President Chavez says that he does not support any type of armed movement in Latin America. On arriving in Santo Domingo (Dominican Republic) to attend the 20th summit of the Rio Group, Chavez insists that he is not two-faced and states that if he supported armed movements, he would not be at the summit because he believes in peace. In meetings with the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia to talk about the humanitarian agreement, Chavez reveals, he has always insisted that they should assess Latin America's political panorama and seriously consider the possibility of dropping the armed struggle. The truth of the matter, Chavez continues, is that we have two choices either the road to war that Uribe and behind him Bush is pushing with more violence or we seek the road to peace. At the summit, Presidents Alvaro Uribe (Colombia) and Rafael Correa went for each hammer and tongs with Uribe rejecting the "cynicism of those nostalgic for Communism" and Correa insisting that Uribe has lied to all asunder. Uribe has launched an accusation that the FARC financed Correa's presidential campaign.
The civil war continues in Colombia. The FARC has blown up several parts of the Transandino gas pipeline between Colombia and Ecuador. The pipeline is 110 miles long and the explosions took place in the border Department of Putumayo near the zone where FARC second-in-command, Raul Reyes was killed by a Colombian Army air strike. The Colombian army has killed another top FARC leader in intense fighting in the central-west Colombia. Ivan Rios was member of FARC's negotiating team in peace talks with President Andres Pastrana in 1998-2000.
Some analysts suggest that the FARC will pursue their argument that the Colombian government is untrustworthy, given the fact that in every political opening the group has made over the forty year period, the Colombian military has used the occasions to perpetrate ambushes, assassinations and military operations. The killing of Raul Reyes in Ecuador is seen as confirmation of the State's skullduggery. In Venezuela itself, many left-wing supporters are comparing the ambush that ended the life of 15 rebels as they slept to state security massacres of left-wing rebels in the late eighties complete with execution shots to the head.
During a visit to Venezuela, Argentinean President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner has signed an agreement of cooperation in food sovereignty and security with the Venezuelan government. The cooperation document containing more than 10 agreements seeks to guarantee food supply and development of production and distribution policies. Included in the agreement is the setting up and development of scientific, technological and financial cooperation and implementing corresponding policies. The two Presidents also signed an implementation agreement under a bilateral energy security treaty.
Venezuelan Finance Minister, Rafael Isea has stated on state television that in a month's time Venezuela should have substituted imports from Colombia. Commenting on the current diplomatic conflict, Isea says that only 0.5% of imports from Colombia have been affected by the current diplomatic standoff and he argues that 80% of products purchased in Colombia are finished products which makes it easier to substitute them for another supplier. At the moment, Isea maintains, the only merchandise passing through customs is food. In future, products, such as meat and chicken will be supplied by Argentina, Brazil and Nicaragua, as well as other countries with which Venezuela will sign cooperation agreements in food security. Isea announces that exports of Venezuelan products to Colombia that come mostly from the basic industries will be placed in new markets in the short term, guaranteeing the continuity of re-entry of capital to local producers. The Colombian market, Isea claims, has suffered the impact of Venezuelan policies because more than $5.5 billion of Colombian exports had to be taken to other destinations.
The new president of the Venezuelan Agrarian Corporation (CVA), Riblia Rodriguez reports that the organization produced 330,000 tonnes of food last year through 52 socialist production units created between 2006-2007. This year, Rodriguez maintains, the CVA hopes to triple food production and in that way contribute to the food sovereignty of other countries. Currently, the CVA is made up of 23 companies working in different sectors of food production, some of which are part of the international cooperation, such as (5) five joint ventures with Cuba. This year, the corporation hopes to strengthen 52 socialist production units and create 90 new units throughout Venezuela.
Stephenson Harwood lawyer, John Fordham has told VHeadline today that the appeal hearing petitioned by Petroleos de Venezuela (PDVSA) against ExxonMobil is over and the presiding judge has decided to give his verdict early next week complete with detailed reasons, which are obligatory in such high court cases. Gordon Pollock QC defending PDVSA has given several interviews to the media and it would appear that it is now a matter of sitting tight and awaiting the verdict and reasons. Both sides in the conflict are not showing evident signs of optimism especially after it was learned that the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) has backed PDVSA condemning ExxonMobil for its intransigence. Pollock QC has hinted that PDVSA could ignore a ruling supporting the injunction. However, he also made it clear that PDVSA has been prevented from bringing to a close the refinancing of a separate energy project because of the freeze.
Patrick J. O'Donoghue
patrick.vheadline@gmail.com
Liberals, social-democrats and pacifists will love Hugo Chávez for saying it; but he's simply dead wrong about armed struggle -- or to be more accurate: about speaking publicly about it this way, whether it's actually what he believes or expects or not. And of course, he says this because he is interested in the immediate returns on this latest, renewed claim of his. But for the good of the world socialist Movement, he should actually be interested in the long term; and what good does it do the world socialist Movement when its leaders constantly tell us we can achieve socialism thru peace -- and then one day we will find out there is no other path but armed struggle against a vicious, murderous imperialism..?
ReplyDeleteFirst thing: it's not an either/or choice here, understand -- which is the usual crap that comes out of the mouths of liberals trying to score a cheap point. In fact, you can have both armed struggle and the reformist road -- if for no other reason than we're not discussing just one society here, but the entirety of América Latina.
This supposed strength of Hugo Chávez, in leading a peaceful "revolution", can quite easily turn into a nightmare. Let's see that it doesn't. And we can start by demanding more answers from Hugo Chávez about what he really believes about the world and socialism.