VENEZUELA: The conspiracy weakens and the government grows stronger
www.granma.cu Havana. January 29, 2003
• The Organization of American States (OAS) backs opposition proposal for a new public referendum outside of the timeframe stipulated in the Constitution
BY RAISA PAGES –Granma International staff writer –
THE national and international conspiracy against Hugo Chávez’ government is weakening as its arguments to topple the leader – a head of state whose only crime since taking power has been to submit all the decisions he has made to public referendums, fall apart.
The leader is acting in accordance with the rules of the Constitution, supported by more than 80% of the population in a popular referendum.
Perhaps one should ask who is behind these desperate efforts to bring down Chávez’ government? According to a report by Patrick J. O. Donahue, Joe García, president of the Cuban-American National Foundation (CANF) has hinted that his organization intends to use its powerful lobby in Washington to make life difficult for the Venezuelan president.
The public announcement regarding the close relationship between the CANF and the Democratic Coordination of Venezuela, the newly baptized opposition alliance, confirms accusations of this terrorist organization’s part in the conspiracy to topple President Chávez. It also confirms suspicions about secret meetings between opposition ringleaders and CANF executives, who last weekend organized a march against the Venezuelan leader on 8th Street, Miami.
Carlos Ortega, president of the Confederation of Venezuelan Workers and one of the main leaders of the opposition movement, took part in the Miami march. Last week Ortega traveled to the United States for talks with representatives of George W. Bush’s government and the United Nations, in search of support for his conspiratorial schemes. But Ortega wasn’t alone in Miami; other important figures, such as former mayor Antonio Ledezma, journalist Patricia Poleo and high-ranking Captain José Manuel Bellabeen accompanied him on the trip.
COUP ATTEMPTS FRUSTRATED
Monsignor Baltazar Porras, president of the Venezuelan Episcopal Conference and a fierce critic of Hugo Chávez, said that since the reactionary sectors called for a general strike last December 2, the domestic crisis was a disaster.
By regaining control of the oil industry, the state has foiled attempts by strikers at the Petróleos de Venezuela Corporation (PDVSA). Venezuelan oil exports are regaining their former sales figures and almost one million barrels a day are being processed, according to government reports (before the strike, more than 3 million barrels were extracted daily). ANSA reports that before the strike Venezuela, the fifth largest crude oil exporter and a member of the Organization of Petrol Exporting Countries (OPEC), provided 13% of the oil consumed in the United States.
The National Association of Private Education Institutes announced that classes are to resume next week, although there is disagreement with the Chamber for Private Education, which remains in favor of maintaining the suspension of classes, reported Prensa Latina from Caracas.
The vast majority of state-run public schools are still operating and at a number of centers, where principals and teaching staff have refused to give classes, parents and pupils have taken control.
Meanwhile, shopping centers and industries that had joined the conspiracy are re-opening for business, proving that their pockets are getting emptier and Chávez’ government is growing stronger.
The private media channels in Venezuela are still united in their efforts to bring down the government, and have been broadcasting new conspiratorial campaigns such as the recent "firmazo" (petition), a new maneuver to demand early elections. That has already been ruled out by the Supreme Court of Justice, which announced preventative measures ordering the suspension of a consultative referendum due to take place on February 2.
The attitude of the Organization of American States (OAS), headed by former Colombian president César Gaviria has remained true to form in the way that it deals with problems in Latin America. In an interview with the daily Folha de Sao Paulo, Gaviria maintained that all possible extra-electoral accords had been tried and supported the opposition’s demand for a public referendum, totally disregarding all the popular consultations organized by Chávez from the start of his mandate right up to the last demonstration of public support for his anti-neoliberal position.
He also stated that even with the creation of the Group of Friends of Venezuela, a Brazilian initiative, "we are still no nearer to a solution."
OUTSIDE FORCES CONSPIRING
The president of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela condemned the "integral sabotage" planned and carried out on PDVSA orders, causing losses in the region of $3 billion USD in December and January. Chávez’ government has introduced another measure to implement a control of food prices.
According to VENPRESS, the government will put in place a system to control prices and instigate a national, integral and full distribution system to avoid shortages of medicines and foodstuffs, measures to be accompanied by others of a social, political and economic nature.
Chávez also confirmed that external forces are intent on toppling the Venezuelan government, comparing the situation to that of Chile 30 years ago. He went on to say that those forces have forgotten that whereas in Chile, if Pinochet gave an order the armed forces carried it out, in Venezuela, those generals and admirals who are aligned with the oligarchy were given orders to stage a military insurrection and ended up as prisoners of their subordinates.
He recalled that during last April’s coup-d’état, some eight million people took control of military installations and the Parliament building and, with the support of the armed forces, managed to defeat the attempted coup.
He attested to the fact that there is a crisis in Venezuela because in the four years of his government, the economic elites have generated the undue exit from the nation of $35 billion USD – by means of a financial war unleashed by minority interests – and for 30 years have enjoyed undeserved benefits.
He went on to say that the anti-neoliberal nature of the Bolivarian Constitution is frightening those elite groups by removing their privileges. They have been relying on the support of the private media stations to carry out their campaign against the will of the people.
GENERAL STRIKE BY PRIVATE BUSINESSES
April’s coup attempt, he pointed out, allowed the Venezuelan government to reinforce its relationship with the National Armed Forces in accordance with the Constitution and now the attempted oil coup will give it the opportunity to nationalize this vital resource and lay off 3,000 PDVSA executives.
He underlined that in four years of government, they had been unable to touch this sector’s elite, but now Venezuelan nationalists were in a position to achieve this. He continued by saying that "those who attack Venezuela’s economic heart and sabotage milk-processing plants and those of the PDVSA, should be labeled terrorists. In Venezuela, the workers are not on strike, the bosses decided to shut down their workplaces, denying everyone the right to work¼ "
He emphasized that a group of PDVSA bosses had used remote control and satellite devices to sabotage the plants by changing the opening hours of pumping valves and blocking employees’ bank accounts to freeze their wages. Chávez thanked the workers, affirming that because of them "the country has not come to a standstill and nor will it."