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Former neocon Assistant Secretary of State for Western Hemispheric Affairs, Roger Noriega, commented through Twitter as follows:
"Chavista terrorist spy consul general Livia Acosta expelled from the United States by the State Department! Acosta has 72 hours to leave the country."
Since Chavez took office, he and government officials faced spurious charges and harassment. In September 2006, in fact, departing Venezuelan Foreign Minister Nicolas Madura was prevented from boarding his JFK commercial flight. He was heading home after attending a UN General Assembly meeting.
Allegedly his name was on a "red list." Ordered to surrender his ticket, he was then illegally detained and strip-searched, despite explaining his credentials. It was police state thuggery, a US specialty, even against visiting foreign ministers.
At home, he told reporters that police threatened to handcuff and beat him if he resisted. He was held 90 minutes, denied outside contact, including legal help, before being released.
No wonder Chavez got Noguera home before possible similar mistreatment. Rogue state policies define America, even against diplomatic representatives, world leaders and nonbelligerent nations.
Notably, Washington exploited Latin America for generations. Dismissively it's been called America's "backyard." It's also been a US corporate strategic reserve to plunder freely. No longer. New millennium years brought dramatic changes. James Petras calls the 1990s "the golden age of pillage." That's changed.
Mass movements arose like the Brazilian landless workers. Direct actions challenged traditional policies, including enormous wealth transfers to US banks and other corporate interests.
Centrist or left of center governments were elected in Bolivia, Brazil, Ecuador, Nicaragua, and Venezuela. To some degree, they asserted independence, especially under Chavez. No wonder he's targeted for regime change.
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