www.vheadline.com Posted: Wednesday, March 12, 2003 By: Oscar Heck

VHeadline.com commentarist Oscar Heck writes: A few days ago I was at Atlanta Georgia International Airport (passing through), and was aghast at what I saw on the television at the little bar at D-9 where I could finally have a cigarette.

Although no one appeared to be listening (maybe since they were mostly interested in smoking), the television reports on Fox sounded like pure war propaganda.  The images were headlined by phrases such as "Axis of Evil" and "Fox News Alert!"

The newsperson repeated (in an aggravated alarmist fashion and with a tone of impending doom) "North Korea is pumping up the heat," and ... out of context ... "Chirac has stated that Iraq has not cooperated enough with UN arms inspectors."  The newsperson then went on to talk about the USA finding evidence that Iran is involved in weapons manufacturing.

Beyond being discouraged at the fact that our world seems to be repeating history again ... a build up to another "world" war, I was stunned by the similarity of this "Axis of Evil News Alert" to what I had been hearing on the privately-owned TV stations in Venezuela for the last 3 months ...especially Globovision.

A thought then came to mind. Who will the USA integrate next into their "Axis of Evil" concept?  First it was Bin Laden, next Saddam, then North Korea, now Iran, and tomorrow ... who ...Venezuela?

Most people who support the opposition to Chavez (and its deliberate attempt at destroying Venezuela) also support or "admire" the USA and its supposed "civilized" ways.

Is this what Venezuela needs? Admirers of the USA's "war" policies to re-take the reins of Venezuela? (By the way, I am not exaggerating by saying "admirers." Many of the anti-Chavez websites are USA-based and many anti-Chavez people have embarked on a mission to discredit Chavez by stating that he is linked to Saddam, Bin Laden and Khadaffi ... but with absolutely no evidence.  Sound familiar?)

I am saddened by the fact that I find the need to mention the USA once again.  I am quite sure that most Americans are not in support of the USA's "war" policies.  Many may even be embarrassed ... but I am seeing scary trends in Venezuela.

A few days ago, I was speaking with a family in Venezuela that are/were anti-Chavez and staunch supporters of the opposition.  They all signed at the El Firmazo.  Now they have discovered (through some Venezuela news sources) that the USA is quite intent in "forcing" their "war against drugs" onto Venezuela, apparently "infiltrating" some Venezuelan territory.

It also appears that the USA wants to set up US military bases along the Venezuela-Colombia border. This is a scary subject ... especially for many Venezuelans who have been misled by the largely pro-USA opposition leaders. The family is now having second thoughts about having signed in support of the opposition.  I suggested to them that when election time comes, to seriously consider that some anti-Chavez politicians will probably invite the US military into Venezuela ... as Colombia has done. They showed great concern.

(It is now "common knowledge" in Venezuela that the opposition is seeking USA support to oust Chavez:  "Oh! help us, Mr. Bush ... save Venezuela, etc...

Question: Is the "war" against drugs an excuse for the USA and the Venezuelan opposition to have American military units ready to attack Venezuela in the event that Chavez is re-elected? (I predict that Chavez will be re-elected.)

All these issues bring back memories ... I worked in Kuwait during the Gulf War and am today re-living certain feelings.  While in Kuwait, I used to watch CNN and was disgusted by the manipulation of information about the Kuwait situation, the propaganda, the "News Alerts" and the amount of American "hero" rhetoric that was being propagated regarding the US military.

Perhaps some people do not know that USA fervently propagated the notion that they went to "help" in the conflict ... which is a false notion.  The USA did not go "help" in the conflict.  Shortly after the war, I worked in Saudi Arabia and had the opportunity to speak with several members of the Royalty ... the USA was paid to do the job, paid by the Kuwaitis and by the Saudis.  The USA was paid.

Here is another example of what could have been considered far-fetched, but is apparently true. According to an article by Robert Russo, "FBI spied on Trudeau for decades" one Florida-based organization stated:

"Most Americans would be shocked to be told that Pierre Trudeau, the Prime Minister of Canada, is a Communist, who adores Mao Tse-tung and wants to make Canada over into a Red Chinese-style communist slave state."

Trudeau was also a close friend of Fidel Castro and apparently admired several elements of the Cuban Revolution ... it seems that the USA was not very happy with Trudeau.

It seems that the USA is not very happy with Chavez either.

I hope that Venezuelans will agree with the Chavez government's stance against foreign intervention ... USA or other ... in Venezuela's internal affairs.

I also hope that the opposition will come to realize the great risk in which they have put Venezuela by asking the help of the USA and others in their effort to discredit and oust Chavez from power.

Oscar Heck oscarheck111@hotmail.com

www.modbee.com

Interesting scenario presented by Dorrie Whitlock ("Chilling scenario," Letters, March 3), but there are a few "minor" differences between Iraq and Venezuela.

Which country did Venezuela invade and ravage? And how many of its Scud missiles landed on a country not even involved in the war to drive it out? After being driven out of the country it invaded, did Venezuela spend the next 12 years breaking 16 U.N. resolutions? When did it use weapons of mass destruction against its own people? Does its leader give $25,000 to the families of suicide bombers?

If you have answers to those questions, I'll support your hypothetical German invasion of Venezuela.

WILLIAM STREET Ceres Posted: March 12, 2003 @ 06:00:15 AM PST

www.vheadline.com Posted: Wednesday, March 12, 2003 By: Charles Hardy

VHeadline.com commentarist Charles Hardy writes: "Two men looked out of prison bars. One saw dirt. The other saw stars" -- I wish I could tell you the name of the genius who wrote those words. In very few phrases the person wrote a whole book, and I have carried the book with me for decades although I never saw the name of the author.

The words came to mind the past week as I observed the pessimistic newspaper coverage of Carnival in Venezuela. Throughout Latin America the days before Ash Wednesday are days of fun and celebration ... however the Venezuelan press' forecast for this year was Gloom and Doom!

It started by saying that, because of the terrible situation in the country (according to them) very few people would be traveling and the beaches would be empty.

That news came as a surprise to the people who were already on their way, or who were trying to find a parking place near the coast, or lying on the beach reading the newspaper to protect their eyes from the sun.

It was similar to a weather forecaster predicting a storm and the sun shines all day ... a good TV forecaster would simply joke the next day and say "Well, I can't be right all the time."

To expect such a reaction from the press here in Venezuela would be asking for too much. Instead they went into Gloom & Doom, Stage 2 ... the people filling the downtown streets with their children dressed in costumes and participating in the traditional 'Miss Carnival' pageants weren't having fun because they didn't have enough money to buy their costumes this year ... they had to make them themselves!

...and the people filling the beaches were not happy either, because they brought food with them from home instead of buying it from vendors on the beach.

The smiling faces and suntanned bodies that were shown in the newspapers didn't go along with the headlines, but what did it matter.

This is the press in Venezuela that doesn't have time to notice that there is still a sun in the sky and the stars do come out at night.

One good thing did happen. Carlos Ortega of the CTV and Coordinadora (anti-) Democratica were in hiding.

You might recall that he and his group asked children not to celebrate Christmas last year. and then staged a party for the little ones on December 28 ... the day when the Catholic Church commemorates the killing of the children by Herod.

• If Ortega had still been making public statements he probably would have urged people to hold off celebrating Carnival, too ... until Good Friday!

But, returning to the home-made costumes, my brother and sister-in-law had a family of seven children and always made their own Halloween costumes. When my brother died, one of his children talked at the funeral about the unique costumes they always had. One was a baked potato (a burlap bag covered with aluminum foil), two became a pair of dice (boxes covered with white paper with big black spots), and a third was a nun (with a black garbage bag for a veil).

Who says that to be happy everyone should dress as Spiderman, Superman or Barbie?

And the need to travel?

In the barrio where I lived, very few people traveled, but we always celebrated in a variety of ways. One of my most memorable recollections was the day I was carried the distance of a city block and dropped in a pit of mud, grease and whatever else that would make me totally black ... by the end of the day, a good part of the neighborhood looked the same way I did.

Taking your own food to the beach?

That has been a custom of most families for ages ... the food is better and you know how it has been prepared.

When the week was all over, Ultimas Noticias said that bus travel was down only about fifteen percent ... not bad, for all that the country has been through.

But what about the level of happiness and celebration?

Was it up or was it down?

Everyone I talked to had a nice Carnival, but that doesn't prove anything.

The newspapers have no way of judging that either, but you can guess what they would like to have you believe: In Venezuela this Carnival, there was no sun, no stars.

Having "adequately" reported on that ... they can now start working on their next project: Gloom & Doom, Stage 3.

Charlie A native of Cheyenne, Wyoming (USA), VHeadline.com columnist Charles Hardy has many years experience  as an international correspondent in Venezuela. You may email him at: hardyce2@yahoo.com

www.vheadline.com Posted: Monday, March 10, 2003 By: Charles Hardy

VHeadline.com commentarist Charles Hardy writes: He must have been terrified.  He was alone, surrounded by screaming people beating on his automobile.  They stuck their arms through an open window.  Then they busted another with their sticks.  They were kicking and threatening.

What was going through his mind?  As I write this, I can only imagine.  Would he come out alive?  Would he ever see his family again?

He hadn't done anything against them ... he was simply there, fulfilling a responsibility as a public agent.  A fugitive was in the area ... he was a police officer who had been sent there ... and suddenly his life, not that of the fugitive, was in danger.

This is not a scene from one of Caracas barrios or from a favela of Rio de Janeiro.  It is what happened March 9, the International Day of the Woman, in the midst of upper and middle class people of Caracas.

The opposition had sponsored a demonstration in the middle of the highway running through the center of the city.  Its purpose was to show support for Carlos Fernandez, Carlos Ortega and Juan Fernandez. Carlos Fernandez is under house arrest ... the other two are wanted by the police for their participation in the events of the past three months in Venezuelan.

At the conclusion of the event, Juan Fernandez, the leader of the rebel "Petroleum People" appeared and spoke for a few moments.  As one neighbor has commented, "if he is not guilty of anything, he should subject himself to the authorities.  There is no doubt that he has access to the finest attorneys in the country to defend him."

In any case, when the DISIP police appeared, they and not Fernandez were treated as lawbreakers ... and suddenly one found himself alone and the recipient of the aggression of the crowd.

Today, the newspapers don't pay much ... if any ... attention to the poor policeman.  A report on the "happening," which I just heard on Globovision, says that a unit of the DISIP was partially-damaged.  What about the poor person that was inside that vehicle?

If the same thing had happened to a lone reporter of Globovision in a demonstration of those supporting the government, there would have been protests and front-page coverage ... and rightfully so.  But, when persons supporting the opposition act savagely, there's only "partial damage" to the government vehicle.

Only yesterday, Amnesty International was asking people to sign a document protesting the possible stoning of a woman in Africa for having committed adultery ... in Caracas, a human being could have been beaten to death by members of the civil society, simply because he was a policeman.

Dear friends of the civil society, I don't see much difference between your actions and those of the people in Africa.

Neither action is worthy of a society in the 21st century.

Charlie A native of Cheyenne, Wyoming (USA), VHeadline.com columnist Charles Hardy has many years experience  as an international correspondent in Venezuela. You may email him at: hardyce2@yahoo.com

www.washingtonpost.com Monday, March 10, 2003; Page A20

The Post seems to have forgotten that, regardless of whether it approves, Hugo Chavez is the elected president of Venezuela [editorial, March 1].

The Post also seems to forget that a military coup last April, which had the tacit support of the Bush administration, received no international support and collapsed. And The Post ignores that the recent strike in Venezuela had the explicit objective of removing Mr. Chavez from office or forcing a change in the Venezuelan constitution.

Where would The Post stand if an illegal strike in this country tried to force President Bush from office because of his policies on Iraq?

Calling on the United States to meddle in Venezuela's affairs ignores the history of racism, economic oppression and corruption in that country (which resulted in the people choosing Mr. Chavez as their elected leader).

U.S. meddling has only worsened the situation in Latin America.

BILL FLETCHER JR.

President TransAfrica Forum Washington