Monday, March 22, 2010
Latin America news roundup - March 22, 2010
TOP STORY - Operating in the Obama Moment (ZVideo)
Bolivia - Bolivia's Easter Elections (Democracy Center)
Colombia - Colombian journalist shot and killed (Washington Post)
Cuba - Margaret Randall’s Years in Cuba (Monthly Review)
Brazil - Lula Keeps Extraordinary Rating in Brazil (Angus Reid Global Monitor)
Brazil - Brazil's broadband plan to provide cheaper high-speed Internet access (Xinhua)
Brazil - Brazil still not crying for Israel (South/South)
Colombia - James Carville is Santos' Top Campaign Advisor (O Colombia)
Honduras - Canada's Long Embrace of the Honduran Dictatorship (Counterpunch)
Latin America - Militarizing Latin America (Monthly Review)
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19 comments:
What you will never read in this site:
Osvaldo Alvarez Paz, an opposition leader from Venezuela was detained and charged for saying publicly the following:
"Venezuela has become an operations center that facilitates narcotraffic business"
Why?
Because this is a propaganda site.
Don't believe me. Just google: "Alvarez Paz" look for any source you respect and then judge.
Osvaldo Alvarez Paz, an opposition leader from Venezuela was detained and charged for saying publicly the following:
"Venezuela has become an operations center that facilitates narcotraffic business"
I don't agree with charging Alvarez Paz for such a statement, but I am curious as to what Alvarez Paz's real motive is in peddling such a claim. If the motive behind the claim --as well as the effect of it-- is to draw more U.S. threats against Venezuela, I could see why Venezuelan authorities wouldn't take kindly to the claim.
To invite outside intervention in one's country can be very serious business. I hope that's not what Alvarez Paz was aiming to do.
Justin, the link for the Carville article goes to something else...here's our post on it:
http://structurallymaladjusted.blogspot.com/2010/03/ragin-cajun-heads-to-colombia.html
Hey Justin
I just wanted to say that I love your blog. I am deeply interested in Latin American politics and your blog is a great resource. Keep doin what your doin homeboy.
Thanks, Jakob. I switched to the correct link, and I'll post a link to yours as well.
And thanks, Jon. Glad the blog could be of use.
I think I really became aware of what a pig Carville is watching "Our Brand is Crisis" as he pigged out for Gonzalo Sánchez de Lozada (“Goni”)
I wonder if America will ever figure out that there is a very small and insignificant difference between the James Carville's and the Mary Matalin's of the world.
I watched a Colbert Report with an interview with Matalin. Before they started he pulled out a Pug Talking Point Bingo card and dared her to help him make Bingo by gobbledy gooking talking points in the interview. It reduced her to a stuttering stammering stooge.
The arrogance of these a$$wipes is just overwhelming.
How crazy is it to allow politicians that would cheerlead a future US invasion of Venezuela to promote outright lies, propaganda that can be used by the empire as a rationale for invasion?
This really is treason.
The anology would be a world where China was the imperialist, superior power that was chomping at the bit to invade the US. Would me providing China propaganda matearial, based on no compelling evidence, be acceptable?
No, I would be jailed as a traitor and a threat to national security.
The rightwing always has to hide and minimize the elephant in the room that governs international relations: US economic and military might and its history of breaking international laws by killing hundreds of thousands to achieve its goals of world domination.
Given decades of US attacks on left governments and peoples' movements, the Venezuelan government would be derelict and irresponsible to allow elites in Venezuela to spread lies.
Justin, these hypocrites talk about censorship, but they refuse to allow opinions on thier websites and blogs that challenge their positions.
It is clear that the US is trying to prime the US population to support future agression against Venezulea. One would be foolish to believe otherwise.
These points aren't even debatable given the copious historical record.
Venezuela has to create a situation on the ground that would make any future invasion unattractive, worse than Vietnam.
The anology would be a world where China was the imperialist, superior power that was chomping at the bit to invade the US. Would me providing China propaganda matearial, based on no compelling evidence, be acceptable?
It's a very sticky issue, though. Where do you draw the line between what sorts of statements to the media would be treasonous and what sorts wouldn't? There's an awful lot of room there for arbitrary judgements, whereby the claim of treason could conceivably be used to punish simple acts of dissent.
You're absolutely right that, in a world in which Great Powers use propaganda as a pretext for invasions or proxy wars, a country like Venezuela has to concern itself with how certain forms of propaganda are spread. This is something that most Americans don't really understand because they don't live under threat of invasion or proxy war.
But the issue is complicated, and there can be drawbacks to an overly zealous approach to prosecuting seemingly treasonous statements. When Venezuelan authorities go after a guy like Alvarez Paz, they may actually be giving the opposition (and the United States) more grist for their propaganda mill.
Perhaps there should be a bit more discussion about how a country like Venezuela should deal with the problem of seemingly treasonous forms of propaganda.
That is what I call a Stalinist heart. No, sorry, a medieval heart: TREASON for saying something polemic!!!
What would the right punishment be? To impale him?
Next thing you will be endorsing the burning of books.
Alvarez Paz's detention is so arbitrary, that even Justin first reaction was to agree, and yet, at the same time, endorses the idea to charged him for treason.
Open your eyes.
Justin:
If your site was judged by your very same standards, you would be a guilty of "treason".
The law should be the same for everybody. There shouldn't be a law for powerful Venezuelans, and another for the opposition. Fortunately you live in a country were judging someone for treason for making some polemic political comments is unthinkable.
It's obvious, anonymous, that you're not even capable of thoughtful discussion. You're not even referring to anything I've actually written.
Same goes for Fernando.
Fortunately you live in a country were judging someone for treason for making some polemic political comments is unthinkable.
That's because I live in a country that faces no threats of invasion or proxy war. Other peoples are not so lucky, unfortunately.
But if you want to have a discussion, please respond to what I've actually written.
Good points, Justin.
I would err on the side of caution. There can be no opposition that actually cooperates with the US. Can't happen.
Be real. The results of a US invasion predicated on lies and misinformation would be tens of thousands dead.
There is no margin for error when it comes to how propaganda prepares the empire' population for 'the work to be done'.
The Bolivarian project has survived so far by being bold when the opprotuinty arises. Putting the Venezuelan elite on defense here is entirely appropriate. Saying that the Venezuelan government is cooperating with "terrorists" and participating in shipping cocaine to the US is a line that is crossed.
In the context of survival, spreading these lies is treason.
I say that the Venezuelan governmen is well with in acceptable parameters by taking on this vendepatria oligarchy.
What I'd do is put these scoundrels to work, on a community farm for a year or two. Kind of like an oligarch reform school.
I'd try out the 'oligarch plow' that I designed some years ago. LOL
I agree with Slave Revolt
They should all be charged for treason and impaled.
A US invasion is imminent.
Obama is just another hawk waiting for an excuse to take over Venezuela's oil.
Well said. I real love Colbert he real shut Mary Matalin down. I real felt she real did not know the scripture she was referring to, no real surprise there, even though she is very good at her day job. Let’s face it, she is very smart so if she real knew the subject she would have hit this with a response “out of the park”. Instead, she said very little. Too funny.
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