How, precisely, did Hugo Chavez react to Al Qaeda's 9/11 terrorist attacks?

Here are excerpts from an article in the Democracy & Development section of Venezuela Today, originally published in PETROLEUMWORLD September 30 2001. The article was written by Dr. Pedro Pablo Aguilar, former president of Venezuela's Congress, who gives a glimpse into the mind of the man who admires Osama Bin Laden, calls Saddam "my brother", and considers the United States his enemy.

Hugo Chávez reacted late and wrong before the 09-11 tragedy. He was last among Latin American rulers to pronounce himself. He did not do it on the 11th as his colleagues did.

Venezuela as a whole was living the horror of events in the U.S.A. As in the rest of the continent, people were nailed to the TV sets watching with terrified eyes what was unfolding. Many in Venezuela have relatives who study or work in New York and Washington. It was strange that the President would have not spoken on the day of the tragedy or the following day.

This message appeared not to answer the expectations at the U. S. Embassy. Then-ambassador Donna Hrinak had a long meeting with Venezuela's Foreign Minister. Coming out of this meeting reporters asked her if the U. S. Government, has considered, within the present context, Venezuela's relations with Arab countries. "We're still examining the situation. Countries have to decide which side they take, whether they're with the terrorists or whether they side with freedom and peace. Each country must decide now."

For President Chávez, the decision was awfully difficult. He is of the conviction that he is one of the main political players of the world. That he's recognized as a leader called upon to promote the universal struggle against globalization and neoliberalism. He went to Baghdad to talk to Saddan Hussein and to condemn the embargo against Irak. He went to Libya to meet with Gaddafi and to offer his fraternal solidarity. He brought Mohammed Khatami to Caracas and later visited him in Teheran, in the process of reaching concrete and strong agreements with Iran. The most important was the making of the axis of a powerful alliance to turn oil into a strategic element against globalization.

As President he has journeyed the entire planet blaming globalization and neoliberalism as the root of the pain of peoples. In all scenarios he has said that savage capitalism breeds on the power of an empire who practices it and imposes it on others. A new balance in world power is indispensable to humanize globalization and slow down neoliberalism. He believes to have conquered universal admiration in the frontal, daily battle against unipolarity.

In the 48 hours following the terrorist attack he vanishes from sight. Ghadaffi has pointed to him as the head of a new movement to conquer the dignity of imperialism's oppressed peoples. How not to recall that wondrous day in Malaysia, when rulers of 77 countries asked him to lead Southern nations in their renewed efforts towards justice and equity? Or the mail exchange with famous fellow Venezuelan Carlos Ilich Ramírez -"El Chacal"- for whose extradiction so much has been done by the Ambassador to Paris?

Venezuela is now a major actor in world politics because it assumed the vanguard role in the battle against unipolarity. With a happy smile, he [Chavez] added: "I will also travel, God willing, but it shall be in October to planned meetings with Saddam Hussein and Ghadaffi."

By Johan Freitas, in Caracas

In a pattern that closely follows his reaction to 9/11, Venezuelan strongman Hugo Chavez has gone into hiding rather than face public questioning over his Al Qaeda connections.

His usual Sunday morning TV-show, Alo Presidente ("Hello President"), did not air this week. Viewers who expected an explanation of his $1M Al Qaeda support waited impatiently all morning and most of the afternoon, until finally, at 5 PM local time, it was clear that the president was nowhere to be found. The regularly scheduled program, normally a stable feature of Venezuelan state-owned TV's Sunday line-up, had to be unexpectedly cancelled. It normally features live callers asking questions on the air.

" - The Al Qaeda scandal is today's top news in the nations' newspapers. Voters would have demanded answers. Chavez acts like a dictator, but he is also a coward. And he is afraid of being held democratically accountable for his acts," said opposition leader Enrique Medina Gomez, a general who was part of the Chavez high command but joined the country's resistance movement in protest over Chavez's totalitarian rule and close ties to terrorism.

Chavez, who privately expressed satisfaction over the attacks at the time, had government-employees burn the American flag in a 9/11-celebration in the main square of Caracas, Plaza Bolivar.

Today, with his "Bolivarian Revolution" ending in Venezuela's largest-ever bout of public corruption, his support from both the Venezuelan people and it's armed forces has dwindled and the country is gripped in the fifth week of a general strike. Desperately clinging on to power by whatever means necessary, Chavez is refusing to call free and democratic elections in Venezuela.

by militaresdemocraticos Sun, Jan 5 2003, 11:18pm

All over Venezuela, ordinary voters are outraged by the latest proof of terrorist connections between their country's ruler Hugo Chavez and Al Qaeda, Osama Bin Laden's global terrorist network.

Chavez Under Fire For Al Qaeda Financing

$1M to Al Qaeda: Front page news All over Venezuela, ordinary voters are outraged by the latest proof of terrorist connections between their country's ruler Hugo Chavez and Al Qaeda, Osama Bin Laden's global terrorist network.

Sunday, the nation awoke to find the scandal top news in all states. "Financing of terrorists", screamed the huge headline of La Voz, from Miranda state. In Aragua state, El Siglo announced on its front page that "Chavez gave one million dollars to Al Qaeda". And in Carabobo state, Notitarde came out with an "Edicion Extraordinaria", a special edition, which was headlined: "Chavez gave 900 thousand dollars to Bin Laden's terrorist network". The paper referred to the $900,000 in cash for Al Qaeda and later mentioned the additional $100,000 in food and tents for the Taliban, for a total of one million in assistance. El Nacional, in Caracas, reported that the records of the investigation will be shared with the U.S. State Department in its fight against international terrorism and rogue states sponsoring terrorism.

Faced with the proof of his Al Qaeda financing, Hugo Chavez has so far maintained a complete silence. The "no comment" order extends to his entire inner circle: None of his other collaborators named in the Al Qaeda files have yet commented either. This curious silence follows the pattern of the 9/11 aftermath, when he vanished from sight for days and was the last Latin leader to make a statement.

But to the nation's press, the Chavez / Al Qaeda connection is front page news, and the embattled leader is drawing fire for not wanting to face his actions. " - Zany dictator Hugo Chavez has really gone off the rails this time," said Caracas street vendor Felipe Lopez, 28, while studying the documentation published by dozens of the country's newspapers. "Dictatorial thugs like Hugo Chavez are dangerous to his own people and to the rest of the world."

Desperate for change, voters have renewed their call for free and democratic elections. Hugo Chavez, showing his dictatorial streak, has publicly announced that he will not call elections anytime soon, that he will not finance such elections, and in the event that elections were to be held anyway, he will not abide by their outcome.

Soledad Bravo, a popular Venezuelan folk singer and former Chavez supporter, distanced herself from the strongman, and urged the world to act: " - Freeing ourselves from Chavez is our duty to history."

Background briefings on the Chavez - Al Qaeda connection:

• How did Hugo Chavez react to Al Qaeda's 9/11 terrorist attacks?
• Terror threat from Venezuela: Al Qaeda involved
• 9/11: Chavez financed Al Qaeda, details of $1M donation emerge
• More Facts Uncovered in Chavez - Al Qaeda Collaboration

January 05, 2003

All that is required for evil to succeed is for good men to do nothing. The worst sin is to not speak up and not act when the liberty of a whole people is at stake.

Army Captain Alfredo David Salazar Bohorquez My personal page Chavez in Hiding: Will Not Explain His $1M Al Qaeda Financing More Facts Uncovered in Chavez - Al Qaeda Collaboration 9/11: Chavez financed Al Qaeda, details of $1M donation emerge Venezuelan Conflict Worsens, American Embassy Evacuates Staff Chavez: "Even if 90% votes me out, I will not go" 10-year Prison Terms For Protest Marchers in Venezuela Bio-weapons lab in Venezuela for Saddam and Castro Gold Reserves Looted from Venezuela's Central Bank A news story article has been published: Chavez in Hiding: Will Not Explain His $1M Al Qaeda Financing By Johan Freitas, in Caracas In a pattern that closely follows his reaction to 9/11, Venezuelan strongman Hugo Chavez has gone into hiding...

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COMMENTS

no source given for this nonsense by fuinseog Sun, Jan 5 2003, 11:48pm

but if you want news about Venezuela see

www.narconews.com

and

www.vheadline.com

(No sign of this "story" from a quick google search either.)

  Venezuela by B. Dillon Sun, Jan 5 2003, 11:52pm

No kidding - because this is going down as we type..

Google will catch up...

related link: www.militaresdemocraticos.com/en/index.html