1/2-hour news conference to laud achievements of his "people's revolution" _ citing statistics on lowered unemployment, a deep drop in poverty and petroleum-fueled economic growth.

He even quoted analysts from major foreign banks as saying the most dangerous scenario for this politically polarized country would be a Chavez election loss.

Chavez also said that upon re-election he would immediately convene a special commission to propose constitutional reforms to be approved by voters, likely including an end to presidential term limits. The current constitution would bar Chavez from running again in 2012.

Campaigning ended Thursday with red-clad Chavez supporters parading through downtown Caracas chanting: "Chavez isn't going anywhere!"

Rosales supporters cite polls showing Sunday's balloting will be tight, although an independent AP-Ipsos survey and other recent polls found Chavez with a large lead.

Rosales has called the vote a choice between democracy and an increasingly authoritarian Cuba-style system. Chavez, who was swept into power in 1998 on popular discontent with a corrupt political class, calls Rosales a U.S. lackey.

On the alleged assassination plot, Chavez said authorities had seized the rifle from a vehicle. In answer to a reporter's question later, he said that a military officer had been arrested for meeting with civilian plotters. He did not offer further details.

A high-ranking military official, speaking on condition of anonymity because he's not authorized to talk to reporters, confirmed that a naval officer was under investigation.

Rosales' campaign said it had no knowledge of the plan.

"This is a smoke screen. It's to manipulate the people, but nobody believes that," said Timoteao Zambrano, one of Rosales' campaign managers.

"The government is obliged to safeguard the lives of all Venezuelans, and that includes the presidential candidate," Zambrano said. "If something were to happen to our candidate, the government would be responsible."

Chavez has taken advantage of Venezuela's oil wealth to lavish the poor with programs that provide everything from subsidized food to free health care and education. And he persistently accuses the "imperialist" U.S. government of trying to topple him, on Thursday saying the "U.S. empire" had done more damage to Latin America than colonial Spain.

He urged his enemies to respect the result of the vote, calling an upset impossible and suggesting that some opposition activists are planning post-election violence.

"There are two options here _ ours and that of the U.S. empire and its flunkeys here, who were the ones who staged the coup," Chavez said, referring to a two-day coup in 2002. Chavez was returned to power by street protests and loyalists in the military.

Rosales said his supporters would be on alert for possible vote fraud.

"It has to be a clean game ... If that happens, all of us will be calm," Rosales, a political veteran who is ex-governor of Zulia state, told The Associated Press shortly before closing his campaign with a rally of hundreds of thousands in Maracaibo, Venezuela's second-largest city.

He has managed to unite Venezuela's opposition movement for the first time since a crushing defeat in a 2004 recall referendum against Chavez.

Chavez accused Rosales of lying about signing a document supporting the short-lived coup.

"Everyone saw the ex-governor here in this room signing the coup proclamation. So he's said no, that what he signed was an attendance sheet," Chavez said.

"What nerve! And a gentleman like that wants to be president!" Chavez said, adding, "A liar cannot be president of a country, much less of Venezuela."

Chavez insisted that his proposal for constitutional changes to do away with presidential term limits "is not a dictatorship, it's democracy." He noted that presidents of France have served long periods in power.

Venezuela has become increasingly polarized along class lines, with the wealthier supporting Rosales, the poor backing Chavez and a fractured middle class.

Shoppers are packing supermarkets to stock up on supplies, fearful that Sunday's outcome could prompt street protests and violence.

http://www.comcast.net/news/international/.../30/532119.html