Chavez a threat to democracy

[Nbadan]

But, but, Chavez was Democratically elected...

Chavez a threat to democracy, US intelligence chief says



Washington - Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez exports a form of 'radical populism' throughout Latin America that poses a threat to democracy, the top US intelligence official said Tuesday.

John Negroponte, during hearings on his nomination to become deputy secretary of state, warned that frustration in Latin America about the lack of prosperity under democratic governments could further fuel the populism advocated by Chavez.

US-Venezuelan relations have suffered during Chavez's presidency. Chavez has travelled the world lambasting what he considers American imperialism and in September called US President George W Bush 'the devil.'

Washington has objected to Chavez's crackdown on free media and civil rights groups, and says democratic institutions under his rule have been marginalized. Chavez is expected to be granted powers this week to issue decrees without parliamentary approval - a move that has been criticized by Venezuelan opposition parties as a step towards totalitarianism.

(can you say, Presidential sighing papers?)

'His behaviour is threatening to democracies in the region,' Negroponte told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

Monsters and critics (http://news.monstersandcritics.com/americas/news/article_1253669.php/Chavez_a_threat_to_democracy_US_intelligence_chief _says)

Wasn't Negroponte, who has left many skeletons in the closet in South and Central America during his reign, also the lead man in the whole Hurricane Katrina fiasco? Who's the real threat to Democracy again?

[ChumpDumper]

How could have been a lead man in the Katrina fiasco while he was Director of National Intelligence?

[Nbadan]

Isn't he the lead man in homeland security? FEMA? Hello?

[ponky]

haha, i like chavez just fine and one by one the other south/central countries are following suit...guarda el petroleo, chavez!

[ChumpDumper]

Isn't he the lead man in homeland security? FEMA? Hello?No. No. McFly?

[Nbadan]

Sorry, that Chertoff. Negroponte is the yes-man.

[Nbadan]

haha, i like chavez just fine and one by one the other south/central countries are following suit...guarda el petroleo, chavez!

Whatever you think of him politically, Chavez always finds a way to out-smart his opposition, kinda like Castro. The last Venezuela Presidential election was monitored by the U.N. and Jimmy Carter, hell, even the Republicans wouldn't allow that much transperacy here in the U.S..

[smeagol]

Dan, take Chavez' dick out of you mouth. We can't hear what you are saying.

[boutons_]

Chavez is an actual politician, smarter than dubya, which isn't saying much. dubya is a total puppet conscripted by the Repug mucky-mucks.

Chavez' socialism floats ONLY on oil, like Iran's mullahs buy off its poor with subsidies on everything, so Chavez' socialism won't export very well. eg, MX's upper classes have a (corrupt) iron grip on oil and power there.

[Nbadan]

Chavez fires back...

Venezuela Ignores Advice From the Father of Death Squads


Caracas, January 31, 2006 (Venezuelanalysis.com)— The Venezuelan government issued a statement yesterday rejecting comments made by a senior U.S. official, John Negroponte, who called Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez “a threat to democracy” in Latin America.

Earlier this month U.S. President George W. Bush nominated Negroponte, currently director of National Intelligence under the Bush administration, for the position of deputy Secretary of State, an appointment subject to confirmation by the U.S. Senate. At his Senate Foreign Relations Committee confirmation hearing yesterday Negroponte said, "I do not think has been a constructive force in the hemisphere," adding that he thought “ behavior is threatening to democracies in the region," according to AP.

The Venezuelan government’s response, issued through a Ministry of Foreign Relations (MRE) press release, stated that “Mr. Negroponte represents a real threat to peace and democracy,” in Latin America. “It is not credible to anybody in the hemisphere that is considering a new policy for Latin America when it assigns individuals such as Mr. Negroponte,” it added.

In reference to the period (1981-1985) that Negroponte served as U.S. Ambassador to Honduras, the MRE press release said, “Latin America has the worst memories of this individual when he was an instrument of genocidal and imperialist policies in Central America."

VA (http://www.venezuelanalysis.com/news.php?newsno=2206)

[Nbadan]

Not so dictorial after all...

Venezuelan Legislature Allows President to Pass Laws by Decree for 18 Months


Caracas, January 31, 2007 (venezuelanalysis.com)— Venezuela’s National Assembly passed a so-called “enabling law” today, which will allow President Chavez to pass laws by decree in eleven different areas for a period of 18 months. Chavez had asked for the enabling law earlier this month, saying it is needed to accelerate the process of transforming Venezuela’s state and economy into “21st century socialism.”

This is the third time Chavez has received such authorization during his presidency and Chavez is the fifth Venezuelan president to take advantage of this power, which both the 1961 and the 1999 constitutions permit.

The enabling law, which Chavez has called the “mother law” for the laws that are to help bring about 21st century socialism, was passed in an outdoor meeting of the National Assembly today. In the course of the meeting, to which the public had open access, various representatives of the pro-Chavez coalition explained why they supported the law.

Most legislators talked about how they trusted Chavez to pass laws that would increase democracy in Venezuela and the need to act rapidly because this is what the Venezuelan people are expecting.

VA (http://www.venezuelanalysis.com/news.php?newsno=2207)

[ChumpDumper]

Ruling by decree for a year and a half after already having that power twice sounds pretty damn dictatorial.

[Nbadan]

Ruling by decree for a year and a half after already having that power twice sounds pretty damn dictatorial.

Not as much as signing statements that ignore the will of the people.

[ChumpDumper]

Actually, alot more.

[Nbadan]

Actually, alot more.

Last time I checked, Chavez was a lot more popular in Venezuela than Dubya is here.

[ChumpDumper]

:lol So he shouldn't need dictatorial powers then, should he?

[Nbadan]

Add Negroponte to the long list of W.H. enablers...

Senators are renewing calls for the declassification of a CIA report documenting the agency’s mistakes in preventing the 2001 attacks.
By Michael Isikoff and Mark Hosenball
Newsweek


Jan. 31, 2007 - ... The report, prepared by the CIA’s inspector general, is the only major 9/11 government review that has still not been made publicly available ...

In a letter sent just this week, three panel members—including Intelligence Committee chairman Sen. Jay Rockefeller and ranking Republican Christopher Bond—revived the issue and asked that an executive summary of the report be declassified “without delay” and released to the public.

The letter was addressed to outgoing Director of National Intelligence John Negroponte, but Oregon’s Democratic Sen. Ron Wyden—who has made the issue a personal crusade—said he intends to press the new DNI designate, J. Michael McConnell, on the matter at his confirmation hearings Thursday ...

Wyden added that if McConnell doesn’t reverse the decision made by Negroponte in refusing to declassify the report, he intends to use admittedly cumbersome intel-committee procedures to try to force the release of at least some of the inspector general’s findings. One concern, he said, is that “a desire for political security” is influencing the Bush administration’s refusal to greenlight the release of the document ...

MSNBC (http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/16907952/site/newsweek/)

[Nbadan]

:lol So he shouldn't need dictatorial powers then, should he?

Not the way I would do it, but he has had these powers twice before and still maintains popularity even in Venezuela’s National Assembly, which is filled with opposition members.

[SAtoDallas]

Whatever you think of him politically, Chavez always finds a way to out-smart his opposition, kinda like Castro. The last Venezuela Presidential election was monitored by the U.N. and Jimmy Carter, hell, even the Republicans wouldn't allow that much transperacy here in the U.S..

[SAtoDallas]

We all know how credible the UN and Jimmy Carter are.