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Home Editorial Venezuela's Incessant Meddling

Tuesday, 10 July 2012 00:00

Venezuela's Incessant Meddling

Similar interference and threats emerged as an angry Chvez spoke out against the removal from office of former President of Honduras Manuel Zelaya, for attempts to alter the Honduran Constitution in order to remove presidential term limits -- as Chvez had done earlier in Venezuela.

By Jerry Brewer

he removal of Paraguay's leftist president, Fernando Lugo, last month* brought on

the usual accusations and the propensity of Venezuelan President Hugo Chvez to interfere in Latin American neighborhood politics. Of course, Chvez's lead was diligently followed by sharp criticism of the Paraguayan government from his leftleaning minions throughout the hemisphere. The ritual two-step banter was quick to play out as the new government of Paraguay ordered home its ambassador in Venezuela, citing "the grave evidence of intervention by Venezuelan officials in the internal affairs of Paraguay". And Hugo Chvez was quick to demonstrate his own weak upper hand, ordering his military attachs to leave the Venezuelan Embassy in Asuncin (reportedly sending them to Argentina). Venezuela's ambassador had left Paraguay a week earlier, when he was called home for consultations by Chvez amid accusations that Venezuela was "preparing a coup". Chvez's translation of the facts did not resemble Paraguay's "new government" version that accused "Venezuelan Foreign Minister Nicolas Maduro of trying to persuade Paraguayan military officers to rise up in support of the leftist Lugo during the impeachment process". Chvez has vehemently opposed the congressional impeachment of President Fernando Lugo, an ally of Chavez. Lugo was replaced by Vice President Federico Franco, who is expected to serve out Lugo's presidential term that ends in August 2013. The Paraguayan foreign ministry said last week that there is "serious evidence of intervention by Venezuelan officials in the internal affairs of Paraguay." In defense with

alleged proof, Paraguay's defense minister presented a video from a security camera that showed Maduro "going into the meeting with military officers." Chvez denied the evidence of the video, stating it was taken out of context and called those who have taken power in Paraguay a "dictatorial" group. With apparent demonstrative evidence of Venezuelan meddling, Chvez as a master of deception reverted to his usual standby alibi -- the US was behind it. Chvez indicated that his suspicion was that the "US government had a hand in Lugo's ouster", referring to a "decision of the Pentagon". As always, he offered no evidence to support his theory. Too, in his usual retaliatory fashion Chvez ordered a halt of oil shipments to Paraguay. Hugo Chvez's short memory fails to recall his rise to power through the traditional coup d'tat. As a career military officer, he became dissatisfied with the Venezuelan political system and founded "the secretive Revolutionary Bolivarian Movement-200 (MBR-200)" in the early 1980s. Chvez led the MBR-200 in an unsuccessful coup against Venezuelan President Carlos Andrs Prez government in 1992. Consequently Chvez was captured and imprisoned for two years. The Chvez regime that is today closely mentored by the presidential Castro brothers of Cuba is no stranger to accusations of espionage and interference in Latin American nation's political affairs and elections. As far back as 2006, then Peruvian President Alejandro Toledo announced that he wanted President Chavez "to respect Peru's domestic affairs." This amid speculation that Chvez was granting illegal Peruvian immigrants Venezuelan nationality if they committed to vote for then nationalist candidate Ollanta Humala in Peru's presidential election of that year. This ultimately resulted in Peru recalling its ambassador from Venezuela "due to open support by Chvez for presidential candidate Humala, who had previously met with Chvez and Bolivia's Evo Morales in Caracas." Mexico was not immune from Chvez's manipulation and wrath as presidential candidates in that country, in 2006, were also quick to point a finger. Roberto Madrazo of the PRI accused PRD candidate Andres Manuel Lpez Obrador of being in contact with Chvez aides, claiming that Chvez was trying to "influence the upcoming elections". Evidence mounted as former Mexican Foreign Minister Jorge Castaeda urged then President Vicente Fox to "completely break" relations with Venezuela, stating, "Chvez is orchestrating a campaign throughout Latin America to interfere in elections in Mexico, Nicaragua, Colombia, and Bolivia." US officials also accused Chvez of being linked to the ongoing political crises in Nicaragua that involved a US ally, former President Enrique Bolaos. The accusations included Chavez meddling by "riling up people" to vote against US backed democratic candidates in Uruguay, Argentina, Brazil and Bolivia, among others. Similar interference and threats emerged as an angry Chvez spoke out against the removal from office of former President of Honduras Manuel Zelaya, for attempts to

alter the Honduran Constitution in order to remove presidential term limits -- as Chvez had done earlier in Venezuela. As Paraguay stands by its authority to make political decisions within the homeland, it remains to be seen what the future may hold in a growing left-leaning political region. It clearly appears that effective US policy and diplomatic engagement in Latin America must rise quickly from the smoldering ashes of previous complacency to help ensure freedoms for those that choose democracy for their homelands. (7/10?12) Note: This article was reprinted with permission of the author. It was originally published at MexiData.info. Jerry Brewer is the Chief Executive Officer of Criminal Justice International Associates, a global threat mitigation firm headquartered in northern Virginia. His website is located at www.cjiausa.org. TWITTER: cjiausa