Venezuelan President condemns US terror

Venezuelan President condemns US 'terror'

Monday 10 May 2004, 2:09 Makka Time, 23:09 GMT

http://tinyurl.com/ys6y9

Venezuela's president has condemned the United States as a "terrorist 
state" for toughening sanctions against Cuba.

Hugo Chavez vowed on Sunday that his government would increase its trade 
and cooperation with the Communist island.

In a television broadcast, the left-wing leader attacked Washington's 
measures announced on Thursday which seek to reduce still further the flow 
of dollars to cash-strapped Cuba.

The policy includes an increase in support for internal opponents of 
President Fidel Castro.

"That's called state terrorism, inciting people to kill President Castro, 
to overthrow him, inciting violence," Chavez said.

Close ties

Since he was elected in 1998, Chavez has angered the United States by 
forging a close relationship with Cuba - the target of a long-running US 
trade embargo.

Venezuela is Cuba's biggest trade partner, sending cheap oil to Havana, 
while more than 10,000 Cuban doctors, sports instructors and other experts 
work in the South American country.

He said he had ordered the state oil company Petroleos de Venezuela (PDVSA) 
to study the possibility of investing in an idle Soviet-built refinery at 
Cienfuegos on the island's south-central coast.

Under a 2000 energy accord, Venezuela ships at least 53,000 barrels per day 
of oil to Cuba.

Training camp

Earlier, Chavez said his security forces captured a large force of 
Colombian paramilitaries who were being trained by his opponents to 
overthrow him.

"We've delivered a bodyblow to the coup-plotters and the terrorists," 
Chavez said in a television broadcast that seemed to herald an imminent 
crackdown against opponents.

The president said 80 Colombians dressed in Venezuelan military uniforms 
were seized in a raid early on Sunday on a ranch owned by a Cuban exile 
among hills on the southern outskirts of Caracas.

Political ploy?

Security officials said the operation netted 56 Colombians inside the camp. 
They gave up without a fight and a further 24 were captured later.

None of the alleged Venezuelan ringleaders were found at the camp, but 
Chavez said they would be brought to justice.

Venezuela's opposition, campaigning to trigger an August referendum on 
Chavez's rule, dismissed the operation as a crude government ploy to 
discredit them, torpedo the referendum bid and justify police persecution.

"If these are paramilitaries, then they are pacifist paramilitaries because 
they don't have any guns," scoffed anti-Chavez mayor Henrique Capriles, in 
whose Baruta district the men were arrested.

-- 
Macdonald Stainsby
http://lists.econ.utah.edu/mailman/listinfo/rad-green
In the contradiction lies the hope
		--Brecht.

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