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Chavez Embrace of Castro Remains Strong

By Big Tent Democrat, Section Foreign Affairs
Posted on Sat Nov 10, 2007 at 03:36:06 PM EST
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Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez's embrace of the Cuban authoritarian leader Fidel Castro is as strong as ever:

Chavez joined some of South America's most left-leaning leaders at a rally of about 3,000 people gathered for a "People's Summit" in a Santiago stadium. Chavez interrupted his speech at the rally to call Cuba's Fidel Castro, who he considers his mentor. . . . "Well Fidel, what a shame that we don't have speakerphone on this mobile, the people wanted to hear you," said Chavez, dressed in a red T-shirt.

There can be little doubt that Chavez garners more appreciation in Latin America than he should, and that most of this sympathy is a direct result of the disastrous policies of the Bush Administration.

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    Chavez Embrace of Castro Remains Strong | 22 comments (22 topical)
    Fascinating link. "Why don't (none / 0) (#1)
    by oculus on Sat Nov 10, 2007 at 03:46:55 PM EST
    you just shut up."  I'm surprised the King of Spain was even attending the conference or the rally.  Also, Chavez calling Fidel Castro--flip side of Rudy taking that cell phone call from Judith.

    Read the article (none / 0) (#4)
    by Randinho on Sat Nov 10, 2007 at 07:09:10 PM EST
    He told Chavez to shut up at the Ibero-American Summit. That's why the King of Spain was there.

    Parent
    I did read the article. King of Spain (none / 0) (#5)
    by oculus on Sat Nov 10, 2007 at 07:23:14 PM EST
    is not a left leaning leader.  

    Parent
    Then You Really Aren't Familiar With the Summit (none / 0) (#15)
    by Randinho on Sun Nov 11, 2007 at 04:26:33 PM EST
    The Ibero-American Summit is not limited to leftist leaders. The reason why the article said "mostly leftist" leaders is because most of the leaders in the Iberia and Ibero-America are leftists.

    Parent
    Spaniards are currently questioning why (none / 0) (#19)
    by oculus on Sun Nov 11, 2007 at 11:31:47 PM EST
    it is they are still supporting a monarchy.  Figurehead.  I'm just surprised the King was at the summit, that's all.  

    Parent
    why? (none / 0) (#2)
    by selise on Sat Nov 10, 2007 at 05:27:15 PM EST
    There can be little doubt that Chavez garners more appreciation in Latin America than he should

    why? how much support does he have, and why is that too much?

    How much? (none / 0) (#3)
    by Big Tent Democrat on Sat Nov 10, 2007 at 05:32:40 PM EST
    Read the article.

    Why is it bad? Because he is a demagogue with authoritarian tendencies.

    Do you think Castro as a role model is good?

    Parent

    not on point.... (none / 0) (#7)
    by selise on Sat Nov 10, 2007 at 10:50:34 PM EST
    castro can be a bad role model and chavez a demagogue with authoritarian tendencies.

    but that doesn't address my questions - unless you are saying that chavez should have garner no appreciation. is that what you are saying?

    There can be little doubt that Chavez garners more appreciation in Latin America than he should,

    i'd still like to know how much appreciation you think chavez has and how much you think he should have. because i have my doubts about your statement.


    Parent

    Very little (none / 0) (#11)
    by Big Tent Democrat on Sun Nov 11, 2007 at 10:27:11 AM EST
    Do not understand your confusion frankly.

    Parent
    I just love how (none / 0) (#6)
    by Alien Abductee on Sat Nov 10, 2007 at 08:29:21 PM EST
    in all these US-based news reports whatever Chavez does is made out to be sinister. There's going to be a public referendum on constitutional changes that remove term limits for the president? Report it as "Chavez is trying to make himself dictator for life." The poor are likely to vote en masse to support the proposed changes because Chavez has reduced their work day and used oil revenues to create social programs that improve their lives? Report it as "Chavez is bribing his supporters in order to consolidate his power." He's devolving power more regionally and locally to neighborhood councils? Report it as "boosting his control by centralizing power."

    But mostly don't even bother mentioning economic issues at all, just say he was rude to the king.

    Bah!

    Actually, the king was rude to Chavez, who (none / 0) (#8)
    by oculus on Sun Nov 11, 2007 at 01:43:43 AM EST
    was rude to the speaker, who was Spanish.

    Parent
    I believe (none / 0) (#14)
    by Alien Abductee on Sun Nov 11, 2007 at 03:22:39 PM EST
    the implication was that Chavez kicked off all the name calling by flinging the word fascist at - you're right, not the king - the former Spanish PM. Didn't you get the memo oculus? Chavez is the root of all evil. He was talking to the bogeyman on the phone!

    Parent
    I know. Long article in NY Times Sat. (none / 0) (#18)
    by oculus on Sun Nov 11, 2007 at 11:28:23 PM EST
    about the student protest movement in Venezuela.  The students are upset about Chavez' suspension of Constitutional rights, much like we want our "leaders" in Congress to react to Bush's incursions into our rights.  Chavez is a former military officer.  Somehow I thought he was working class.  

    Parent
    An alternate view (none / 0) (#21)
    by Alien Abductee on Mon Nov 12, 2007 at 10:35:30 PM EST
    on the student protests here and here - Chavez calls them "rich bourgeois brats" directed by opposition politicians, i.e., the oligarchy, to provide a sympathetic and misleading face to hoodwink the international community. That Yon Goicoechea in the NYT article seems to be something of an incipient David Horowitz if the CounterPunch article is to be believed.

    The truth is where? Who knows?

    Parent

    I see what you mean. (none / 0) (#22)
    by oculus on Tue Nov 13, 2007 at 07:30:58 PM EST


    Parent
    "disastrous US policies" (none / 0) (#9)
    by diogenes on Sun Nov 11, 2007 at 08:04:24 AM EST
    Which disastrous US policies are these?  Are Bolivian peasants protesting the Iraq war now?  Do Peruvian peasants actually care that we embargo Cuba?  
    Any Latin American leader who blasts the US gets a certain amount of popularity.  That's the way it is.

    How ignorant you are (none / 0) (#10)
    by Big Tent Democrat on Sun Nov 11, 2007 at 10:26:32 AM EST
    Indeed, the IRaq Debacle has a good deal to do with it.

    But you simply do not understad how Bush has utterly destroyed our image.

    Blind and clueless.

    Parent

    American Image (none / 0) (#12)
    by diogenes on Sun Nov 11, 2007 at 01:46:34 PM EST
    Americans have always been known for meddling in Latin America militarily (most recently scooping up Torrejos in Panama, invading Granada).  Americans bombed Serbia to suit their military purposes under Clinton.  Americans never did get around to invading Cuba since the Bay of Pigs fiasco.  So how the Iraq war will inspire the people of Peru or Chile to fear invasion is a stretch.  Maybe Hugo Chavez should be afraid of attack if he tries to take over Guyana (it's being nosed around due to talk of oil that is there), but if he invades Guyana based on his interpretation of a one hundred year old treaty that no one else agrees with then he deserves what he gets as did Saddam Hussein when he invaded Kuwait.

    Bush Legacy (none / 0) (#13)
    by squeaky on Sun Nov 11, 2007 at 02:05:05 PM EST
    Foreign leaders, observing that offshoring and war are accelerating America's relative economic decline, no longer treat the US with the deference to which Washington is accustomed. Ecuador's president, Rafael Correa, recently refused Washington's demand to renew the lease on the Manta air base in Ecuador. He told Washington that the US could have a base in Ecuador if Ecuador could have a military base in the US.

    [snip]

    Even as Gisele throws off the dollar's hegemony, Brazil, Venezuela, Ecuador, Bolivia, Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay, and Columbia are declaring independence of the IMF and World Bank, instruments of US financial hegemony, by creating their own development bank, thus bringing to an end US suzerainty over South America.

    Paul Craig Roberts

    Imperfect but still well-supported (none / 0) (#16)
    by ctrenta on Sun Nov 11, 2007 at 09:26:44 PM EST

    There's definitely a lot of oddities surrounding Hugo Chavez and I also know that not every thing he does to run Venezuela is perfect. But I also think he is still well supported by Venezuelans everywhere and most of all, there's a lot of things Americans aren't aware of when it comes to understanding Chavez. Personally, I wish we had a president that invested in social capital on a level like Chavez, but that's my opinion.

    I highly recommend people check out Venezuela Analysis. It's filled with lots of new information, intelligent analysis, and perspectives worth listening to. In addition, I also recommend Steve Rendall's EXCELLENT piece in Extra!, the magazine of Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting (FAIR).

    Information is power and these two pieces of information can close the gap in all the confusion surrounding Chavez and Venezuelan perspectives.

    I must point out that (none / 0) (#20)
    by Wile ECoyote on Mon Nov 12, 2007 at 06:12:54 AM EST
    Venezuela Analysis is manned by Socilaists:

    Gregory Wilpert is editor of the website venezuelanalysis.com and author of Venezuela and the Quest for 21st Century Socialism, forthcoming from Verso Books.

    Cleto Solo: Is definately a mouthpiece for Chavez

    Chris Carlson: runs gringo in venezuela

    A much better resource is
    Venezuela News And Views
    It is written by a Native Venezuelan :

    Written from the Venezuelan provinces, this blog started as private letters to my friends overseas, letters narrating the difficult days of the 2002/2003 strike in Venezuela. These letters became this mix of news, comments, pictures of the Venezuelan situation. Unknowingly, I have written the diary of Venezuela slow descent into authoritarianism, the slow erosion of our liberties, the takeover of the country by a military caste, the surrendering of our soul to our inner demons.


    Parent
    world bank (none / 0) (#17)
    by diogenes on Sun Nov 11, 2007 at 11:14:13 PM EST
    More power to those who do not want to be part of agencies that distribute western money.  Hopefully things like the rule of law, property rights, and various western "freedoms" won't disappear either, but it really isn't my business.  Of course, any country that tanks a la Zimbabwe shouldn't expect handouts to rebuild itself.  

    Chavez Embrace of Castro Remains Strong | 22 comments (22 topical)