Petras: Chavez Frias is safe from Washington's fury

<a href=www.vheadline.com>Venezuela's Electronic News Posted: Monday, April 14, 2003 By: Patrick J. O'Donoghue

Sociologist James Petras says he believes President Hugo Chavez Frias has been far too lenient with opponents attempting to topple him. The US anti-globalization guru claims that the US government had a "semi-clandestine intervention" leading up to and during the April 11 coup attempt. 

US declarations the day after the coup, Petras claims, indicate that the US government had prior knowledge and approved. 

"Ambassador Charles Shapiro has a history of counter-insurgency operations in Central America with the Nicaraguan Contras ... the USA has specialists in weakening and destabilizing governments." 

If President Chavez Frias wants to stay in power, Petras maintains,  he will have to be tougher with conspirators, who receive funds and act in function of foreign countries. 

In a surprise statement Petrash is of the opinion that Chavez Frias is safe from Washington's fury for the following reasons:

• He has won more elections than any other President and therefore, it's impossible to demonize him
• He hasn't killed opponents
• He has relations with everybody, including the USA.

Speaking on press freedoms, Petras says that if there are OTT elements in the street calling to overthrow the government, it isn't the media's role to incite them to destroy the government ... and if the media go ahead, then " they should not expect the government to respond in a democratic fashion."

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