In memory of Hugo who?

(2 pm. – promoted by ek hornbeck)

It seems that he’s already not even a memory in this part of the hemisphere.  But Venezuela is well remembered . . . . “Venezuela boasts the world’s largest oil reserves.”

And so, I guess, it shouldn’t be too much of a surprise to read:

CARACAS, March 17, 2013 (Reuters) – Venezuela’s acting president urged U.S. President Barack Obama to stop what he called a plot by the Pentagon and the Central Intelligence Agency to kill his opposition rival and trigger a coup ahead of an April 14 election.

Nicolas Maduro said the plan was to blame his opponent’s murder on the OPEC nation’s government and to “fill Venezuelans with hate” as they prepare to vote following the death of socialist leader Hugo Chavez.

Maduro first mentioned a plot against his rival, Henrique Capriles, last week. He blamed it on former Bush administration officials Roger Noriega and Otto Reich. Both rejected the claim as untrue, outrageous and defamatory.

“I call on President Obama – Roger Noriega, Otto Reich, officials at the Pentagon and at the CIA are behind a plan to assassinate the right-wing presidential candidate to create chaos,” Maduro said in a TV interview broadcast on Sunday. . . . .

Of course, the United States State Department denied those charges as to a plot to cause harm to anyone in Venezuela.

Maduro, a 50-year-old former bus driver and union leader who is Chavez’s preferred successor as president, said the aim of the plan was to set off a coup and that his information came from “a very good source.” . . . .

During his [Chavez] 14 years in power, the former soldier often denounced U.S. plots against him and his “revolution.” Critics dismissed those claims as a smokescreen to keep voters focused on a sense of “imperialist” threat. . . . . .

Capriles, who kicked off the opposition’s bid to drum up support with big rallies in the provinces over the weekend, said Maduro would be to blame if anything happened to him.(emphasis mine)

There is the usual rivalry between two candidates, Maduro and Capriles, the accusations, the monetary issues . . . . .  but there are, obviously, other possible impending intrusions into Venezuela’s election processes in April.  The reality is that the following probably surpasses any and all other possible reasoning offered as to interference!

At stake in the election is not only the future of Chavez’s leftist revolution but also the continuation of Venezuelan oil subsidies and other aid crucial to the economies of leftist allies around Latin America, from Cuba to Bolivia.

Venezuela boasts the world’s largest oil reserves.

I can’t help but to post at least one paragraph from this Article“Obama Must Stand Up for Democracy in Post-Chavez Venezuela,” By Patrick Christy March 15, 2013, which lists all kinds of demands, restrictions, etc. that Obama should place on Venezuela and its future president:

The Obama administration should make clear that free and fair elections, properly monitored by respected international election observers, are essential to Venezuela’s future standing in the hemisphere and the world. Likewise, Secretary of State John Kerry should work with regional partners-including (but not limited to) Brazil, Canada, Colombia and Mexico-to firmly encourage Maduro’s interim government. A unified regional voice would send a powerful signal to Chavez’s cronies in Caracas and longtime enablers in China, Iran and Russia. . . .

It is beyond laughable that we go around the world telling other countries that they must have “free and fair elections,”  while our own elections are a crumbled sham.

Chavez Laid to Rest, outlines a tremendous list of Hugo Chavez’ accomplishments and they are worth reading in their entirety, but I’ll post just a couple of lines:

He was “unique.” He made a difference. He contributed hugely to advancing humanity. He did so “in the spheres of political economy, ethics and international law and in defining relations between political leaders and citizens.”

He cared. He showed it. No one anywhere matched him. He believed popular needs matter more than power. He transformed Venezuela from neoliberal harshness to social democracy.

He was reelected overwhelmingly four times. In 2006, his landslide topped all presidential victories in US history.. . . .

Finally, from an article, by Andre Vltchek, Countercurrents, Saturday, 09 March 2013 – 12:04/Op-Ed – “Chavez’s Triumph”  (Vltchek’s article is beautiful and a poignant tribute to Chavez – (Psst!  I hope I don’t get into trouble for posting this one paragraph – the whole article forbids reproduction.)

Chavez wrote history as one writes an epic and daring poem – with his own mind, heart and flesh. He lifted the flag with his own hands; he straightened his back, shouted a few essential words to the wind, and walked forwards. He was always at the front. He never hid behind the backs of others. This is how the legendary Samurais fought, or closer home – the great warriors of the Andes. . . .