Becuase Everything Else Sucks

Chavez Discusses Cuban-Venezuelan Confederation

By Manila Ryce
Published Wednesday, October 17th, 2007, 5:29 am
Filed under: World: South America, World: North America, World Issues, Society/Culture, US Politics

With agreements on 14 joint ventures, including oil refining, nickel production, fishing and tourism, Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez wrapped up a three-day visit to Cuba. Chavez signed the deals with Raul Castro, Fidel’s younger brother, to signal a determination on both sides to sustain the alliance between countries, which will benefit the communist regime’s chance of retaining power after the death of Fidel Castro.

Chavez has been able to use Venezuela’s vast oil wealth to reduce Washington’s control over Latin America, especially easing the impact of the US embargo on Cuba. “Cuba and Venezuela could easily form a confederation of states, two republics in one, two countries in one. This is no delirium,” said Chavez. The Venezuelan president has had a dream of uniting Latin America along the principles of Simón Bolívar.

Discounted Venezuelan oil and other deals are valued near those of Soviet-era Moscow. Cuba has dispatched thousands of nurses, doctors, and teachers to fellow leftist countries in Latin America as part of the deal. During a weekend meeting with Fidel Castro, Chavez praised him as “the father of all revolutionaries.”

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6 Responses to “Chavez Discusses Cuban-Venezuelan Confederation”

  1. I am deeply conflicted on Hugo Chavez. On one hand, he is a power-hungry dictator, but on the other hand he I admire his strong stand against President Bush.

    I find it interesting that he is proposing a union of two South American states. This was proposed in the Middle East in the late 1950s and briefly unified Egypt and Syria as the United Arab Republic for three years. One wonders if the unification of Cuba and Venezuela would meet a similar fate.

    Comrade Kevin
    10/17/07 at 8:22 am

  2. It comes as no surprise to me that I get here to find that Comrade Kevin has said what I want to say… and I do say that with respect to my friend CK!

    I too am conflicted this man. The despot who rages scares me but the man who stands up to the US impresses me.

    Are they the same man?

    It is interesting to me from another viewpoint. History typically shows us that despots and dictators are really lousy at succession planning. The suck all the air out of the room power-wise creating a vacuum. They rarely have a great second in command waiting around to take over.

    So it is with Fidel and Raul was never going to cut it as leader. Plus he is viejo as well, so that factors in. It strikes me that Fidel wouldn’t easily give his power to Chavez.

    But I am betting that Chavez would want that power. Badly.

    I am not making a judgment there- simply an observation for this moment in time.

    FranIAm
    10/17/07 at 10:42 am

  3. There is more to it than being conflicted about Chavez simply because he is standing up to Bush. We cheer him for defining our forceful policies, but we are worried about his tactics in government concerning his people. The truth is that both our government and Chavez’s operate on a mechanical view of humanity. I have had conversations with a Venezuelan Student here in Texas that has nothing but fear and resentment for Chavez, much the same way we have for Bush. Either way, both types of government operate in legal corruption and hurt their own people. He praises Castro but Castro is a murderer and so is Bush.

    tigertooth
    10/17/07 at 2:35 pm

  4. sorry, I mean defying, not defining.

    tigertooth
    10/17/07 at 2:40 pm

  5. I may be showing my ignorance here, but what horrible things has Chavez actually done? Every leader everywhere in the world has a dark side, but is there anything particularly nasty about Chavez? He certainly can’t be any worse than “the leader of the free world,” GW.

    When I hear people say things like they respect his stances against the US but dislike him because he’s a raging dictator, it sounds to me like these people are just spouting out what they heard on CNN.

    Can anyone provide some specific examples of horrible things that Chavez has done? I’m not saying he hasn’t done them, I just don’t know what they are.

    Andy
    10/17/07 at 7:26 pm

  6. Good question Andy. The only reason Chavez is demonized is because he’s one of the only leftist leaders in the world. Socialism isn’t just a curse word to the corporate media, it’s reason enough to wage war, enact an embargo, or stage a coup. Both parties in our system are conservative, so anyone to the left of Hillary Clinton is written off as an insane moonbat. You’re allowed to say anything you want about Chavez without being held accountable or being asked for supporting evidence.

    As for Castro, yes the Cuban government is a dictatorship, but its crimes are nothing in comparison to our own. When people talk about how horrible Castro is for the Cuban people, they often leave out the fact that it’s our embargo which has done the damage. The same was true in Iraq during the Clinton era. Saddam’s occasional massacre was nothing compared to the amount of children Bill starved to death.

    US policy has always been to strangle those countries we don’t agree with in order to make living conditions so horrible for its citizens that we actually will be “greeted as liberators” once our troops arrive. If you go against the US then your economy will collapse if you do not have outside support from other anti-US nations. Where George W. Bush fucked up is by isolating America to the point where there are now enough nations to actually stand together in defiance of whatever economic punishment we impose.

    If you have about 20 minutes, I recommend watching this anti-Chavez propaganda video. Borev thoroughly tears it apart with their own added captions.

    Manila Ryce
    10/18/07 at 12:53 am

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