Venezuela and US Want Better Relations in Spite of Recent Controversy

Feb 11, 2006 (VenezuelAnalysis.com).- Venezuelan President Chavez said Friday that his government is willing to change the state of relations with the U.S. if his neighbor to the north "shows some respect for Venezuela".

"I hope they can change. If they change their attitude and show some respect for Venezuela, we will respond equally," Chavez said.

The Venezuelan leader demanded respect for his country's sovereignty and decisions, and demanded a stop on all attacks from the U.S. government.

On Thursday, the U.S. State Department spokesperson Sean McCormack said his government is open to a positive relation with Venezuela, in response to Venezuelan Ambassador to the U.S. Bernardo Alvarez's desire for "mature, sensible relations between the two countries, which have many things in common and numerous, significant political differences."

Chavez described as "an attack" the U.S. government's recent veto of Venezuela's purchase of Spanish and Brazilian military gear made with U.S. components.

Venezuelan officials routinely complain of U.S. government efforts to remove democratically-elected President Chavez from the presidency by supporting a 2002 coup attempt, a managerial strike at the Venezuelan oil company PDVSA, and by providing millions of dollars to anti-Chavez groups in Venezuela as documented in the book The Chavez Code.

Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld recently compared Chavez to Adolf Hitler, while U.S. Director of National Intelligence John Negroponte accused Venezuela of being the most serious threat to U.S. interests in Latin America and of seeking closer ties with North Korea and Iran.

Recently, the Venezuelan government expelled a U.S. military attaché accused of spying. In response, the U.S. expelled the ambassador’s chief of staff at the Venezuelan embassy in Washington DC.

Embassies complain of lack of access to officials

The embassy of the Venezuela in Washington D.C. reiterated today that Ambassador Bernardo Alvarez has not been allowed to meet with U.S. State Department officials for weeks.

Venezuelan and U.S. officials have recently expressed willingness to improve bilateral relations, affected by an escalating war of words and accusations dating back to 2002 when the U.S. allegedly backed a coup attempt on Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez.

On Friday, in response to Venezuelan complains about lack of access to State Department officials, State Department spokesperson Sean McCormack said that Venezuelan Ambassador Alvarez has indeed had access to State Department officials, and has even met with Assistant Secretary of State for Western Hemisphere Affairs Thomas Shannon during a January 25 lunch.

U.S. officials have also claimed having difficulties at arranging meetings between U.S. Ambassador William Brownfield and senior Venezuelan government officials.

"At his request, the Venezuelan Ambassador met with the Director and Deputy Director for the Office of Andean Affairs as recently as January 23. Assistant Secretary Shannon spoke extensively with Ambassador Alvarez during a January 25 lunch. The State Department welcomes meetings with Venezuela," McCormack said.

The Venezuelan embassy, however, says that information was taken out of context.

Regarding a recent meeting with the director and vice-director of Andean Affairs at the Venezuelan embassy in DC, the embassy claims that "bilateral matters were not in discussion," and that the topic of that meeting was a trip that the U.S. Andean Affairs officials were planning to make to Venezuela. "This meeting was not manifested as a response from our request to meet Mr. Shannon," the embassy said through a statement today.

Venezuelan officials said that the encounter with Shannon that McCormack refers to was at a lunch of the Group of Latin American and Caribbean countries GRULAC, at which bilateral affair issues were not discussed.

The embassy claims that they have not received any response to their Nov. 15, 2005 request to meet with Assistant Secretary Thomas Shannon.

"We understand that we cannot assume social events as a way to establish bilateral, matured and respectful relations. We ratify our desire to keep relations built on good willingness and mutual respect towards our bilateral matters," the embassy said.

Trial Against Venezuelan NGO Annulled, To Begin Anew in March

Caracas, Venezuela, February 11, 2006—The decisions made thus far in the trial of four Súmate leaders charged with conspiracy, was annulled on technical grounds and a new trial is scheduled to begin in late March.

The decision was made, according to defense attorney Juan Martín Echeverría, because the judge in the trial decided to do without jurors, even though the defendants did not agree with the decision, which is a violation of Venezuela’s 1999 constitution. 

"This ruling takes us back to the starting point," defense lawyer Juan Martín Echeverría told El Universal. 

Súmate’s two directors, María Corina Machado and Alejandro Plaz, were on trial for treason, another two leaders, Luis Enrique Palacios and Ricardo Estévez, were on trial for complicity in the crime.  

The directors have been summonsed to appear before the court again on March 29 to face new charges. Prosecution spokesmen told the Daily Journal the new court date was a month and a half away because the investigation was continuing. 

Last July, the charges were brought against the four Súmate members because of a grant received from the US Congressionally funded National Endowment for Democracy. Article 25 of Venezuela's Law of Political Parties, Public Meetings and Demonstrations, (LPPRPM) prohibits political parties from receiving funding from foreign sources, but carries no penalty. Instead, the charges, for which prosecutors were seeking up to 23 years, were primarily based on the conspiracy articles in the Venezuelan penal code. 

Supporters of the trial have argued that through its actions during the 2004 recall referendum, which included developing a comprehensive electoral database, stationing computers at signature collection locales, being engaged in the signature verification process, and conducting exit polls, Súmate, which describes itself as a civil association, effectively made itself a parallel Electoral Council. “I see it as something very dangerous, the intention that some political actors have to replace the national electoral council with private institutions that would fulfill regulating functions, and receive private funds. That would be as if private courts were to be established that would belong to a private company and would make decisions about the imprisonment of Venezuelans,” Jorge Rodriguez, one of five principal members of the National Electoral Council, told Venezuelanalysis.com in an April 2004 interview, apparently referring to Súmate. 

Opponents have criticized the charges, noting they appear to be contrived, and say that a conviction of the four Súmate leaders could create uncertainty about what constitutes working against Republican institutions, rather than legitimate political dissent. “The court has given the government a green light to persecute its opponents,” said José Miguel Vivanco, a critic of the Chávez government and Americas director at Human Rights Watch, in a press release last July. “Prosecuting people for treason when they engage in legitimate electoral activities is utterly absurd.”   

State prosecutors, though, have argued that Sumate illegally diverted NED funds from legitimate voter workshops, for which the funds were intended, towards the recall referendum against President Chavez in August 2004. By using funds from a foreign government for a political campaign and for supplanting a branch of government Sumate committed treason, according to prosecutors.

Súmate members have criticized the judicial branch for being under the control of the executive. Critics respond that this argument is weakened when court decisions, such as this one and the decision to try the group’s leaders in freedom, show the independence of the judiciary.

Venezuela's Chavez Tells Britain's Tony Blair Not to Get Involved

Caracas, Venezuela, February 10, 2006—Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez responded angrily to Tony Blair’s critical comments on Wednesday, calling Blair, “shameless and subordinate to the commands of Washington.” Chavez said Blair is an ally of, “the genocidal murderer Bush,” and Blair should, “not mess with me.”

Blair spoke about Venezuela in yesterday’s British parliamentary session. The Prime Minister was responding to a question from Labour Member of Parliament Colin Burgon. Should Britain follow a, “Right-wing US Republican agenda,” towards left wing Latin American governments like Venezuela’s, asked Burgon.

Blair said it was important, “that the government of Venezuela realise that if they want to be respected members of the international community they should abide by the rules of the international community.” Venezuela’s alliance with Cuba would be better if Cuba was, “a properly functioning democracy,” Blair also said.

Chavez responded saying, “you don’t have the morality to go telling me anything, you who disrespects international law and the sovereignty of the people of Iraq.” Blair’s comments were, “the opening of the European front,” of Washington’s effort to isolate Venezuela internationally, said Chavez.

Already bad relations between Venezuela and the US got worse recently as the US nval attaché of the US embassy was thrown out of the country, accused of spying. The US retaliated by expelling the second-highest officer of Venezuela's embassy in the US.

Before this event there had been little official tension between the UK and Venezuela. A junior official at the British Foreign Office made a statement that supported the coup against Chavez in April 2002. This statement was quickly withdrawn when Chavez was returned to power days later by popular demonstrations and the military.

Blair has never previously made any public criticisms of Chavez and at the beginning of his presidency the Venezuelan leader even claimed he admired the British Prime Minister. Despite Blair's close relationship with George W. Bush and participation in the Iraq war, bitterly opposed by Chavez, this is the first time Chavez has condemned the British leader.

Spanish Arms Manufacturer Says It Cannot Export Planes to Venezuela

Caracas, Venezuela, February 8, 2006—EADS-CASA, The Spanish company contracted to provide Venezuela with 12 military planes, has been reported saying that unless the US lifts its veto on the sale of the planes, it will not be able to send them to Venezuela.

The deal for the unarmed C-295 transport planes was signed in Venezuela in November 2005. The US was able to veto the sale because the Spanish-made planes have parts that use US technology. On January 31, the Spanish Deputy Primer Minister Maria Teresa Fernandez de la Vega said, EADS-CASA was trying to find, “mechanisms of substitution,” for the parts needed.

Now the Spanish newspaper ABC News reported an “unnamed source” in EADS-CASA that says changing the parts would be technologically, “unviable.” According to the same source, this is because the structure of the planes would have to be changed if the US technology was replaced.

In November 2005, another unnamed source from EADS-CASA, this time speaking with the Spanish newspaper El Pais, had said the added cost of replacing the US parts would make the deal unprofitable. At that time it did not say it would be technologically impossible.

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez said in a recent speech that if Spain could not confirm its completion of the contract soon, Venezuela might buy the planes from China or Russia. Neither the Venezuelan Ministry of Defence or EADS-CASA were available to confirm what the status of the deal is now.

Diego Quintana from the Spanish Embassy in Caracas said, “we cannot speak on the part of EADS-CASA as it is an independent company. Obviously the deal is much more difficult without the US parts and we are talking with the US to allow for their use.” The deal is estimated to be worth $1.7 billion to EADS-CASA and would create hundreds of jobs in Spain.

The US has said it is blocking the sale because it feels Venezuela is a, “destabilizing force in the region.” The US State department said military sales to Venezuela could create an arms race in Latin America. The US has been accused of hypocrisy over this as it sent $190 billion of military aid to the continent last year.

Relations between the two countries have been bad since 2002 when the US failed to share advance knowledge of a coup against Chavez with the Venezuelan President. Since then Chavez has repeatedly accused the US of backing efforts to destabilise his government.

Last year the US stopped Israel from repairing Venezuela’s F16 fighter aircraft. The Brazilian government complained in January of this year it was feeling US pressure not to sell Super Tucano ground attack planes to Venezuela. This pressure has not yet become a formal US veto.

Caracas Objects to “Enhancement” of Voice of America Coverage to Venezuela

Caracas, Venezuela, February 8, 2006—In the latest development in the ongoing information wars between Venezuela and the United States, a line in the US president’s proposed 2007 budget asking for enhanced Voice of America (VOA) coverage to Venezuela has raised Caracas’ ire.

“Venezuela’s Ministry of Communication and Information is deeply concerned…about this rude intervention, as well as US taxpayers’ waste of money in a disloyal competition involving Voice of America broadcasting the same propaganda local media in Venezuela broadcasts for a lot less money and with the same results,” said a communiqué from Venezuela’s Ministry of Communication released yesterday.

VOA is fully funded by the US government, and under the control of the Broadcast Board of Governors, which says it is an independent federal agency. Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice is one of its eight board members. VOA’s journalists code said it does “not speak for the US government.”

According to VOA’s website, the news outlet, which estimates that it reaches close to 100 million people each week, “Initially…[faced] reductions and eliminations, but then [received] increased support to continue its broadcasts as the Cold War [began].” 

Joe O’Connell, a spokesperson for VOA, said the news outlet had no comment on the communiqué.

Last July, in response to an amendment endorsed by the US House of Representatives that had authorized the US government to broadcast daily programs to the South American country, the Venezuelan Embassy in Washington, DC suggested that the US instead expand VOA coverage to the country. “The sponsor of the amendment…Rep. Connie Mack (R-FL) could better concentrate his efforts on convincing the private media in Venezuela to carry the Voice of America signal broadcast to Latin America, which none include in their daily programming,” the Embassy said in a press release.

The amendment was in response to the creation of Telesur, a TV broadcast which receives majority funding from Venezuela, and the rest of its funding from the governments of Cuba, Uruguay, and Argentina.

The other countries that the president’s budget proposal requested increased funding to were Afghanistan and Zimbabwe.

Unlike countries whose media is subject to strict censorship, the majority of Venezuela’s private media is extremely critical of the ruling Chávez administration.

The Ministry of Communications communiqué concluded, “Very respectfully, we believe that the millions of US dollars wasted in waging illegal and immoral wars and destabilizing operations against democratically-elected governments could be better used in easing the suffering, hunger and cold suffered by the more than 30 million poor citizens roaming throughout the United States.”

Venezuelan Participatory Community Planning Councils to Receive $1 Billion

Caracas, Venezuela, February 7, 2006—Amid criticisms of centralization of power by the executive branch, Venezuela takes another step toward participatory democracy with the announcement of Bs 2.2 billion (approximately $1 billion) in funding for community planning councils, according to the Venezuelan state news agency ABN.

Community Planning Councils are, “possible because there exists a constitutional base that motivates citizens to break paradigms, be co-responsible and initiate actions necessary to promote popular participation,” Jorge Luís García Carneiro, head of the Ministry of Popular Participation and Social Development told ABN.

Thus far, there have been seven pilot municipalities whose 3,700 community planning councils have initiated 653 projects, García Carneiro said. By next month, 17 more municipalities are expected to form community planning councils, and the councils are expected to spread progressively until they are active in all 335 municipalities in Venezuela.

“The community planning councils are basic units of planning where the people form, execute, control, and evaluate public policies,” said Jorge Luís García Carneiro, head of the Ministry of Popular Participation and Social Development, which is charged with the program, in a January press release.

The possibility of creating community planning councils is established in the Venezuelan Constitution passed in 1999 and in various laws passed since then.

Freddy Gil, an organizer of community councils for the mayor´s office in Sucre, one of the pilot program areas, told Australia’s Green Left Weekly that in his area, the councils, known are designed to be autonomous nonpartisan groups made up of 200 to 400 families that have the power to make decisions over local issues.

Councils will have members elected by the communities and elections will be advertised by local volunteer “social promoters” the Australian newspaper said.

During the first Mobile Communal Cabinet meeting, where Chavez and various of his ministers visit communities to hear project proposals for central government funding, Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez announced that the federal government will provide half of the funding for the projects, and that the other half will be provided by city and state governments.

“I’m not a centralist, I’m polycentric; I bet on local development, all over the country equally,” said Chávez, who called the councils “popular power, constituent, original, and organized.” Chávez has repeatedly been criticized by Venezuelan opposition groups, and the US government, of centralizing power through the 1999 constitution, which was approved by referendum, and through the National Assembly’s decision to expand the number of Supreme Court judges and to weaken appointment procedures.

The local planning councils are not the first participatory decision making bodies to have been set up in Venezuela. Initially councils were set up at the municipal rather than community level. According to critical analysts, these resulted in, at best, very limited success because of the size of the regions of the councils, inconveniently divided districts, problematic division of resources, and the council’s limited decision-making power.

See also Participatory Democracy in Venezuela, parts 1-3:

• Citizen Power and Venezuela’s Local Public Planning Councils (pt. 1)
• The Legal and Practical Basis of Citizen Power in Venezuela (pt. 2)
• Problems and Opportunities for Citizen Power in Venezuela (pt. 3)