Monday, August 2, 2010
Venezuela and a Constant Meddling in Neighbors' Affairs
By Jerry Brewer
Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez,
who has remained in office for over a decade, shows no apparent signs of future restraint when it comes to bullying and aggression
against his western hemisphere neighbors.
As far back as early 2006, then
Peruvian President Alejandro Toledo announced that he wanted President Chavez “to respect Peru’s domestic affairs.” This amid speculation that Chavez was granting illegal Peruvian immigrants Venezuelan
nationality if they committed to vote for then nationalist candidate Ollanta Humala in Peru’s presidential election in April of that year.
This ultimately resulted in Peru recalling its ambassador from Venezuela “due to open support by Chavez for Presidential
candidate Humala who had previously met with Chavez and Bolivia’s Morales in Caracas.”
As well, Mexico was not immune
from Chavez’s manipulation and wrath as presidential candidates in that country, in 2006, were also quick to point a
finger. Roberto Madrazo accused Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador of being in contact
with Chavez aides, claiming that Chavez was trying to “influence the upcoming elections.”
The previous year Mexico had
also accused Cuba of meddling in its internal affairs, and the Cuban ambassador was sent home.
Chavez launched insults at then
President Vicente Fox, calling him a “puppy of U.S. imperialism.” This
open hostility continued with Chavez threatening Fox — telling him, “Don’t mess with me sir, or you will
get stung.” This too ultimately led both nations to recall their respective ambassadors.
Moreover, then Mexican foreign
minister Jorge Castaņeda urged Fox to “completely break” relations with Venezuela, stating “Chavez is orchestrating
a campaign throughout Latin America to interfere in elections in Mexico, Nicaragua, Colombia, and Bolivia.” This prompted former U.S. secretary of state Condoleezza Rice to describe Chavez as “a negative force
attempting to influence neighboring countries away from democratic processes.”
U.S. officials also accused Chavez
of being linked to the ongoing political crisis in Nicaragua that involved a U.S. ally, former President Enrique Bolaņos. The accusations included Chavez meddling by “riling up people” to vote
against U.S. backed democratic candidates in Uruguay, Argentina, Brazil and Bolivia, among others.
Chavez openly and aggressively
supported Evo Morales for Bolivia’s presidency. Upon achieving victory,
Morales wasted no time in travelling to Cuba prior to his inauguration. His second
stop was Venezuela, where he told people that Bolivia would join the anti-neoliberal and anti-imperialist block — noting
that “Fidel Castro and Hugo Chavez champion the movement.”
Chavez boldly commented that
he would be discussing proposals made by Bolivia’s Movement for Socialism (MAS) with Morales. Morales had earlier been
active with Chavez in international anti-imperialist, indigenous, and social events.
Although Chavez, after
more than a decade, has yet to save Venezuela from poverty, corruption, crime, militarism, monopolistic capitalism, and oil
dependence, he agreed to supply Morales in Bolivia with 150,000 barrels of diesel fuel per month, stating: “I will not
accept payment from you of a cent.”
Chavez’s early years
in office graphically demonstrated his lavish spending of some 30 percent of GDP in 2004, including over US$2 billion in military
weapons, and they telegraphed a future of failure to make meaningful improvements in education, poverty, or equity at home
for the citizens of Venezuela. Allegations even then spoke of “Chavez and
his cronies stashing millions of petrodollars overseas in banking havens” If
that speculation were indeed genuine, those funds could easily be used to finance leftist covert agendas or significantly
improve the lives of the ruling elite when power wanes and muscle becomes flaccid.
Much of Chavez’s sinister
and odious rhetoric against the U.S. obviously stems from Colombia’s victories at home against narcotraffickers and
revolutionary forces. Colombia's outgoing President Alvaro Uribe, much like Mexican
President Felipe Calderon, has done an admirable job with a no nonsense approach and aggressive hand in confronting enemies
head on.
The U.S. has stood strong in
support of these free nations. The issue of U.S. military bases near Venezuela
supporting Colombia's valiant fight, as well as Colombian airborne battalions equipped with a helicopter fleet made up mainly
of Blackhawks, makes the Colombian Army Air Corps one of the best equipped and most experienced in Latin America.
Chavez may be ecstatic to be
rid of Uribe soon. However, President-elect Juan Miguel Santos has a documented
history of aggressive and covert action against the enemies of Colombia and the support of a Colombian populace exhausted
by revolutionary bloodshed.
Chavez’s anti-imperialist
card has previously been a good subterfuge to camouflage his failures at home. But
much like the bully who throws a rock and hides his hand — someone is watching.
——————————
Jerry Brewer is C.E.O. of Criminal Justice International Associates, a global risk mitigation firm
headquartered in Miami, Florida. His website is located at www.cjiausa.org.
